Thailand’s crisis response during the early phases of the global Covid-19 pandemic had been impressive. As at August 8, 2020, the total number of cases was 3,345, with only 27 cases added in the final week of July 2020. The kingdom’s success in the relatively swift reopening [from lockdown] and control of infection and deaths spurred spirited discussions on its achievements. How did Thailand succeed? What did the country do and avoid in order to achieve such accomplishments?
Thailand saw its first case of Covid-19 infection on January 13, 2020. The patient, a female tourist who flew in from Wuhan, China, marked the first non-China Covid-19 case worldwide. In about a fortnight, the first local transmission was reported. The early wave of infection reached its peak when the number of confirmed cases hit 789 cases in the week of March 23, 2020. Most cases were concentrated in…
