News Forum - New project aims to mass test vulnerable populations in Bangkok neighbourhood

[Thaiger]

A new project, involving mass-testing for Covid, is being launched to help look after the homeless and other vulnerable people in Phra Nakhon, a district in Bangkok. The project, “Klong Lod Covid-free”, was started by a group of civil society organisations that are working with the government. The project gets its name from Klong Lod in the Phra Nakhon district. Klong Lod was specifically chosen because the area is known to have a high concentration of at-risk individuals. Many of these people have been overlooked by the government as Covid was hitting the country harder than ever before. The at-risk […]

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[Bob20]

Wow, already?

[ThailandRyan]

A day late and a dollar short unfortunately.  The homeless population has grown bigger over the past year because of Covid.  They pan handle daily and accost some of the vendors who are off to the sides.  It is a sad thing to see.

[Stonker]

Laudable aims, but sadly testing 200 a week simply isn't going to make any difference at all.

The only answer is what it's always been - mass vaccination with a decent vaccine. Anything else is just urinating into the tropical storm.

[Griff1315]

Mass testing my ar## they don't have any idea what mass testing means. A few hundred test there just means less testing in other areas. Thailand's testing capabilities have never been good enough.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

  On 9/7/2021 at 5:36 AM, Thaiger said:

A new project, involving mass-testing for Covid, is being launched to help look after the homeless and other vulnerable people in Phra Nakhon, a district in Bangkok.

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And just when the government was trying to prove to us that Covid was on the downward trend. They must have found some more free test kits.

[Jason]

Any amount of testing is better than none. But vaccination at this point is the only way forward for everyone. In fact, leaving the poor unvaccinated, holds a hidden danger to the population. Vaccinating those who can least afford it, is a higher priority than vaccinating those who can afford it.  

[Stonker]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:41 AM, Griff1315 said:

Mass testing my ar## they don't have any idea what mass testing means. A few hundred test there just means less testing in other areas. Thailand's testing capabilities have never been good enough.

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  On 9/7/2021 at 6:44 AM, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

And just when the government was trying to prove to us that Covid was on the downward trend. They must have found some more free test kits.

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It's two hundred tests a week.  That's less than thirty a day.

[Bob20]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:49 AM, Stonker said:

It's two hundred tests a week.  That's less than thirty a day.

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Whatever the figure, they read it as nearly 90...

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:49 AM, Stonker said:

It's two hundred tests a week.  That's less than thirty a day.

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So they didn’t find enough free test kits then

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:52 AM, Bob20 said:

Whatever the figure, they read it as nearly 90...

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Better chance for them to get a Sinovac jab. More jabs available than tests by the sound of things.

[Bob20]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:55 AM, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

Better chance for them to get a Sinovac jab. More jabs available than tests by the sound of things.

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Well, they've got 8.5m tests coming. They could use a few of those, unless they don't pass quality testing and they throw them in the bin...

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:59 AM, Bob20 said:

Well, they've got 8.5m tests coming. They could use a few of those, unless they don't approve them after quality testing and throw them in the bin...

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They won’t throw them in the bin as it would be an insult to China, and that would get the Chinese Embassy all riled up again. 

[Bob20]

  On 9/7/2021 at 7:12 AM, AdvocatusDiaboli said:

They won’t throw them in the bin as it would be an insult to China, and that would get the Chinese Embassy all riled up again. 

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That would be enough reason for me

[Shade_Wilder]

While I applaud the stated aim of providing assistance to the most vulnerable, I can't help but think that there is an ulterior motive at play. Simply put, the current government hasn't given a Rat's Ass about the poor to date, why should they care about them now? Does anybody believe their 'good intentions'?

In the aftermath of the 'No-Confidence' debate in Parliament, it is clear that the government has been weakened slightly and is feeling a wee bit vulnerable, and it sounds to me like this is an exercise in shoring up their defenses. If there is a serious threat to the current government, it'll come from the streets of Bangkok as Bangkok is the political center of the country and the only terrain that matters, something pertinent to a military thinker. So, what to do with the only pertinent terrain that matters, according to a military mind? Occupy it, develop intelligence sources there and maintain a presence to control it if/as needed.

What is the best way to sneak/base a bunch of people into a Bangkok urban area at the moment? Conduct 'mass testing'. As many have already pointed out, testing 200 people a week isn't going to have any effect on the disease or on disease prevention or disease treatment, so it is time to look for another reason or motive. 

Who are the likely 'foot-soldiers' if there is any future wide-spread opposition on the street to the current government? The Bangkok poor. The middle-class ain't gonna be the ones marching; their needs are tended to assiduously by the current government and by the designated BMA. The upper-classes ain't gonna be the ones marching; they are direct beneficiaries of the régime. If any threat develops from the on-going protests, the 'car mobs', the fighting around the Victory Monument, etc., it'll be mass numbers of people on the street joining in. So, this is a good way to keep an eye on them and to keep ears on the ground.

Hmm... At least, if I were a slightly paranoid regime comprised of mainly military figures (), that is what I would be thinking and doing.

Just a thought...

[HolyCowCm]

They can't even take care of the majority of the population and all provinces but yet have another touch your feelings and heart project? Let me guess, these compassionate outreaches will be done free of charge and will not have any budget attached to them from all being volunteer time..

Get the proper vaccines in, only Moderna and Pfizer and just get the job done. I am sure even low income Thai people would pay at least 100 - 200 baht to have a proper jab. In the west we call this pussyfooting around, but not in the nice definition of it.

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

  On 9/7/2021 at 7:14 AM, Shade_Wilder said:

Simply put, the current government hasn't given a Rat's Ass about the poor to date, why should they care about them now?

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Is there an election on the horizon?

[javada88]

Oh boy! What a great, fantastic idea and initiative. Planning a MASS TEST, a plan to test 200 vunerable, people, people "living" in a high risk area, every week. This will certainly (not) solve all COVID related problems in Bangkok. 

[Stonker]

  On 9/7/2021 at 6:52 AM, Bob20 said:

Whatever the figure, they read it as nearly 90...

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I don't know who you mean by "they", but the last time I looked there were seven days in a week, so that's "less than thirty a day" :

  On 9/7/2021 at 5:36 AM, Thaiger said:

Patcharee says around 200 people will be tested in the neighbourhood each week.

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[Bob20]

  On 9/7/2021 at 8:03 AM, Stonker said:

I don't know who you mean by "they", but the last time I looked there were seven days in a week, so that's "less than thirty a day" :

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Just joking how some officials seem to view any figure as "nearly 90" (as they never closed the sandbox).

Your math was meticulous.

[Stonker]

  On 9/7/2021 at 7:14 AM, Shade_Wilder said:

While I applaud the stated aim of providing assistance to the most vulnerable, I can't help but think that there is an ulterior motive at play. Simply put, the current government hasn't given a Rat's Ass about the poor to date, why should they care about them now? Does anybody believe their 'good intentions'?

In the aftermath of the 'No-Confidence' debate in Parliament, it is clear that the government has been weakened slightly and is feeling a wee bit vulnerable, and it sounds to me like this is an exercise in shoring up their defenses. If there is a serious threat to the current government, it'll come from the streets of Bangkok as Bangkok is the political center of the country and the only terrain that matters, something pertinent to a military thinker. So, what to do with the only pertinent terrain that matters, according to a military mind? Occupy it, develop intelligence sources there and maintain a presence to control it if/as needed.

What is the best way to sneak/base a bunch of people into a Bangkok urban area at the moment? Conduct 'mass testing'. As many have already pointed out, testing 200 people a week isn't going to have any effect on the disease or on disease prevention or disease treatment, so it is time to look for another reason or motive. 

Who are the likely 'foot-soldiers' if there is any future wide-spread opposition on the street to the current government? The Bangkok poor. The middle-class ain't gonna be the ones marching; their needs are tended to assiduously by the current government and by the designated BMA. The upper-classes ain't gonna be the ones marching; they are direct beneficiaries of the régime. If any threat develops from the on-going protests, the 'car mobs', the fighting around the Victory Monument, etc., it'll be mass numbers of people on the street joining in. So, this is a good way to keep an eye on them and to keep ears on the ground.

Hmm... At least, if I were a slightly paranoid regime comprised of mainly military figures (), that is what I would be thinking and doing.

Just a thought...

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Ummm ... imaginative, but 'no'.

  On 9/7/2021 at 7:14 AM, Shade_Wilder said:

Who are the likely 'foot-soldiers' if there is any future wide-spread opposition on the street to the current government? The Bangkok poor. The middle-class ain't gonna be the ones marching; their needs are tended to assiduously by the current government and by the designated BMA. The upper-classes ain't gonna be the ones marching; they are direct beneficiaries of the régime.

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Sorry, but to that part in particular it's an even bigger 'no', most particularly to the idea that "the middle-class ain't gonna be the ones marching" but that it'll be "the Bangkok poor" as that couldn't be wider of the mark.

The "middle class" ARE "the ones marching", now as before, and "the Bangkok poor" have played little or no part at all, now as before.

[AlexPTY]

That's a great idea, but I saw rapid test kits at Boots before, anyone know what happened? Is direct sale prohibited now? Any place to buy those in Bkk?