The young xabiera, Berta Bolufer Moreno, has been studying Bachelor first, for about a year, in Thailand. Berta traveled last 2019 in an exchange project launched by the Rotary Club Jávea And there, a few months after his return, he tells us how the global coronavirus pandemic is being experienced.
QUESTION: How is the situation there in Thailand?
ANSWER: The situation in Thailand is relatively good. There are currently a total of 1650 cases and 10 deaths. Although in the city where I live, Ang Thong, there is no case and the effect of the virus on our day to day is not so noticeable. In places like Bangkok, the measures are a little stronger. Even so, the situation here cannot be compared to that of Spain.
Q: What measures have been carried out so far? And what do you think of these measures and how have they been managed?
R: The main measure that has been taken has been the closure of many establishments, both restaurants and shops and entertainment venues, except for the points of sale of necessary products. Another measure has been to prohibit the entry of foreigners to Thailand, with the exception of specific cases and foreigners with work permits.
Although some people have started working from home, most of the population continues to go to work daily, always paying special attention to precautionary measures. It has been advised to postpone any trip that is not essential and to cancel activities scheduled for March or April, so some festivities as important as the Songkran(Thailand's New Year holiday celebrated on April 13) have been canceled in major cities.
We are not quarantining, so we can still leave home and do some activities abroad. Even so, a change in the rhythm of life has been noticed, because although we have the possibility of going out, it is something that we try to avoid for precautionary reasons and we end up spending most of our time at home.
Q: Do the people there meet the standards? How do they behave in the face of the situation?
R: People around me are very aware of the virus, how it evolves and new measures. Something that I noticed from the first moment was the seriousness with which the subject was treated here, while in places like Spain it was not given much importance. I believe that, in general, citizens follow the instructions and advice of the Ministry of Health and the Government, avoiding certain places and activities, but without drastically changing the lifestyle of each family.
Q: How are you living there and being away from home?
R: Although it is a complicated situation for everyone, I am trying to take it as calmly as possible. I talk a lot with my family, and the support of my parents is very important at the moment. I try to keep myself busy and it helps a lot to have a good relationship with my host family because it makes this situation much more bearable.
Q: What do you know about what is happening in Spain? What news do you get?
R: My family and friends explain the situation to me every time we speak, and on social networks I read a lot about what is happening in Spain. The news that comes here right now does not vary much from what I receive from my parents, but when the virus started to grow a lot in Spain, the news that came was quite worrying and many people around me, here in Thailand, I was wondering about the situation of my family and friends.
