Feature:
The following are reader comments, opinions, and insight from our weekly feature in which we ask our readers a newsworthy question and then highlight your opinions the next week.
Last week we asked you this: https://thepattayanews.com/2020/12/28/reader-talkback-in-regards-to-the-current-covid-19-infections-should-thailand-lockdown-again/
Here is what you had to say. If you have not had a chance to respond or want to give your input as we have implemented more measures but not yet a “hard” national lockdown here is how: You can respond here or on our social media pages or email us at Pattayanewseditor@gmail.com.
Let us see what you had to say. Importantly, opinions here are those of the reader/responder and may not be those of the Pattaya News.
Ken: Track and trace for now. However, with the horse now out of the barn, they need to quit saying COVID is under control. Keep Anutin from blaming everyone but himself and make him wear a mask properly!
Larry H: Thailand authorities have handled thee Covid-19 pandemic excellently. I am sure they will find the best solution to resolve the new outbreaks too. A lot is at stake so there will be many difficult decisions that will create some hardship for someone. With the vaccine soon to be distributed, I guess they will take a decision ensuring safety rather than pleasing those who want to celebrate New Year. Important all follow the instructions and do our utmost to reduce the risk.
Kevin B: Thailand should lockdown now. Why waiting for the obvious to happen
Tim F: send illegal migrant workers back to their countries first priority. that would be a good start
 Phil (message in italics, longer letter):
Hello Pattaya News,
I have commented a lot on the posts on FB and have some strong, science-based views in regard to how the covid situation is being handled in Thailand.
In regard to the point of the question asked, I think the Thai government is wholly responsible for the recent outbreaks. This comes from my belief that they have not actually done anything pragmatically, pro-actively or realistically, to face up to and fully understand the virus threat, and so roll out a plan that does not include destroying the Thai tourism and hospitality sector, or any other business sector for that matter.
One reality they are not facing is that microbial particles will travel far more than 1.5 or 2 meters! The distancing measures that are in the play do not work, at least not outside. This has not been addressed in any measure, and in fact, is contributing to what is an inevitable outbreak now.
The ridiculous scenes we have witnessed of people adorned in full hazmat gear with back-pack sprayer outside spraying the trees and roads, or even in cinemas or indoor markets, is stupidity on a massive scale. You simply cannot sanitize your external environment! Even in the food industry, in which I advise on microbiology and best processing practices, in high-risk ready to eat protein food processing rooms, the room has to be sealed and “fogged” for a minimum of 6 hours with an anti-bacterial mist that settles on all the surfaces, providing a high contact-time antibacterial function. You cannot replicate that outside of those controls!Â
Not just that, anti-bacterial agents do not kill viruses! Detergents can only do that by breaking down the cellular structures that surround them, so all this hand sanitizing going on everywhere using anti-bacterial gels, is actually worthless. In fact, they are damaging health by killing the good bacteria that help support auto-immunities!
Temperature checking is also pointless. Anyone infected who is asymptomatic will not register a fever, and so will get past any temperature scan and be able to infect someone.
PCR testing itself is used widely in the food industry for species DNA identification. If your ground beef was contaminated with pork or even horse meat, a PCR test would separate the DNA strands and give the answer. It is a flawed system at best for viral isolation testing, but it is the best we have right now, so the only way to get any confidence on infection rates, is to test, test and test again.Â
People are not the only carriers of any microparticles, however, no matter what the media and government try to tell us all. My recent analogy of this was with the reports of pollution, which comprises heavier-than-air solid particles, that get moved many miles on prevailing winds. If heavier than air particles can be transported this way, then it does not take a scientist to understand that lighter-than-air microbes will definitely be suspended and moved in the same way. We have been told that the virus can survive on surfaces for many hours, so that also stands true when they might attach to dust particles suspended in the air.Â
The government narrative has been and continues to be, one of attaching the virus threat only to foreigners. This message has sunk in deep with local Thai people and is very disturbing. The reality is the virus, like dust, has no respect for any border, lockdown, curfew, alcohol ban, distancing, tourist lock-out, or any other inert restriction. The lock-out has in fact been a lock-in where the virus is concerned, and it was only a matter of time before an outbreak manifested itself.
On that related note, did anyone ever ask why so many people in quarantine were being found positive, despite having two previous negative test results? Why is Thailand not testing people on arrival at BKK, given their abject fear of the virus?
When Bangkok was emptied of tens of thousands of provincial workers at the start of this when Thailand was No.2 on the case chart after China, I cannot imagine for one moment that there were not untested, infected people sent out, that simply must have started an infection spike in their home provinces that has never been detected.Â
As most (90% with the current outbreak apparently) never show symptoms, and the rest mostly show only mild ones, the potential for a spread was huge. In my view, it cannot all be attributed to the migrant workforce, and this continuing message from the government is highly irresponsible.Â
In summary, my view is that Thailand has hidden from its responsibilities regarding virus management when it should have been facing up to them and formulating strategies that mitigate, not eliminate risk. A risk-free situation is nothing short of fantasy, and this futile strategy is at the core of what is happening now. Their continuing fright responses are unsettling and ineffective, while they simultaneously tell people not to panic!
While I am not a covid denier, I most certainly am a critic of how Thailand (and others) has allowed their over-bearing, hysterical solution to become far worse than the threat of the problem itself. My business has suffered because of their decisions and actions, but survived thanks to my ex-pat customer base and my diverse business model. Others have just been callously casting adrift by the government that is supposed to support and help in times of crisis. That is just disgraceful in my view.
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 Terry: No, No, No
Lockdowns have been proven not to work!
They only exacerbate an already difficult situation and make things critical for everyday Thais!
No lockdown! Most cases are not life-threatening and are asymptomatic anyway!
Lockdowns have been proven not to work!
They only exacerbate an already difficult situation and make things critical for everyday Thais!
No lockdown! Most cases are not life-threatening and are asymptomatic anyway!
 Franco: My opinion is that the previous approach has produced excellent results. More draconian measures will kill even more the economy of the country. We can see so many shops and businesses closed down, do they want the situation deteriorated even more? In my opinion, it is better to defend medicines proven to be effective, and with vaccines, once they have been tested a long time.Â
 Mike:
It’s not a lockdown, it’s a shutdown. See the difference? It’s not dirty ex-pats, it’s some of our marginal workers in construction camps!! It’s spreading where we are testing. We are testing the areas of non-Thai workers. If you come to my location, Quarantine for 14 days. If you come to my area it’s a temp check and random questioning. My area is based on science. My area is based on science too. Same same but different.
 Stefan: I vote for lockdown, if I cant go there nobody else should have any fun too…
 Pedro: Shut it down. Save Thailand. Plenty of new money will come and rebuild again. Those current existing businesses. Well, that’s how it goes.
 Paul:
Do NOT lockdown Start vaccinations ASAP in COVID provinces, then the better provinces. Start with top tourist provinces, Pattaya…
Lockdown only provinces to outsiders if COVID spreads there. But allow movement & keep businesses open.
Common sense approach.
Good luck
 Jay: 2020 has shown that those nations who dither, pay the price, both in lives lost and damage to their economy. Don’t agree? Have a look at what happened in the UK, USA, Brazil, etc, where indecisive governments acted too late. A one-month lockdown now is better than a mass loss of life and a subsequent total shutdown of the economy later.
 Arvind: Learn to live with it. It’s not going away anytime soon and you can’t stop it with these measures. All it takes is 1 infected person for it to start again.
 Ray:
If the numbers get out of control, they should lock it down.
Two to three weeks would be enough
The Thais are largely compliant; they’re not running around staging protests over wearing masks and dismissing the virus as “just the flu”.
 Markus: Under NO circumstances should Thailand have a new lockdown. It would be the end for many remaining companies already struggling to survive. Just continue with the vaccination program. Astra Zeneca could be approved on Jan. 4th, according to BBC News. India is already in the starting blocks and according to certain media reports India is already producing. What about Thailand? Instead of a new lockdown, the Astra Zeneca vaccination program could be approved by emergency decree and production started immediately.
 Lots of great reader feedback and insight this week, we will have a new talkback likely tomorrow!
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