šŸ‡¹šŸ‡­ Tomorrow in Thailand

Govt declares State of Emergency, measures

Iā€™ve got to get more Thailand stock photos next time Iā€™m there, I canā€™t keep using this mad tourist snap from Phuket a hundred years ago

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See you tomorrow,Erin Cook

Shortly after sending yesterdayā€™s quick update we got some huge news out of Thailand. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has enacted emergency powers to begin tomorrow. This gives the government powers to enforce lockdowns and limit movement further. It also includes the establishment of an emergency committee which will monitor and tweak requirements daily. What this will look like in the end is still up for debate.

ā€œThe goal is to reduce the spread of the virus. The government prioritizes the health of its citizens. Please do not panic and listen to the government,ā€ the Prime Minister said during a televised address Tuesday afternoon.

The Bangkok Postā€™s reporting on this has been phenomenal. The paperā€™s piece on the announcement is followed by comprehensive information about transmission in the country, noting that 47 provinces now report cases with many linking back to Bangkokā€™s boxing stadiums. If youā€™re very into the nitty-gritty of the spread, this is a useful resource. 

The transmission rate is important to understand in Bangkok. The capital is above the global average, with one infected person passing the virus on to three and a half people currently, according to Health Ministry spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin.

One boxing stadium, the army-controlled Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bang Khen, is reportedly an ā€˜epicentreā€™ in the capital. The stadium ignored government notices to cancel all events, leading to an event linked to at least six coronavirus cases. Officials have traced over 130 cases to the stadium. 

An expected enforced lockdown will leave the millions employed in Thailandā€™s informal sector ruined. Workers advocates say workers understand the need to close borders and tighten movement, but understanding doesnā€™t put food on the table. This is a story weā€™re seeing all across the region and there seems to be no real answer beyond quickly dispensed cash payments across affected communities, or lockdowns will never work effectively. 

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Don't bungle emergency (The Bangkok Post)

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha did not clarify which aspects of the emergency decree he will choose to implement. It also does not bode well for the premier when he tells the public that the country is switching to emergency mode, but that people will have to wait until tomorrow to find out what it entails.

The suspense is unnecessary as the country's citizens are already enveloped in confusion and paranoia. A rush to supermarkets to stockpile necessity items can be expected. Yet the gathering of many people in limited spaces is exactly what spells disaster at this point.

While the government may be led to believe that strict implementation of the law will help restrict people's movement and lock down cities and towns, experiences over the past few weeks should convince them otherwise.

It's nearly impossible for low-income wage earners or informal workers to stay put when their workplace shuts down and they have no income. A raft of measures must be implemented to help them so they can practise self-quarantine as required. Otherwise, no matter how strict or authoritative the orders are, they will be useless.

Both Generals Prayut and Prawit have at times, since they took power in a military putsch, claimed that the armed forces of Thailand are necessary to safeguard the sovereignty of the nation and the life and livelihood of the people.

When they overthrew a democratically elected government in May of 2014, they said that the armed forces were obligated to step in because they could not stand by and watch the country descend into chaos.

But now that Thailand is actually facing a real and protracted crisis, one where tens of thousands may be infected and thousands may die, where is the decisiveness necessary to combat the real and ever-growing threat of coronavirus?

So feeble and timorous has the response been to the crisis that Bill Heinecke, a longtime conservative voice in Thai society and a hotelier to boot, has written an open letter asking the government to further shut down the country.

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