Prayut denies allegations that he mishandled Covid response

[webfact]

 

By Erich Parpart

 

Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha on Thursday denied that the current administration is the same as the previous junta government.

He also denied allegedly mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak. Opposition parties have made allegations that the government’s delay in procuring vaccines, along with the mismanagement of emergency loans, may have resulted in rising public and household debt, rising unemployment rates, and high inflation levels.

 

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,” Prayut said. “Everyone who is sitting here is based on the 2017 constitution and the people who were in power are now performing new duties that are based on a new constitution and a new law,” he said during parliament debate on Thursday.

 

Full story: https://www.thaienquirer.com/37617/prayut-denies-allegations-that-he-mishandled-covid-response/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Enquirer 2022-02-18

 

- Aetna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ThailandRyan]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

He also denied allegedly mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak

I mean what else can a person say when they have not done the best at getting the country vaccinated with efficient vaccines or by vaccinating the country in a timely fashion.  Now add into the facts that insurance payments will not be made for those forced into treatment unless they meet certain conditions and you have the perfect storm to tell you just how badly those at the trough have done.

 

Then he adds this snarky statement.

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,” Prayut said. “Everyone who is sitting here is based on the 2017 constitution and the people who were in power are now performing new duties that are based on a new constitution and a new law,” he said during parliament debate on Thursday.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[timendres]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,” Prayut said. “Everyone who is sitting here is based on the 2017 constitution and the people who were in power are now performing new duties that are based on a new constitution and a new law,” he said during parliament debate on Thursday.

In other words, he mishandled the COVID response "based on a new constitution and a new law". Got it.

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,” Prayut said.

Oh you insist do you, well then it must be true if you insist…

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,” Prayut said. “Everyone who is sitting here is based on the 2017 constitution and the people who were in power are now performing new duties that are based on a new constitution and a new law,” he said during parliament debate on Thursday.

That's the problem right there.

[ClaySmc]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Then he adds this snarky statement.

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,”

The sly fox is also setting up the argument he will use so he can rule for another four years!

[MrJ2U]

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

"Thailand ranked 3rd to last worldwide on Covid-19 handling"

 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/thailand-ranked-3rd-to-last-worldwide-on-covid-19-handling

 

We're still waiting for (Sakon Nakhon) for the Pfeizer 5-11 year old vaccinations.

 

The government should have left it to the private sector to aquire the vaccines.

 

To much red tape and corruption when the Government is involved.

Edited February 18, 2022 by MrJ2U

[Srikcir]

Look at Prayut's initial actions against Covid-19

 

1st - Thailand should create its own Covid-19 vaccine to become the Hub of Covid Vaccines in S.E. Asia

2nd - Thailand should make under license by a single Thailand company Asta Zeneca to .... see 1st action. The company had no prior manufacturing of mRNA vaccines and refused public inspection of its facilities and product inventory for what seems a year. 

3rd - government gives priority purchase/donation of the Chinese SinoVac which had a questionable efficacy beyond two months, then adding SinoPharm Chinese spinoff. 

4th - mandated that only the government can order and import Western-made Covid-19 vaccines that much more durable efficacy over time than Chinese vaccines. 

 

To me these initial decisions delayed the amount of effective and reliable Covid-19 vaccines made available to the Nation, furthering spread of the disease. 

Prayut also seemed to adopt a strategy of using Covid safe health measures (masking, business shutdown) over (vs in conjunction with) contact tracing and a national vaccination program.  

 

Finally, it seems the "stage was set" for an economic failure brought in hindsight on by the Covid pandemic years earlier when the Prayut government shifted contributors to the nation's GDP to largely Chinese tourism.

So when China locked-down its citizens from leaving the country due to Covid-19, the Thai tourist economy (and associated industries such as entertainment, restaurants, hotels, tours, airlines, etc.) took sever economic pain. And essentially crashing the national economy.

 

[sammieuk1]

He handled it completely as expected ????

[spidermike007]

Cha Cha, you bungled this thing to no end. If you had one nanogram of humility you would man up and admit it. instead what you should be saying is this:

 

I know, I know, I know. I should have reacted when the 2nd outbreak happened back in December or 2020, and done the right thing by shutting down that area in Samut Sakhon. I admitted at the time I was afraid of the "optics of a shutdown". I admit that was very weak and foolish.

 

I know I should have closed the canning plants, and I know I shouldn't have warned the construction workers that I would be closing the sites a week in advance, allowing them to travel everywhere around the nation, and contributing dramatically to the 3rd wave. Wow. What a stupid thing I did. 

 

Lockdowns work, if they are done correctly. A highly selective Prayuth/Anutin style lockdown, that favors cronies, never has worked, and did not work. You know what that is called? Dumb, reckless, callous, and failed policy. 

Prayuth should resign today.

 

I know. I should have taken the vaccine thing more seriously. I know, I should have had a more qualified health minister. I know, my pathological fear of the optics of a lockdown are causing many more cases than need be.

 

And I know, I should have been more diligent with the borders, I should have cracked down on corrupt immigration officials, and kept my promise to fight corruption, and I should have used my army soldiers for something. Anything. I forget there are 550,000 of them. They would have been perfect for controlling the border. And they would have actually been doing something to benefit the people and they would have been protecting the nation, for a change. I also forget that is why we have soldiers. How very dumb of me.

 

It appears I am nowhere near as smart as I think I am. I do realize I should have and could have done better.

Do you want me to resign now? I know that is what you are thinking. I probably should. It sure would be the right thing to do, but since I rarely ever do the right thing, I wouldn't even know how do make that happen. Just call me a failure. I know it is true. 

Edited February 18, 2022 by spidermike007

[MrJ2U]

5 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

SinoPharm

And charged for it making a profit.

Also added VAT.  Infuriating!

[klauskunkel]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

“I insist that this government is not the same government as the one in 2014,” Prayut said. “Everyone who is sitting here is based on the 2017 constitution and the people who were in power are now performing new duties that are based on a new constitution and a new law,”

… and yet, you are still the same corrupt dinosaurs you have always been.

[Hayduke]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He also denied allegedly mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak.

 

Nothing confirms government malfeasance as well as an official denial.

 

 

[brucegoniners]

LOL.

[mikebell]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

"Thailand ranked 3rd to last worldwide on Covid-19 handling"

 

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/thailand-ranked-3rd-to-last-worldwide-on-covid-19-handling

 

We're still waiting for (Sakon Nakhon) for the Pfeizer 5-11 year old vaccinations.

 

The government should have left it to the private sector to aquire the vaccines.

 

To much red tape and corruption when the Government is involved.

From the above article;

'Only 4.45% of the population has been fully vaccinated now, a far cry from the original promises of herd immunity and at least 1 vaccine for everyone in Thailand by October. Nikkei Asia quoted an observer as saying that the government couldn’t wrap their heads around the enormity of the problem and leaned towards political caution rather than medical caution when preparing a vaccine rollout, not wanting to overestimate and jump the gun on vaccine procurement.' - Thaiger.

[rudi49jr]

Prayuth would deny stealing candy from a baby, while holding the baby upside down with one hand, shaking it and catching the candy with his other hand. 

[Mavideol]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

He also denied allegedly mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak.

I wouldn't expect any different answer from him, denial has and will be his legacy .........never saw and/or heard anyone, to be  honest enough to acknowledge any wrong doing even when caught with their hand in the candy jar......

[Nickelbeer]

Would you expect Prayut to ADMIT he is incompetent? He knows military protocol and top down management. He is totally unacquainted with parliamentary procedure.

[metisdead]

A post with an oversized trolling meme has been removed.

 

A post baiting another member has been removed.

[poskat]

"“Everyone who is sitting here is based on the 2017 constitution and the people who were in power are now performing new duties that are based on a new constitution and a new law,” he said during parliament debate on Thursday. "

 

so it is different because everyone in the junta just moved one chair to the right, and now do the job of the person who was previously sitting there?

 

now that we have established how the new government was setup, it now makes sense why no one knows how to their new job because their expertise was for their old job.

[Nojohndoe]

8 hours ago, mikebell said:

From the above article;

'Only 4.45% of the population has been fully vaccinated now, a far cry from the original promises of herd immunity and at least 1 vaccine for everyone in Thailand by October. Nikkei Asia quoted an observer as saying that the government couldn’t wrap their heads around the enormity of the problem and leaned towards political caution rather than medical caution when preparing a vaccine rollout, not wanting to overestimate and jump the gun on vaccine procurement.' - Thaiger.

Why use  commentary from that date last year ? Not defending Prayut and co but at that time  many countries were struggling and some still are ! There are fundamental issues with the Thai Govt. that are much more specific to Thailand other than a global generic mishandling of the declared pandemic.

[koratkarlos]

I think he just does not understand.  When I watch him on TV he truly appears lost.  So in his mind according to the reported numbers he did OK with COVID.  But many businesses are closed and this is not the same fun, spontaneous Thailand as before.  So if I were a working Thai raising a family struggling to get by, I would disagree with Cha Cha and think that many things could have been handled better.

[ThailandRyan]

42 minutes ago, koratkarlos said:

I think he just does not understand.  When I watch him on TV he truly appears lost.  So in his mind according to the reported numbers he did OK with COVID.  But many businesses are closed and this is not the same fun, spontaneous Thailand as before.  So if I were a working Thai raising a family struggling to get by, I would disagree with Cha Cha and think that many things could have been handled better.

GF has just gone down to Khao San road with her two cousins to see how things are going on a Friday night.  She video called me and showed me a nearly deserted Friday night 10pm Khao San Rd.  She also told me they were no longer checking vaccine certificates or such when she walked in.  Entertainment venues have taken a definite hit along with businesses and restaurants thanks to the response by this regime.  Here in the US almost everything is back to normal, mask wearing is up to you and not a requirement except in certain locations like the airports and medical facilities.  Omicron is on the backside of the spike with fewer cases daily except among the unvaccinated.  Only time will tell for Thailand.  The graphs showing the cases Thailand is supposedly having versus the rest of the world are two entirely different critters from my view.  The Thailand cases do not even resemble those of the countries who have gone through Omicron, and I believe this is due to a lack of true testing.  Funny how Thailand wants to be the center of the universe yet they can not even get the vaccinations completed to cover the whole population including the elderly and then they do not seem to give a rats <deleted> about testing and being transparent.  Testing the tourist/travelers/returning expats 3x's the rate of normal citizens is also a load of feces....all about money, not wanting to spend it and not wanting to let go of a few cash cows.......

[cncltd1973]

He denies dying his hair too! I wouldn't trust his golf score either

[djayz]

I believe you, but millions wouldn't. 

[daveAustin]

On 2/17/2022 at 7:47 PM, webfact said:

He also denied allegedly mishandling the Covid-19 outbreak

He has mishandled so many things (read: everything) that he is confused.