On a steaming hot afternoon in Bangkok, as the first droplets of an afternoon downpour begin to fall, Narin Pannak and Achittapon Rodsantad shelter under the open, back door of a van.
As the rain starts pelting down, they suit up from head-to-toe in full protective gear, gather their equipment and make a dash for the home in front of them.
Inside, there is a 50-year-old woman with COVID-19 who has collapsed in an upstairs bedroom and is struggling to breathe.
Mr Pannak and Mr Rodsantad, who are both volunteers from the ‘Saimai Will Survive’ group, are there to provide much-needed oxygen, medicine, and reassurance.
As Thailand’s medical system struggles under a surge of COVID-19 cases, the volunteers have been run off their feet in Bangkok’s Saimai district and beyond.
Having started as a small team of just five, Saimai Will Survive now has more than 100 members, who risk their…
