SHOULD THAILAND BE YOUR FIRST OVERSEAS TRIP?

A Filipino expat shares her quarantine experience in Thailand and why it should be your first goal when the borders reopen

Filipinos who live in Thailand tell great stories about how the country successfully beat Covid-19. One of the first countries to end their quarantine period and reopen areas of commerce and business to bolster the economy, Thailand’s “new normal” gives most businesses the chance to function and, more important, its citizens continue working and living life inside and outside their homes, albeit with strict safety measures that ensure their health.

Currently, Thailand has successfully reached a number of zero local active cases for the past 21 days (as of June 15). The country has also achieved an impressive recovery rate of 96 percent, with the number of total cases in Thailand relatively low compared to other countries at 3,125. Thailand sits at low 85th among the 211 countries infected with Covid-19.

During Thailand’s quarantine period, which they termed a “soft lockdown,” essential establishments, food establishments, and public modes of transportation continued to operate. Now that low active cases have deemed it possible for the government to allow most outdoor activities once again, Thailand has beefed up its safety measures, from strict mask-wearing policies and disinfection of hands and of public spaces at every turn to, quite impressively, close monitoring of entrances and exits in different establishments through QR codes and pre-entrance registration for more stringent contact tracing.

While life post lockdown still feels different, Thai citizens appreciate that they are allowed more freedom due to successful safety measures imposed by the government. Expats and overseas workers living in Thailand feel the same way as well.