Showing 5,961 - 5,970 of 6,342
Time running out on govt virus act
Oped, Atiya Achakulwisut, Published on 17/03/2020
» The Prayut government’s performance against Covid-19 has been so uninspiring a netizen recently posted: “When I feel down, I listen to Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong and pretend that he was speaking to me.”
Detect cases, save lives
Oped, Editorial, Published on 17/03/2020
» The National Health Security Office (NHSO) yesterday reiterated that under the universal healthcare system, those who test positive for Covid-19 virus are eligible for free examinations, testing and treatment in any state hospital.
Lockdown the best option
Oped, Editorial, Published on 18/03/2020
» Temporarily locking down the country is vital if the government is still entertaining any hopes of containing the coronavirus outbreak here.
Will our food bring new diseases?
Oped, Published on 18/03/2020
» Seeing the current lockdown across Thailand makes me want to pull my hair out. Not just because it's disruptive, but because the signs that an outbreak like Covid-19 would happen have been so clear. Seventeen years ago, when Sars first made headlines, I locked myself in a cage in Hong Kong to illustrate the way our taste for animal flesh contributes to animal-borne diseases.
Communication key to fighting virus
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 18/03/2020
» Covid-19 has already claimed its biggest victim in Thailand -- the government itself. Since the outbreak began 10 weeks ago, the Prayut Chan-o-cha government has displayed varying degrees of complacency and incompetence. Worse still, the prime minister seems to lack the understanding that in times of crisis, the country needs a clear direction.
A new era for refugee protection in Thailand?
News, Published on 19/03/2020
» On Sept 26, 2016, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha pledged to establish a national screening mechanism to distinguish people in need of international protection from other migrants in Thailand, implicitly acknowledging Thailand's responsibility towards refugees for the first time. Now, in 2020, Thailand is poised to make good on the commendable commitments made. The National Screening Mechanism will come into effect in June, legally recognising, for the first time, a category of non-citizens who would be at risk if deported. Human rights advocates, refugees and Thai civil society are cautiously optimistic that the much-anticipated policy could usher in a new era of humanitarianism in Thai immigration policy.
Paying price for slackness
Oped, Editorial, Published on 19/03/2020
» Two explosions right in front of the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) in Yala's Muang district that injured many on Tuesday came as a shock, not only because the bombers carried them out in broad daylight, but also because the SBPAC is a highly strategic place that is supposed to be well guarded. Such successful attacks speak volumes about the lax security measures that have justifiably triggered public alarm.
The poor can't afford to self-quarantine
News, Anchalee Kongrut, Published on 19/03/2020
» Pun is a Grab taxi driver working in Surat Thani province. On March 11, he was called to pick up a male passenger from a hotel and drive him to a hospital in the province, and then drive him back.
Thailand needs firmer Covid-19 action
Oped, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Published on 20/03/2020
» While being on the right track, the government's latest response to the new coronavirus (Covid-19) by closing schools and entertainment venues, as well as putting off the Songkran break, is likely to prove too little, too late, once again. As other countries have shown, the sooner firm and hard measures are put in place, the better and likelier efforts to contain and remedy Covid-19 will be successful. An early global lesson from the fast-spreading virus is to be pre-emptive and pro-active, "front-loading" the pain of social adjustments and economic damages rather than playing catch-up and ultimately paying a higher price.
Keep engines running
Oped, Editorial, Published on 20/03/2020
» The Covid-19 outbreak has hit businesses and workers hard, especially those in tourism and tourism-related industries. It is estimated that the virus will take a heavier toll on them in the near future, and the government's decision this week to temporarily close entertainment venues in Greater Bangkok has further rubbed salt in their wounds.