What can be the reason why the government seems to be making it increasingly difficult, if not downright painful, for people to cope with Covid-19?
Its latest move announcing the semi-lockdown of Bangkok in the wee hours on Sunday makes it seem as if the government is intentionally going out of its way to punish people.
The announcement was not only a reversal of its own vow to keep restrictions in the capital only around construction worker camps but also an ambush clampdown that did not give anybody time to prepare.
What was the point of letting restaurateurs feel at ease that they would be able to continue serving dine-in customers on Friday just to kill their flickering hopes over the weekend? At 1.30am?
Why does the government have to be so cold-blooded in carrying out a blitzkrieg on its own people? Those whose businesses could be breathing their last breath?
One possibility is the government, especially Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, is not aware of what is going on in the real world.
Blinded by prejudices against anti-government groups, the PM and his team could have shielded themselves from different opinions. They could have been completely immersed in the comfort of their own echo chamber full of praise from their cheerleaders.
The PM's Facebook page does not allow comments. Meanwhile, pro-government media and supporters seem to have got so carried away with their hatred of Thaksin Shinawatra, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and the monarchy reform movement that they are willing to look away from the disarray in the coronavirus response to keep shoring up the government which they believe is the last bastion standing between the royal institution and "republican" mobs.
That would explain why government supporters continue to have blind faith in the vaccination rollout even though statistics reveal that the pace is way too slow to achieve the goal of administering 100 million doses by year's end.
It would also show why attempts have been made to deprecate the Pfizer and other mRNA vaccines even though scientific evidence suggests that they offer better protection than SinoVac which the government is ordering more and more of.
The PM's manner when he announced there would be no "lockdown" of Bangkok on Friday could support this theory.
"Irrational exuberance" may be the way to describe his mood and gestures as he declared that more restrictions were required to curb the outbreaks.
Not only did the PM laugh and joke around with his team of doctors and cabinet members but he also delivered his statement about the otherwise doom-and-gloom situation and restrictive measures which will inevitably cause hardship to those involved in an easy, breezy fashion, ending his sentences with the ever so casual na ja, na ja.
Some people compared the press briefing that day to the PM and his team dancing on people's graves. It's a grim picture but truth be told it does not feel like an exaggerated one.
Another possibility why the official Covid-19 responses have been so messy is that the government is not making its own decisions. It is either being pushed around by interest groups or following other people's agendas.
That would explain why it keeps doing policy U-turns. It would also explain why PM Gen Prayut is so fond of saying things that do not mean anything. "The government will take care of everything." "Vaccines are available, they are coming." "Dine-in is not forbidden but there could be a take me home, country road." "Thailand's potential is endless. No-one can topple our healthcare system." "We will win over this together." "Trust the government na ja, na ja."
These words may sound soothing but they are just babble, not policy statements or commitments. All governments have to resort to pep talks from time to time, especially during a crisis, but good ones use them sparingly, only when necessary.
Good leaders would not raise their arms and boast that "good governance must be like this" and then go back on their own word and make an announcement after midnight on a Sunday. That is not good governance. That is backstabbing. It is hooliganism at its worst.
The last and probably most pathetic reason why the government is behaving like this could be it is indeed inept.
The prospect is horrendous but it is possible the leadership team may have no idea how to complete a school project let alone run the country during one of its most serious health crises.
For any of these reasons, for all the farces and tragedies that the leadership has imposed on the country and people, isn't it about time for them to leave before the entire house falls down?
Atiya Achakulwisut is a Bangkok Post columnist.