OPINION

So what's the plan?

Sometimes it seems like the authorities in Thailand are solving minor problems like arresting teenagers who break curfew whilst completely ignoring the bigger ones.

If they're not working 16 hours a day, if they're not frantically coming up with new ideas, if they're not worried sick about what is going to happen in Thailand in May... then quite frankly they have no right to be anywhere near a government office.

Because the lockdown can't last. It simply can't. (If you think it can just because you've got savings, well pat yourself on the back for being smug, irresponsible and selfish. Then step aside.)

I keep asking myself who's making all the practical preparations. There are so many issues to deal with:

1. The new hospitals, equipment and staff needed if the number of Covid-19 cases spikes

2. How to safely reopen shopping centres and restaurants

3. How to safely get planes flying again (at least within Thailand)

4. How to safely get cinemas, hairdressers, electronic stores, spas, etc reopened

5. How to safely get taxis, trains and buses running again

6. How to take the best ideas from other countries about reopening our economy, while recognising that situations may differ (we may have problems they don't and vice versa)

7. How to give people hope and keep their spirits up

8. How to rearrange government departments and reassign staff and maybe civilians too so that they're most useful in this new reality (while accommodating foreigners who live and work here)

9. How to decide if and when to make masks, hand sanitiser, plastic screens, etc are compulsory for everyone in public at all times (and making all of those things easily available everywhere!)

And 100 other things!

Are the authorities doing any of it? We hear nothing or almost nothing about any of these issues in the news. They should be virtually the only thing we're hearing about!

I find it unbelievable that the government isn't coming forward every day with new plans. Unless they start doing something fast, they're going to be responsible for the greatest mass manslaughter in the history of Thailand.

Thousands are going to die simply from having no job and no money! Five thousand baht a month is not going to cut it in many cases.

Re: "Bangkok booze ban is the last thing we need", (Opinion, April 10).

On Thursday night I saw first-hand at my local 7-Eleven people gathering in the hundreds trying to beat the 10pm deadline to get their precious booze supplies. This ban was just dropped on people with very little time to prepare. The scene at the convenience store went in the face of existing precautions -- large crowds were gathering in one place (although, they were all wearing face masks).

Why is the government making life even more miserable for good people who are already struggling emotionally and economically?

My Australian friend said it reminded him of the so-called Rum Rebellion in New South Wales in 1808, which was not solely about spirits being part of the currency of what was then a primitive economy based on bartering, but rather fevered discontent with the government which led to the then-governor, William Bligh, being forcibly removed from office.

If this (booze ban) happened in Australia now in these already troubled times, he lamented, there would, indeed, be a rebellion! Look at their farcical toilet paper meltdown, with people fighting in supermarket aisles for a single roll of "dunny" paper.

Does this government want more civil unrest in Thailand? The people don't -- they just want to enjoy what few "luxuries" are left to enjoy in the midst of this crisis. Most Thai people, already struggling at the moment, seem to accept that drastic measures need to be taken to slow down the virus spread and are doing the best they can to survive.

If we want to win the war against this virus we need to know our enemy -- we need data. It's therefore not surprising that the WHO's advice to countries is to test, test, test. Without extensive testing, governments and their public health advisors do not have the data, and therefore are not armed to make informed decisions.

The Thai government clearly recognises this and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) reports that the country can test up to 20,000 patients a day (BP, April 9).

In spite of this impressive capacity for testing, according to the CCSA, only 71,860 people have been tested in the last three months. This number could even be an over-estimate, according to a recent Ministry of Public Health statement.

The CCSA is conducting selective screening which can only serve to reinforce biases. For example, if we only look for the virus in left-handed people, we may conclude that right-handed people aren't infected. Selective screening with a focus on testing individuals who have been overseas or in contact with someone from overseas will mean that communal spread will be missed or under-estimated.

In some countries, patients with symptoms of Covid-19 will not hesitate to seek medical help and testing. Patients self-presenting in this way allow public health authorities to understand how the virus is spreading in their country. This may not be the case in Thailand, where stigma and cost concerns can prevent those with symptoms from going to a hospital or clinic.

This leaves Thai public health authorities in the impossible situation of having to advise the government on what actions to take without critical knowledge about the spread of the disease. Thailand should use its unused testing capacity to conduct testing as part of a robust epidemiological sampling survey. This will give the authorities the data to understand the enemy and beat it.

Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan would be best advised to use the temporary suspension of formal class teaching in Thai schools to take stock of how the most successful countries run their educational systems, where real learning and not merely recall are the facets being utilised.

However, I fear the race to fill the new extensive Thai semesters with the same boring curriculum consisting of a mind-numbing combination of rote learning and exams will do nothing to change the status quo and will subsequently increase Thailand's educational demise compared to the rest of the world.

Still, it was nice to see the possibility of the free distribution of electronic devices to aid learning, although, as everyone knows, once purchase, those tablets/laptops are immediately out of date and will do little to support any online learning system.

Come on Thailand. Give your children a break; don't force them and your teachers into this crazy 15-month period starting in July without so much as even a break.

It's very noticeable that since the threat of a 20,000-baht fine, most people are wearing face masks. But I have noticed that many (regardless of race) only cover their mouth, not their nose as well, rendering, I would imagine, any benefit to be almost zero.

They are doing the bare minimum to satisfy the eyes of police patrols. I wonder if these are the same characters who wear helmets on their motorbikes, but fail to do up the strap?

A number of shops and buildings do not allow visitors/customers to enter without wearing a face mask, but where can they get masks? Since the first week I've been checking the shops along Thong Lor on a daily basis to see whether face masks are available. And every time the same reply: Out of stock!

HM Queen Elizabeth II on April 5 delivered one of the most outstanding addresses in recent history. She was speaking to her subjects on the challenges that the country is facing amidst the Covid-19 outbreak. It was a relatively short statement but she managed to stir the hearts and minds of people the world over, including mine, to express our sincere appreciation to a nonagenarian for still having such exceptional qualities of grace, composure and steadiness despite her age to give such an inspiring speech.

I would have to admit that in this case it also demonstrates that she can easily outdo those much younger than her and through ageing gracefully and sensibly, can indeed impart wonderful words of wisdom especially during such crisis situations.

The address started off by touching on the challenges and difficulties being faced by her citizens and expressing appreciation to the impressive job being performed by the frontline health and other essential service providers during the emergency period, as well as thanking the rest of the population who have been asked to stay home.

She then went on to reassure that as long as people remain unified and determined, then they will overcome the crisis in due course. She continued by saying that this time the challenge is different from the past as it is an entirely global one requiring all nations to tackle it in a systematic and collective manner.

The Queen emphasised that while it is quite hard and painful to be in self-isolation in the interest of the greater public good, it also provided an opportunity to slow down, pause and reflect. Finally, she expressed confidence that humankind would eventually prevail and that "...better days will return. We will be with our friends again. We will be with our families again. We will meet again".

It must be due to her long years of accumulated experience of having been through the ups and downs of both public and private lives that has contributed to her reassuring, empathetic and comforting message in critical times such as these, which has invariably garnered her universal appeal and in a way seen her serve like a global goodwill ambassador. It is an interesting juxtaposition for one of the longest reigning and endearing monarchs to instill resolve, steadfastness and encouragement in the hearts and minds of her and other citizens around the world in the fight against a virus which is "crown" shaped.

God has indeed saved the Queen and all of us through her recent stirring and heart-warming speech.