Opinion: There is no new normal, there are old problems that need fixing now

As Thailand continues to report COVID-19 cases in the single digits, relax its regulations, and see its population returning to malls and restaurants, it seems that soon, this pandemic will come to an end. We can then start to return to our “normal” lives and leave COVID-19 for the history books. 

However, as we start to approach normalcy, we should not forget the lessons that this global pandemic has taught us.

As COVID ravaged the kingdom, it has revealed the pervasive disparities within our society, especially socioeconomic inequality. 

During the pandemic, we saw the rich retreat to their seaside beach houses in Hua Hin or their high-rise apartments in Sukhumvit. From there, they were able to comfortably self-isolate, with their income flowing in steadily; their jobs not at risk. Even when they broke quarantine, by throwing parties in Hua Hin, for example, they could do so without any real consequences. Because of their wealth and power, they knew that they would be able to pay for the best doctors from private hospitals from our unequal healthcare system. 

This stands in stark contrast with people from the lower socioeconomic classes. A lot of these individuals are day workers, who subsequently lost their jobs during self-isolation. Since many are from the rural provinces and do not live in Bangkok, they were losing money through rent and other daily expenses while trying to follow the government’s mandate to stay at home. In this group, we actually saw suicide rates rise out of desperation and worsening mental health. 

As this was happening, the government spent their efforts on issuing the อยู่บ้านเพื่อชาติ (translation: Stay home for your country) campaign. While this campaign to promote social distancing is an important public health measure to deter the spread of COVID, it was completely tone-deaf to the struggles that lower class Thais faced. There were no measures issued by the government to support those who cannot comfortably self-quarantine at home. There was no additional support for physical or mental health issues that could have arisen during the crisis. The government did not acknowledge or address food insecurity during the crisis. Monetary support did not start until later in the pandemic, and even then, it did not reach those who needed it most. There were various news reports of elderly people whose money ran out because they could not use the ATM machines, as well as reports of homeless people who were not able to access these aid funds because they did not have a bank account. 

In a recent study published by the TSRI, only 51.87% of lower class urban Thais living in the Bangkok metro area were able to access the financial support provided by the government. 

It is true that class inequality did not miraculously appear during the pandemic. It has always existed within the very fabric of Thai society, and its exacerbation by COVID is a symptom of this structural inequality. In a 2018 Credit Suisse report, Thailand was found to have the highest rate of income inequality in the world. The top 1% in Thailand actually owns more than the rest of the 99% combined, with the bottom 10% of Thais holding 0% of the wealth. The top five richest Thai families own assets valuing 2.3 trillion baht, and over the past five years, their assets have seen a 1 trillion baht increase. Meanwhile the same report shows that the average Thai person holds around 310,000 baht in assets. This vast difference is an indication of the widening inequality within our society. 

As we move forward, it is time for us to organize and work together to resolve these disparities. If we are to address this issue, we must recognize that the core of this problem comes from the fact that rules and laws favor those in power. This results in the unequal allocation of resources for the rich and powerful, who in turn, are able to amass more wealth much more quickly. Without any interventions, after people go back to work, we will continue to see the minority upper class profiting from the labor of the lower class. 

Our biggest challenge is to figure out how we can make sure that our resources will go back to reach the majority of the population. Our solutions should target systemic inequality at its core while also being comprehensive. For example, we should not only push for the protection of workers’ rights, but also, for other reforms that will allow them to live and work with dignity. The innovation channeled into tackling the pandemic should be funneled into developing creative solutions for systematic changes to create an equal society. 

Ultimately, the power to put these reforms into place rests within the hands of the government. During COVID, we have seen that the government has the ability to quickly enact policy changes without the barriers of lengthy, bureaucratic red tape. Now, the true test for the government is to prove to us citizens that as our elected representatives, they will use their position to stand with us in this fight for equity and improve the living conditions of everyone living in Thailand. 

We cannot walk away from this pandemic having learnt nothing. We need to examine the inequalities that COVID has revealed and find ways to make life better for every Thai citizen.

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