Why Thailand is doing so well in this pandemic

Some asked me why Thailand is doing so well in containing covid.   There are many factors but my take on this is because most of the common folks are convinced the Junta gahment will not do a good job so they took initiative to protect themselves and their communities. Especially the poorer provinces, they know they can't afford an outbreak.   The medical professionals in both private and public hospitals are also a key in engaging the public, informing them about the dangers of the virus without waiting for approval from the ghament.  Especially so when their advice was fallen on deaf ears.

The Thai gahment indeed screws up in a lot of areas and policies in handling the pandemic.  Slow in their initial response and a lot of u-turns in the beginning of the crisis confuses the public and their core civil servants.  Even the economy stimulus payout they came up with is a big hoohaa.. apparently they underestimated the number of people who needed the financial aid and ran out of money.  duh....

Initially too when the outbreak started, Thais are also nonchalant about the disease since the gahment is sending very mixed signals to the people.     It was only when the chief of infection disease and doctors, begged and cried on national TV for people to stay at home and the people responded with overwhelming support.

The common folks understood the seriousness and rallied behind their health workers.  You may say most Thais may not score high on their IQ test (due to their questionable education system) but you can never deny their empathy for others are outstandingly high. It's the people themselves that took up the mantle to protect each other.  The Thai gahment didn't do much actually.  It's really up to the people to do the right thing. 

PS.  Forgot to put down 1 other important thing.  Thai people, like Taiwan, China and South Korea, believes in masks.  Since day 1 even when there aren't enough stock.  Thai people would find ways to cover their mouth or face.  You don't need a genius to tell you otherwise.  

What ifs? Part 2

To be fair to both spectrum.

Part 2 is to those having issues with how our gahment sucks and making a lot of noises recently.

To the general public.
What if we all be responsible adults and read up/research more about the virus instead of just relying on gahment to tell you what to do and blindly follow?
What if we all have some compassion and place more effort in helping others that are less off than us?  Especially to the migrant workers that helped build our infrastructure. 
What if we instead worry about them "dirtying" our schools or flats , have a sense of pride on how we as a great nation, have the graciousness to help them out in these trouble times? 

To those still complain about the previliges given to essential workers.  (Medical staff, enforcers, police, cleaners and etc)
What if we put our shoes in these workers, that has a high risk of getting his/her job done without getting sick?
What if we value cleaners and respect their work rather than looking down on them because of their so called "low skill" labour?
What if we simply listen to their advice and reasons on their actions before raising our voices and make a complain?

And finally to all those anti gahment for no apparent reasons.
What if we shut up for the moment and wait for the whole covid-19 crisis over liao then complain about it later can?   (Unless its really a dire situation where you need to voice out your concerns then of course this does not applies, but I sincerely doubt you have one. :P)

What ifs.

There's this behaviour on online debates that likes to use appeal to ignorance (argumentum ad ignorantiam) .  I personally do that all the time whenever I troll someone.  Because it's cheap and manupilative and normally shut down the other troll or party.

So here's a troll piece just for fun.  XD

Side note: By no means I am totally dissing our leaders here,  I sincerely think they are doing all they can to alleviate the situation and I'm still grateful for that.  However there are some serious oversight that we can learn and do better.  

What if our leaders(we) did not only listen to WHO but formulate their own defences against covid like Taiwan or South Korea?
What if we don't blindly follow WHO early advice that covid-19 is not a pandemic but treat it as one and issue a temporary ban on China visitors?

What if we don't treat that ban as being xenophobic but as a precaution against spreading the disease?

What if we don't worry about the people hoarding surgical mask and even have a propaganda against wearing it?

What if we trust our people won't hoard the mask by explaining to them that our medical staff needs it as they might be a shortage if this continues on?

What if we quickly find ways to produce our own mask or source for them when China is starting to hoard them in Dec 2019?

What if we listened to NGOs early warnings to us in Jan about the workers dorms and do something about it?

What if we immediately have a shutdown or lockdown when we see huge crowds still gather at Mustafa or shopping centers?

What if we don't come up with a silly name like "Circuit Breaker" and just called is a partial lockdown to communicate to the masses on the dire situation?

What if we don't worry too much about losing too much in an election and plan to have one during the pandemic?  (like we would lose like dat)

and finally,

What if we simply apologise and acknowledge our past mistakes instead of pushing all our responsibilities to WHO or even to the people?  We are, of course the most well paid politicians in the whole world.  ELITES leh.  Tears in parliament are cheap,  human lives are not.

   

P.S BTW.  I actually plan to publish this AFTER the whole covid 19 incident is over but our leaders are simply just asking for it ... lol 

Changi Jewel - A missed opportunity

I can't believe I'm writing again but this was on the subject on Changi Jewel which I find it's a big opportunity missed by our dear leaders again. 

I sincerely love our Changi Airport. Not only because of it's efficiency and functionality but the symbology behind it.  The control tower is an icon of Singapore.   So when they say they wanted to refresh it I just shake my head.  It's going to be bad.  That was in my head when they say they are planning to revamp T1 and T2.  

Then T1 and T2 re-open with some new art installations (Kinetic rain being one of them).  And I was sincerely surprised that the revamp was actually good!    A lot of new sculptures and art work.  That's really cool.  So maybe this Jewel thing might be a good thing.  I was hopeful at that time....  Or so I thought until I heard it's going to be a shopping mall right in center of our airport.

And this is my point about Jewel.  Why do we ever need that shopping mall?  If they just removed all the fucking shopping center component of it and just have an art or museum instead.  We don't need a huge fountain or a rooftop garden.  We already have that in Suntec City and Garden by the bay.  An art gallery or a museum can be smaller, less obtrusive and cheaper to maintain.  Have more interactive or moving sculpture in it  or even a museum about Singapore's growth into a city and I guarantee you it will make a hit worldwide.

It's just sad.  Sad to hear words like " A symbol of bold  dreams." uttered to depict a glorified shopping mall.