Not long after our student protests article came out, the coronavirus pandemic put a dent into our momentum. The first COVID-19 case outside China was found in Thailand.
Yet despite the seriousness of the disease, the government took months to put together preventive measures and to lock down the country.
We are living in unprecedented times but led by an insecure government.
The military government was touted by its supporters as being strong in areas of national security and decisive in the face of chaos, yet this has not turned out to be true. If anything they have been found wanting.
Their failure to tackle economic inequality can be seen across the country and throughout society.
Many have lost their jobs and face uncertain futures. Children are in fear that their parents would not be able to afford their tuition fees. University lecturers and students are struggling with online classes.
People are just trying to survive the crisis. This pandemic has exacerbated the conflict between the rich and the poor.
Yet, this crisis isn’t only a tragedy. It is an opportunity for change.
The people grow increasingly dissatisfied with the government. Even among Prayut supporters, there is a slow realization that this government is incompetent.
Many have vowed on their twitter that the first thing they would do after the curve has flattened is to take down this government.
As activists, we agree with Arundhati Roy and others who see this crisis as a portal to social changes. As members of a civil society, we cannot put our guards down during this crucial time.
The government, through the State of Emergency Act, has been given more authority than any civilian government should to help fight this pandemic. We must ensure that this power does not lead to power inheritance in the future.
The next step
What should we do then? We may not have a rigid answer for you here, but we could probably share what we have been doing recently.
“Full stomach ticket” started off as a small initiative but has been taken up by hundreds across Thailand. The initiative came about as we wanted to find ways to continue our work when gatherings are not permitted nor advisable. We did not want it to be a charity but a show of solidarity.
We did some research and found a stirring story from Naples, Italy about ‘Caffè sospeso’ or suspended coffee- the advance purchase of a cup of coffee for someone who needs it, no matter why.
That’s when the campaign was born.
#ส่งต่อความอิ่ม (passing on full stomach) started off with 2 beverage stalls near our place. We approached them and got them involved. A piece of paper that reads “A free cup of beverage for those who do not have enough money. Please choose a drink of your choice, tear off the coupon, and give it to the shop owner as payment” is put in front of the stalls.
Here, we changed from using money to coupons. Those who would like to help can buy those coupons from the shop owners and that’s it.
ใครเดือดร้อนมารับน้ำฟรีได้1แก้วนะครับ ผมและเพื่อนๆสั่งซื้อน้ำร้านนี้ไว้ 20 แก้วเผื่อแจกใครที่ยากลำบากในช่วงนี้ ข้างๆมีตั๋วเล็กๆให้ดึงให้เจ้าของร้าน ใครสนใจก็มาซื้อน้ำและซื้อเผื่อให้คนอื่นๆได้เหมือนกันครับ ร้านชื่อร้านกาแฟพี่อ้อม อยู่ปากซอยเพชรเกษม63 หน้าโรงรับจำนำไท้เส็งเฮง บางแค pic.twitter.com/xgdE5P4hrM
— Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal (@NetiwitC) April 8, 2020
We have filed all the materials for those interested in joining us here ข้อความและคูปองเพื่อให้ดาวน์โหลดไปปรับใช้ต่อ.
Facebook and Twitter have been our main PR channels. At first, we didn’t expect much, but it turned out to be very successful. Through sharing on social media, this initiative has now spread across Thailand in less than a month.
โครงการกินน้ำฟรี 1 แก้ว สำหรับคนที่เดือดร้อน ที่ผมและเพื่อนๆริเริ่ม วันนี้มีเพื่อนคนหนึ่งเห็นเข้า และเอาไปทำที่ร้านส้มตำ และร้านขายน้ำปั่น ที่อ.ตาคลี จ.นครสวรรค์ ใครเดือดร้อนเพียงดึงคูปองที่ติดที่ร้านแล้วไปแลกเป็นอาหารกับเครื่องดื่มได้เลย ใครอยากสนับสนุนก็ซื้อคูปองเผื่อคนอื่นได้ pic.twitter.com/CPqrGGFRP9
— Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal (@NetiwitC) April 11, 2020
ตั๋ว #แบ่งปันความอิ่ม ที่ผมทวิตชวนทำ นอกจากที่นครสวรรค์ บางกรวย ก็มีที่สุโขทัยด้วยที่มีคนเอาไปทำ ที่รู้เพราะคนทำอีเมลมาขอโทษว่าไทยรัฐลงว่าเป็นไอเดียเขา จริงๆไอเดียนี้ ผมได้จากปรึกษาเพื่อนๆเราช่วยคิด + ตย.ที่อิตาลี + พี่ที่นครสวรรค์เอาไปปรับ เรียกว่า ไอเดียสาธารณะ/ร่วมกัน ดีกว่า pic.twitter.com/2p6g4b6RXH
— Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal (@NetiwitC) April 17, 2020
We believe that civil societies and student movements shouldn’t stop at this difficult time.
This crisis allows people to see things haven’t noticed. It is a great opportunity to get people on board. It also allows activists to gain insights into what they are fighting for.
The ineffective policies which favor the elites have jeopardized Thai people in many ways. People are ready to fight for their rights. What we need now is a new way to make our voices heard.
(Photo Credit: Dominic Chakrabongse)
