THAILAND opening up to tourists, reshaping economy with balanced narrative of the Covid-19 pandemic

Ebangla Bureau

Thailand has participated in the Asian Conference 2020 on Multilateral Responses to Global Security Challenges in October 2020 via videoconference. Although the European-Asian partnership is realized in various other fora, the OSCE partnership with Asia itself is one important platform where Europe and Asia can learn from each other on how best to deal with global security challenges. Thailand raised many important issues, beginning with the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic catapulted the world further into the age of disruption. Some  Asia nations including Thailand, have already begun accepting tourists in the Special Tourist Visa (STV) scheme since October 2020.  Thailand is also looking beyond disease control measures and gradual reopening of the country towards the manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Siam Bioscience Co., Ltd, has already entered into an agreement with British-Swedish company AstraZeneca to manufacture vaccines for Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia as “public goods,” which truly reflects the spirit of diplomacy for the people. The pandemic has indeed affected regions in different scales and ways, and enabled Thailand to concretize its vision on strengthened national health security through regional health security.   Thailand while trying to balance public health, the economy and access to information, it felt that it was important to nurture a sense of social responsibility in sharing news that is accurate, timely, and useful to the wider public. It is also important to seize the opportunity from this pandemic to develop media literacy by raising more awareness on what constitutes credible information and empowering citizens to counter health misinformation that has the potential to increase public health risks. ’During the peak of the pandemic in Thailand, the government recognized the people’s right to participate in decision-making that affects their lives, meeting with various sectors, to involve them and ensure that these measures respond to their specific situation and needs. Health authorities and relevant experts were enabled to speak freely on their areas of expertise and recommendations to the public. Journalists widely reported on the pandemic, including news coverage on public opinion that are critical of the government’s response.   The individual’s right to privacy and freedom of movement have been respected as much as possible, as long as they do not pose a health risk to others. On the state quarantine system, in Thailand it is accepted by society as the necessary approach to protect the right to collective health security in society—it is therefore pertinent for non-Thais to understand this.’’  Credit for inputs to THAILAND NOW