FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - COVID-19 - Situation and response in Thailand
Old Feb 8, 2020 | 5:05 pm
  #23  
transpac
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Join Date: Sep 1999
Posts: 12,375
Originally Posted by LAXlocal
The worst is when the motorcycle taxi drivers gang up on a Chinese tourist who they think is spreading Corona virrus !
Do you mean in Thailand?

I have not heard of any such anti-Chinese violence or sentiment. Quite the opposite in fact. Thailand is pretty much a vassal state of China. I predict that no Thais and no Chinese will die here from the nCoV19.

The health minister was referring to dirty, white, effing foreigners.

He later issued a non-apology "apology" which included "The day will never come when I will apologize to foreigners".

The face-saving has ensued,

Anutin firestorm: Wearing face masks is "being a responsible member of society", says leading doctor


The health minister was roundly mocked on Thai social media.

Why he hasn't been fired is a long story, but with a government with a cabinet minister who was convicted of heroin distribution (in Australia and served a jail term), and lied about his credentials, this one seems like it can be papered over.

As titular head of a minor party, which holds a shaky junta "government" in place, he does wield some power. He's also ultra-wealthy, and well-connected. His background is in construction, not medicine or public health.
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