Thailand’s pandemic credibility goes from hero to zero

Many believe the number of new infections could have been much lower if General Prayuth’s government had put brakes on travel and social gatherings before the six-day Songkran celebration that began on April 10.

“The government’s worst mistake was letting the Songkran break happen. We already knew then the outbreak would be serious, and inexplicably Prayuth let everyone travel around the country, saying ‘whatever happens, happens’,” Mr Lohatepanont said.

Last year, the World Health Organisation hailed Thailand as a model of pandemic management, ranking its whole-of-country approach alongside New Zealand’s.

Now, just like in India, Thailand’s failure to contain recent outbreaks and delays in securing vaccines have demonstrated how highly contagious mutant strands are overpowering defences.

In Thailand, it’s the B.1.1.7 variant – the strain that led to infections spiking…