Singers are doing what they do best to support the country's health personnel, the people on the front lines of the war against the coronavirus.
As Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul lambasted Covid-19-infected doctors and nurses, saying they had not taken proper care (he later apologised), the country's singers and musicians are singing their praises.
Bodyslam front man Arthiwara Kongmalai, better known as "Toon Bodyslam", on Monday kicked off the #cover19 campaign on Instagram and invited other artists to sing cover versions of any songs for doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.
The artist must sing a cover version of another artist's song on any social media platform at 7pm. The artist whose song they perform has to cover a different song the next day.
"We hope that our live perfomances will put a smile on their faces, more or less," Toon said in a post on his Instagram account.
"As we are sitting comfortably at home, others are at the hospitals. They are small people, at risk while they are doing their duty for others," he said on another post.
Toon started it off with Love You, Tim, a song by the rock band Modern Dog. Modern Dog lead singer Thanachai "Pod" Utchin in turn sang a song by Anchalee Chongkhadikij, who later passed the baton to Seksan Sukpimai, better known as Sek Loso.
The #cover19 project is not the only effort by artists to show their appreciation of health workers. (continues below)
Su Boonliang sings a song for health personnel
Su Boonliang wrote a special song, Warriors in the Gown, for them from his home island of Samui. "We don't see their faces as they all wear masks, but we see their big hearts behind the gown," he wrote.
Apiwat "Stamp" Ueathavornsuk also sings Dear Doctor for doctors, nurses and other hospital staff.
Even as the singers were hailing the work being done by health personnel, the public health minister on Thursday stunned them by criticising medical staff who had been infected with the virus, accusing them of not taking good care of themselves.
Mr Anutin hours later offered an apology, claiming he had not listened closely to a reporter's question.
On Thursday night, Toon, who earlier ran to raise millions of baht for equipment for public hospitals across the country, posted another message, seeking to console health personnel after the criticism by their minister.
"Thank you all for what you have done for us all along," he tweeted on his @ToonArtiwara account. "Love," he wrote with a small red heart icon.
