January 2021
It is so nice to be back in my favorite country! Thailand takes Covid very seriously and they have saved hundreds of thousands of lives by taking extensive measures. At the time of this writing, Thailand has had 12,795 confirmed cases and only 71 deaths. That is a stark contrast to Americas nearly 25,000,000 cases and approaching 500,000 deaths. I do believe America has superior testing and more accurate reporting. However, people in Thialand also play by the rules and doing so has saved many lives. The population of America (around 330 million) is less than 5 times that of Thailand (around 70 million), yet the USA has seen well over 5,000 times as many deaths.
Most Asian cultures are collectivist, while American culture is perhaps the most individualistic in the world. In America we have so much stuff people do not need, and not enough stuff of what people do need, such as; social support networks that help people who need help, access to quality education for all, and a healthcare system that will not financially ruin you if you have an accident. One of the reasons the handling of Covid has be so superior in Thailand is because Thai culture has a high regard for human life. People are willing to be inconvenienced to help people they do not even know, this is something great countries and good people do.
Many Americans consider the United States to be the greatest country in the world. But how do we measure greatness? It is true we are the richest county in the world, we have the most military power, and many of the world best universities and hospitals. However, these universities and healthcare facilities are only available to very few Americans. America is the best country in the world for rich people and people who want to become rich, but it is far from the best place to be for a normal person or a poor person.
I believe as the richest and most powerful country in the history of the world, America has a responsibly to be a beneficent leader in the world and help those less fortunate both domestically and abroad. It is so good to see the new leadership in America speak of unity and leading by the power of example as opposed to leading by an example of power.
I also think it is important to be grateful for the freedoms I have as an American. I am so fortunate I can openly say that Donald Trump is an absolute disgrace, a man of low moral caliber, and a despicable human being. For many people in the world today such a statement about their leadership could get them in prison or even death. We do have many freedoms in America, but let’s not confuse freedom for selflessness. Great people and nations are willing to make sacrifices to help people they do not even know, this is how society improves. It is good for everybody to have a well educated and healthy general public. A rising tide lifts all boats.
So now let me show and tell you a bit more about how Thailand handles Covid. First of all, in order to get into the county I needed to obtain: a tourist visa, a certificate of entry, proof of return flight, a pre-booked 15 day quarantine in a government approved hotel, travel insurance covering covid related illness, a fit-to-fly certificate, and a negative covid test within three days of departure. Previously, I could just have a flight in and get a visa on arrival.
My first flight was from Baltimore to Chicago. This domestic flight did not require a Covid test, precautions were minimal, and every seat was occupied. I can assure you none of my freedoms were violated, though it was certainly the most at risk for Covid I have felt throughout the entirety of this global pandemic.
For my international flights with Qatar Airways; a negative Covid test was required, seating was spaced out and limited, face masks and face shields were required, and everybody received a sanitation kit with additional masks, gloves, plastic boots, and hand sanitizer. It was an inconvenience, but it helped keep people safe and potentially saving lives is well worth a minor inconvenience.
The airport in Qatar is very nice, I will certainly be returning here for a trip in the future.
Upon arrival in Thailand we made our way through the airport and were met by a team of nurses in full protective gear. They asked us questions, checked our documents, and took our temperature.
All passengers had a driver arranged for them in full protective gear, they even sprayed our luggage with disinfectant.
This is my quarantine room.
These pictures were taken soon after I arrived from 30 hours of travel, normally I do like to be well organized. I was curious to see if my PS4 would work here, it did, but I actually only played maybe 7 hours during my 15 day quarantine. I have to say, Spider-man is a pretty fun game. Now one of my Thai friends is playing it while I travel.
I have always wondered why they do not put a washer and dryer in the same machine, and not until I come back to Thailand do I see it.
Typical breakfast.
Lunch
Dinner, it may now look like much but it was pretty tasty. The portions were smaller than I am accustomed to. I could have asked for more food, but was ok with smaller portions because I spent most of the time in my room and would be hitting the beaches soon. I did really enjoy using the Down Dog apps for workouts, yoga, and meditation.
During my stay, I would get tested for Covid twice and be able to sunbath by the pool three times while they cleaned my room. In order to move through the hotel I needed a mask, gloves, and plastic booties. A man in full protective gear would escort me through the hotel while maintaining distance. Only he could touch buttons and doors. He wiped them down after each touch, even though he was wearing gloves. I also had to download an app that tracked my movements and input my body temperature twice daily. They really did everything possible to keep the area safe, even the floors had plastic coverings.
I could not go in the pool, but it was nice to get some sun and I felt pretty cool with my eye mask to compliment my face mask.
Thai people even take precautions while video chatting.
After 15 days of isolation it was really nice to get out. Overall, I had a pretty nice time and it was totally worth it. I video chatted with friends, did a lot of reading, exercised, did yoga, and meditated daily. It was a good time to be reflective, though I hope it does remain a once in a lifetime experience.
Now that I am able to venture outside, let’s take a look at how Covid is handled outside of quarantine. For one, I have tried to find people not wearing a mask, and I have failed. People here don’t have an issue with wearing masks to help keep other people safe. Too many Americans use their “freedom” as a shield to hide their selfishness. Basic public health measures are not an infringement of freedoms.
In addition to widespread acceptance of masks, to enter pretty much every building, even 711, you need a temperature check. They have all sorts of advanced technology for this or simply a person with a rapid thermometer. You also need to scan a QR code to check in and out of larger buildings.
This equipment can temperature check multiple people at once coming through the gates to get on the Sky Train.
I would really like to see this elevator full of people, but usually people just wait for their own.
Before I arrived, Thailand was seeing 0-20 new cases daily. Shortly after I arrived, there was a spike up to around 200-300 hundred cases daily. People took this increase very seriously and as a result bars, gyms, schools, massage parlors, and such other places have been closed for a few weeks. With the numbers going down again they will reopen soon. This is an appropriate action for this sort of pandemic, you really need to stay ahead of the spread. The situation has gotten so out of control in America that we are going to loose more people from this pandemic then we have from any war. It is comforting to have a decent man as the leader of the free world again.