Further updated: Virus chaos in the regime?

The Thoracic Society of Thailand has called on “the government to prepare for Covid-19 to become a ‘Stage 3’, full-blown epidemic in Thailand while slamming the authorities’ slow response to the spread of the disease.”

The Society claimed “it has been trying to alert agencies involved of the need for preparations” but that the response has been insufficient.

In a completely different arena, the doctors seem to be supported by (soon to be former) Thai Airways president Sumeth Damrongchaitham. He only took on the job in September 2018. He’s resigned because, as he put it:

We were here on a mission. When those in power said that you’re finished, so we had to go. And we already know what’s going on….

Sumeth and Wg Cdr Suthirawat Suwanawat, general manager of Suvarnabhumi airport, both “quit amid speculation that their decisions were linked to the effects of the Covid-19 outbreak.”

Another report states that “Sumeth quit after his proposals to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak were not supported by the ministry.”

Adding to confusion about the regime’s attention to the virus issue, it is learned that:

The opposition Pheu Thai Party has slammed the government’s decision to remove illegal Thai migrant workers who returned from South Korea from the national facility in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district and send them home for self-isolation.

Remarkably and apparently drawing conclusions that several other governments haven’t,

The government on Wednesday decided to send 240 Thai workers who returned to Thailand this week after working illegally in South Korea to their home provinces for self-quarantine, following advice that keeping many people quarantined in one place may lead to widespread infection.

Thailand is is deep trouble under this regime. Not least because the regime has a health minister who seems uniformed about health. In his most recent outburst, Minister Anutin Charnvirakul claimed “dirty” Western tourists were “more likely to spread coronavirus than Asians.” This seemed based on his view that Westerners “never shower” and “not a single farang has one [a mask].” None of this is based on good health advice.

If Anutin is determined that wearing a mask is necessary, maybe he can get some masks for tourists from fellow minister Thammanat Prompao. Certainly, masks are not readily available. As one report explains:

Thailand’s health authorities are encouraging people to make cloth face masks at home to guard against the spread of COVID-19 amid a shortage of surgical masks.

Despite Thammanat’s buffalo manure claims dropping from the headlines, some are still reminding people that the shortage is due to hoarding and profiteering.

Meanwhile, the regime fumbles about and blames others.

The regime’s response includes threats:

In the face of harsh criticism of the government’s response to the Covid-19 crisis, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that people had the right to ask questions and demand action but they should not cross the limit.

He seemed peeved, saying “it is not fair to accuse the government of being incompetent” and he argued that Thailand had a Thai-style virus:

Be it Covid-19, poverty or other challenges, the prime minister said, each country has different factors that can restrict efforts to address these problems.

No wonder people are open to scams, rumors and fruit loops.

Clipped from the Bangkok Post

We really did wonder about the royalism and nationalism on display in a recent set of photos and reports. Why all the flags, 9s and yellow shirts in these nonsense “sanitizations”?

Clipped from Khaosod

Maybe royalists feel the need for extra protection?

Update 1: Despite all DIT’s ass-covering, the Bangkok Post refers to a “dire shortage of face masks.” It asks: “Where have all the masks gone?” It was only in late January that “Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said Thailand has some 200 million masks in stock, which is enough for four to five months.” So where are they? Of course, there’s “speculation that a large number of them are being hoarded by some traders for export at high prices. Worse still, it is believed this hoarding involves close aides of some cabinet members.”

That’s the detestable Thammanat.

DIT reckons that 1.7 million masks are being produced each day. It says that these masks are being hoarded by regular people, but that does not explain why hospitals can’t get masks.

Dr Suphat Hasuwannakit, director of Songkhla’s Chana Hospital declares: “The government has completely failed in managing the crisis…”. He admitted that “he doesn’t understand … how online orders can be fulfilled so quickly…”. He added that “there’s always an ‘unlimited number’ of masks in online shops to be sold at inflated prices…”.

The regime is bungling and is struggling to deal with the crisis.

Update 2: The Nation reports that Genl Prayuth “has transferred the director-general of the Department of Internal Trade (DIT), Wichai Pochanakit, to the Office of Prime Minister…”. The general-PM stated that the transfer “was to re-establish people’s confidence in the government and investigate rumours of the hoarding face masks to sell in international markets.”

We think he’d have established confidence if he’d sacked Thammanat.

Newly circulated documents show the DIT “allowed exports of one million pieces of face marks to Chicago in the United States dated March 11.”

Full of lies and ass-covering, things go from bad to worse for the regime.