Corona virus and my Thai family

[millymoopoo]

This is the story of (as the title suggests) the virus and my partners Thai family.

They are mostly women, there's Mum, Grandmum, a Sis and her daughter.

Then there is the extended family, an uncle (Mums brother) his wife and daughter.

My partner and I love each other very much, when I first met the family 8 years ago Yai (grandmother) recognised this instantly, the others were sceptical, to be expected.

Yai (91 y o) is beautiful, neither of us speak one word of each others language yet we seem to be able to communicate better than anyone else.

Mare (the mother 67 y o) is a detached, arrogant, stubborn, betel nut chewing 'director general'.
The sister (48 y o) is a bit like a lost puppy in the mothers shadow, she also has heart disease.

Her daughter (18 y o) is a happy bubbly Iphone/facebook generation whose social life is paramount, sound familiar.?

The uncle is a good worker, does what he needs to support his family.

His wife is quiet and devoted.

Their daughter (23 y o) has excellent organisational skills but poor money management skills, also an Iphone generation.

They/we live in a small isolated (not on or near any major road) village about 30km outside of Chiang Mai.

In 2017 we built a new house (I have posted about this previously), with family consultation we and an architect designed a modest but appropriate house, a builder was engaged and then took the 'director general' around to one of his designed houses to show her, she fell in love with that house (and maybe with the builder a little bit) and insisted on that one (with all it's faults) instead.
So sure as chickens come from eggs, in first summer the faults reveal them selves and mother goes 'oh it's terrible, it's so hot inside' needless to say we had to spend thousands on roof ventilation/insulation, extending the eaves and air conditioning to resolve some of the poor design.

My partner and I fluctuate between Australia and Thailand, 6 months in each.

So now we are in 2021 with COVID.

Luckily in 2020 when the borders closed we were in our Australian fluctuation.

We have been safe here, partner is fully Pfizer vaccinated and I'm due my second A Z in 2 weeks.

We expected Thailand would be hopeless with vaccine rollout, but we thought the isolation of the village would keep the family safe until they can get vaccinated.

But the Delta strain has other ideas.

We have been led to believe testing rates in Thailand reflect only about 10% of the infection rate, especially in isolated rural areas poorly served with hospitals.

On Friday we were informed that the village now has 3 corona virus cases (reality is probably 20 to 30).

One is next to the temple (400m away)

The brothers house is diagonally behind our house, the second COVID case is in the house directly behind ours, next to the brother.

And the third 300m down the road.

These are the officially confirmed positives.

On Friday I told the partner I thought the best option we have is to send the family up into the mountains (Inthanon) find an isolated house (not in a village) to rent and wait out this period until either they can get vaccinated or the virus subsides. The brother knows and used to work in the area.
We are lucky, we can afford to do this, no one else in the village has this luxury, and it would certainly be the safest option.

For sure this delta strain will run rampant through the village just as it has done in Indian and Indonesian villages and is probably doing so now in other Thai villages.

By the time it's over we can expect half the village will be gone, isn't that what is happening in the aforementioned countries now.?

The family see and know this from the television every night, they see whole families becoming infected (one brings it in).

They know the frail and infirm who become infected usually die.
They know it's a lonely isolated death with no family contact.

They know the infection rate is way higher than officially indicated.

Do you think they are madly packing up preparing to leave for the mountains, common sense would suggest they are.

But no, they refuse to leave, they would rather die than leave the village, and are prepared to do that.

Which brings to mind the saying ' you can't legislate against stupidity'.

And what were the two Iphone kids doing last night, off to the city to have 'moogatar' (probably not spelt correctly) with how many others hundreds in the restaurant (it's a big place, I've been there, I know it) with who knows how many infected persons.

The virus requires us to spread it, stop people moving about and you stop the spread, it's so simple, why is it so difficult to understand.?

So we are stuck here in Australia, stressed to the max, knowing that we almost definitely will never see Yai again, most probably won't see either Mare (Mum) or sister again, and could possibly also loose the young ones too.
Unlike the house, which can be modified or replaced, you only get one chance at life.!

And in the meantime they are sitting there, in their village, deluding themselves they are safe there, when they have a vastly safer option on offer, but are too stupid to recognise it.

Personally, I find this an incredibly selfish attitude in the mother, she's driving it, and showing no care or consideration for anyone else, but what would I know, I'm only the 'Farang'.!

It has activated their interest in getting vaccinated, but what with Sinovac (useless) even if they can get it, A Z maybe in October or Moderna next year, what good is that now.?

There is no way out of our dilemma, we can't go and physically remove them to the mountains, we are resigned to it now, but we sincerely hope none of you will have to face what we are, unfortunately, reality suggests we are not the only ones.

If any of you face a similar dilemma, pull what ever and all levers you can to protect your loved ones as the potential heartbreak does not bear thinking about.

 

 

[internationalism]

They won't move away from their houses because they are afraid neighbours would rob them.

Also conservative thinking - unless they are ordered they won't do anything innovative (you have an example from your mother in law). Especially, if an idea cames from you, a foreigner.

Just leave them alone. They won't die, as you are afraid. They all might be asymptomatic already. Tell them to get some medicines from town pharmacy, even as a prophylaxis, before those medicines disappear. Probably they won't do anything, but at least you have clear mind.

 

Very similar situation I have at my home. Thai don't think "outside the box" into planning their future

Edited August 3, 2021 by internationalism

[millymoopoo]

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

They won't move away from their houses because they are afraid neighbours would rob them.

Also conservative thinking

I knew all of this before hand, and discussed it with my partner first, which is why they think the idea of moving to the mountains came from the partner.!

And it's a very small village, maybe 200 max, and there is other family around, aunts/uncles/cousins, and most anything valuable is portable, it's not the reason they don't want to leave.

But they do only think of today, survival for just that day, tomorrow can look after itself, is common throughout all poorer nations.

And yes, as I said, it's being transmitted to whole families, the grandmother will probably not survive and the others are at risk too.
Worldwide already 5 million dead, UK getting record infections (delta), think it's the same in the U S.

Just look at India, half a million dead, 500 per day, it will be like this in Thailand in a  month or two, what's to stop it.?