Sterilizing machines and babies with face shields or how Thailand is fighting with Covid-19

In previous two posts I was writing about current situation in Thailand regarding corona virus, trying to give you some view on what is happening here and what kind of measures are taken. You could read about different measures authorities taking to stop the spreading of the virus. For now, with exception of Phuket and in province north east of the Bangkok, we still haven’t read about some really rigorous measures, such as banning to leave the house most of the day etc. But we saw many interesting methods and activities made by individuals and private companies and this time you will be able to read (also) about them.  

Sterilizing machines

First it was rare to see them, but later sterilizing machines became quite often used, especially in front of the shopping malls and shops in Bangkok. But after few weeks, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration announced that the WHO warned people, that those (UV and spray) machines are harmful to the skin and exposure to the radiation or chemicals may even cause cancer.

Pub in Pattaya became community kitchen

In one of the most touristic cities in Thailand, Pattaya, owner of one pub served more than 1000 free meals to those left jobless.

The number of international visitors to Thailand from January to March dropped by 8,5 million or 35,3% year-on-year, according to Civil Aviation Authority in Thailand. The biggest decline compared to 2019 was by Chinese visitors (59,4%), followed by Japanese (28%) and Russians (0,6%). The authorities predict that 7 million Thai people will be jobless by June.

Bangkok hospitals protect babies with face shields

Covid-19 effected also animals world

The last month we could read also how Covid-19 and lack of tourist effect animals. In Phetchabun and Lopburi provinces, monkeys are starving in absence of tourists who usually feed them. They are forced to come down from mountains and stormed town and they become much more aggressive to each other. Although I don’t want to preach but this is exactly why people shouldn’t feed wild animals.

Animals shelters and elephants’ sanctuaries and are also struggling without tourist’s income. First, they “lost” foreign volunteers (since they had to go to their countries) and secondly most of the elephant sanctuaries were getting money for their work by tourist entrance fee. Save Elephant Foundation is worrying that a lot of elephants will either starve to death or may be put onto the streets to beg. Alternatively, some may be sold to zoos and some may be returned to the logging business (which officially banned the use of elephants in 1989).

If you want to donate: TRUNKS UP is a certified supporting organisation which is currently MATCHING all donations, dollar for dollar, up to US$45,000. Donations can be made via the site. As they wrote on their page: US$30 will feed an elephant for a day, US$20 will feed a dog or cat for one week, US$10 will feed a pig, cow or buffalo for one week, US$8 will feed a monkey for one week, S$5 will feed a rabbit for one week.

Mapping for masks

A local programmer has created an online map with real-time information on the location of shops that sell facemask, as well as their amount and price. All information is added by the general public so there are some provinces without information at all because people haven’t heard about the map yet. Map is online already a while and it is interesting that it’s used also in Cambodia. I still didn’t add the information for Old town in Koh Lanta, mainly because, I try to avoid the shops and when I enter one, I try to be as quick as possible. When I think about it, this is me in general, hating shopping, always trying to escape as fastest I can.

Mobile users get 10GB perk from April 10

I know this measure is made by government and maybe it should not be listed in this post but still. Since April 10 (until the end of month) mobile users can register for 10GB free mobile internet and 100Mbps for broadband for 30 days. The measure is part of public assistance scheme during Covid-19 crisis and wants to encourage people to work from home. 3 billion baht from the Broadcasting and Telecommunication Research Fund. More than 3 million mobile users applied for it already the first possible day. It is expected that 30 million users will benefit from it.