When the sheer volume of infections overwhelmed hospitals, the government shifted gears and discontinued mandatory hospitalization. As the caseload grew so large as to crush Thailand’s robust medical system, officials vowed to direct resources to people isolating at home. Food. Medicine. Consultation.
The message was clear: We’ll help you.
Now that people are dying at home unattended, it’s unclear how many of those promises were kept. It was an errant Facebook post the other night that got my attention: a Typical Bangkok Dude detailing in a matter-of-fact way his and his wife’s illness. I reached out and, a few messages into chatting, he called, saying he was still feeling shitty and it was easier to talk.
Ponlawat Poungsiri’s is just one story among a deluge of examples, many more unfortunate. But it said a lot about the state of affairs and I felt it was…
