OPINION

The real challenge

Re: "If jabs do not work, we must have Plan-B", (Opinion, June 24).

Mr Chartchai makes excellent points. Yes, with several Covid variants, it is futile to think of attaining herd immunity. Sadly, all vaccines that are available today are aiming at a moving target.

The current batch of vaccines is experimental and has limited potential to thwart the spread of Covid. They also have all kinds of side effects. Unless we have a vaccine that guarantees a cure for Covid, all plans and programmes to reopen the country must be given serious thought.

Essential to this discussion is to decide what policy choices may be optimal given the challenges and trade-offs that policymakers face when trying to save the economy from collapsing, as well as the incentives these choices will generate.

Yes, if jabs do not work, Thailand must have a Plan B. Economic hibernation is already here but it is not working. Slow vaccination along with off-and-on lockdowns are not helpful for improving the economy.

For a country to go into economic hibernation, it will need to be certain it has the bare minimum of cash necessary to withstand the lockdowns and cost of all related measures.

For the third time in the last few weeks we have contacted our embassy (Canada) in Bangkok regarding assistance toward achieving Covid vaccinations for us long-term residents in Thailand.

Earlier, the French embassy said it was starting to vaccinate French citizens in Bangkok as the Thai government still does not include foreigners in their programme.

Here is the response we received from the Canadian embassy, consular section, on June 23:

"We estimate between 5,000 and 10,000 Canadians live in Thailand currently, and millions of Canadians live abroad in many different countries.

The government of Canada is simply not in a position to vaccinate Canadians on that scale, in many different locations.

"In Canada, vaccines are being made available to all, regardless of nationality. Rest assured that we are in close contact with the Thai government to urge them to take the same approach here. We understand that the current situation is difficult for all."

Yes, "difficult" the situation remains, with the Thai government discriminating as to who can get a jab based on nationality, not based on groups most at risk.

The French embassy has found a way to assist its citizens living here. It is sad that most other embassies including mine are just "monitoring the situation".

We are on our own. Tough luck.

Re: "Hung up on gender", (PostBag, June 23).

I am so sick and tired of all this political correctness that now says the rights of transgenders supersede the rights of women.

It's outrageous that a "woman" born a man is allowed to compete with real women in a weight-lifting contest.

That "woman" born a man should only be allowed to compete with other men. It's estimated that men generally have 26 pounds of more skeletal muscle mass than women and that's why it's extremely unfair to allow male transgenders to compete against them in a weight-lifting contest.