The Corona Virus Disease or COVID-19 pandemic is a great health crisis affecting all people in the world. Accordingly, also never happened to the Thai people before. The crisis has greatly impacted the health, economy, quality of life, environment and security of all Thai people, and may continue to do so for at least 5 more years. 

Luckily, the high capacity of the health system in Thailand has allowed it to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic with professional manpower treatment services, as well as adequate medical equipment, countrywide. 

In Thailand, there are more than 10,000 primary health centers and thousands of secondary and tertiary hospitals in every district and province for treatment of the COVID-19 patients. There are more than 1.5 million health volunteers on the community level who have been trained by health officers on COVID-19 prevention and protection, including contacting hospitals after patients are found. They also help by performing door-to-door screening as well as monitoring of COVID-19 patients, especially those from outside the community. There are also government and community-funded mask making and alcohol gel making activities in order to distribute to the community members.

Under this crisis, the government has declared a state of emergency and announced a curfew which has been effective since March 2020. Additionally, many strict measures were also undertaken with collaboration of all government agencies and in the communities. Those measures covered social distancing, wearing masks when going out of homes, washing hands more often, screening for the disease in public or congested places, and no seat to sit in all food shops and restaurants. The public or congested places and schools have all been closed. The information about COVID-19 prevention and protection was also provided to the people countrywide. 

From these measures, Thailand became second best in the world for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been no new COVID-19 cases in the country for 30 days now and the curfew was lifted on 15 June 2020. According to the data on 24 June 2020, the total COVID-19 cases in Thailand are 3,157 cases, with 3,026 cases or 95.85% being cured/ recovering and went back home now and 58 death cases. 

At present, the Thai people have become alert to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and live in a new normal society together with new behavior, especially at the community level. However, many people, especially those of low income, are suffering from those measures. They have become unemployed, lost their income, and have no food to eat. So the government put a policy into effect to support each person in those groups in the amount of 5,000 baht or about US$162 per month for three months from May to July 2020, and the same to the farmer groups who have to register in the system. Additionally, another 1,000 baht or US$32 per month for the same period went to each person in vulnerable groups such as the disabled, elderly, homeless, and others. They all have received the money now.

Besides the government's efforts, many business sectors and NGOs including Heart to Heart Foundation and many generous Thai people countrywide are also helping the communities and the poor families with food, consumer goods, masks, alcohol gels and medical equipment, and much more.

At this stage, the best thing for all Thai people to do is try to overcome this crisis, learn from it, help hand in hand in solving the problems of the country, build up strong communities, and find opportunities to develop a better post-COVID-19 Thai society with powerful joint force of all Thai people.

Published on 13 July 2020.