Coronavirus (Covid-19)

Former Thammasat professor blames partnership between officials and leaders for 2nd wave

Published

Sunday, January 10, 2021 14:27

A former Thammasat University lecturer is claiming that the current surge in new infections of Covid-19 in Thailand is a result of the so-called “Covid mafia” which he defines as corrupt officials working closely with local influential figures to carry out illegal activities.

Kaewsan Atipothi claimed that these alleged co-operative actions between leaders has enabled illegal gambling and human trafficking gangs, who are responsible for smuggling migrant workers and Thais from Myanmar back into the country. He more specifically mentions the smuggling of migrant workers from Myanmar into Samut Sakhon province, which was the hotspot area that kicked off the current surge of infections.

He also named the Burmese casinos bordering Thailand’s west and north, and the illegal gambling empire in the eastern provinces, along with Samut Sakhon, as the 3 hotspots in the current wave of Covid, as they were “under the control of a mafia network”.

“As we were concentrating on containing the disease at Suvarnabhumi international airport, the contagion has already entered our home.”

“This crisis would not have happened in the first place, if there had not been mafia-controlled illegal gambling dens or human trafficking gangs.”

He explained that “an influential figure in Rayong province has managed to buy the entire police force, be it the local police and the Bangkok police, including the Crime Suppression Division, by dealing with just one group of state officials.”

“When you can buy total power, the business operator or the mafia boss will feel stable enough to invest heavily (in illegal gambling activities), to the point that Rayong has been labelled “Thailand’s Macau” and it has expanded to Chanthaburi and Chon Buri provinces.”

Kaewsan says he also “didn’t expect that the police will ever be reformed under the present government, and there is no real opposition in the parliament either, but only the vengeful group of politicians and another group bent on toppling the Monarchy.”

As for the initial wave of Covid-19 that started in February 2020, he blames globalisation and Thailand’s “close contact with the international community.”

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

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News Categories: Coronavirus (Covid-19) Crime

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28 Comments

B.T.

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 2:49 pm

There is nothing new in the article.The “feudal system” working for many years and there are no desire to change it.The forces who can change it are part of the system and have enormous benefits form the status quo.

Reply
- Vna
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 9:55 am
  
  Yes. The definition of ‘ corruption top to bottom ” is Thailand. Put in the dictionary
  
  Reply
Toby Andrews

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 3:19 pm

Thai morality will not deter them from making money from illegal activities.
They want cheap labour, fine the Burmese are smuggled in and the immigration and police are paid off. When this labour is found to have the virus, some are dumped by the side of the road!
The only matter the Thais are concerned with is the loss of cheap labour.
They want gambling with Thai customer access, fine the This immigration and Thai police are paid off.
The bombers of Bangkok paid off the immigration on the border to enter Thailand illegally, and went on to kill people in Bangkok with a bomb.
The overwhelming evidence of the nasty Thai nature is revealed every day!

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 5:24 pm
  
  So he’s saying what anyone who’s been in Thailand for a few months / anyone who’s been in Pattaya for a few weeks already knows, down to who the “influential figure” is and was before him without anyone needing to name him or his “influential” father.
  
  Nothing to do with any “nasty Thai nature”, just widespread corruption and abuse of power from on high, from within the system.
  
  Blaming them directly for the recent local outbreaks, and “globalisation … and Thailand’s “close contact with the international community” ” for the initial outbreak is probably stretching things a bit, though, unless he wants to turn back the clock a century or so.
  
  Reply
Yogibaer

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 3:27 pm

Seems the gambling and human trafficking Business is more powerfu than the Tourist Business…?

Reply
- dispensePC
  
  Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 4:39 pm
  
  Yeah, I never understood the logic of bringing in cheap migrant labor when your own people can’t find work.
  
  I suspect it’s all politics and a matter of managing public perceptions, which is pretty much what CV-19 has been about in every country. In the case of Thailand, Western tourists are highly visible, but Burmese migrants can blend.
  
  Reply
  - Rasputin
    
    Monday, January 11, 2021 at 1:54 am
    
    There is no logic to it, while Thais are available and able to do it The villains are the greedy businessmen/politicians, devoid of, or severely lacking in any morality whatsoever
    
    Reply
    - Issan John
      
      Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:23 am
      
      There’s plenty of logic to it, Ras.
      
      While Thais might be “available”, even if they’re in the wrong place, in many cases they’re not “able” to do the jobs.
      
      Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:20 am
    
    Thw “logic” is that the cheap migrant labour is already here, that Thais don’t want to do the jobs, and that Thais can’t do the jobs as many are highly skilled / skilled / semi-skilled.
    
    Long term, ‘yes’, Thais could take over the jobs but in the shirt term it’s impossible.
    
    Reply
    - Issan John
      
      Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:33 am
      
      Sorry, typo, “shOrt term” 🙂 !
      
      Reply
pew

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 4:29 pm

Thainess

Reply
Geoff

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 4:43 pm

So easy to believe.

Reply
Gupta Singh

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 4:52 pm

Lets all wait for Issan John to enter this conversation and correctly tell us what is really going on, why its happening and the solutions after he does his 100% correct fact checking first. All whilst lying down! Please give him at least 30 minutes to do his checks on the every aspect of the Thai political system for the past 100 years.

Reply
- Geoff
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 7:24 am
  
  555! Good comment. I wonder if Imodium would work?
  
  Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:38 am
    
    I’ll have to ask the doctor.
    
    I’ve never heard of immodium being used to treat a broken back and crushed vertebrae, but I’m sure she’ll give your suggestion all the respect it deserves.
    
    Reply
    - Geoff
      
      Monday, January 11, 2021 at 4:18 pm
      
      I don’t care about that which you have typed. True or not,it doesn’t matter. What I see is what you write. Constantly correcting people. Very long diatribes that are not read. If you have a valid point, make it short and sweet. It’s all in good fun anyway.
      By the way, I lost my legs in a garden accident, both arms when my attempt at cooking went wrong, and my nose and tongue due to frostbite when I was at the North Pole. For the sake of proprietry, I won’t tell you what I’m typing this with. 🙂
      
      Reply
- Joe
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 8:16 am
  
  And Issan John’s most likely reply will be that you are being anti Thai, that’s his standard answer when he is lost for words.
  
  Reply
  - Issan John
    
    Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:43 am
    
    Really? Only in your rather sad dreams.
    
    Where it’s justified, go for it and knock yourself out but I’ll probably have been there before you; where it’s not, it’s just crying “Wolf”.
    
    Reply
Ted

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 5:30 pm

I don’t understand what is meant by finishing of the story, as they did; “he blames globalisation and Thailand’s “close contact with the international community.”

What is Kaewsan Atipothiclaimed after, sure it can’t be. Does the ex-lecturer mean the Thailand has to blame the rest of the world, for its illegal gambling and workforce….? Well if that is the case, do like most parts of the world and legalize gambling and start to attract Thai citizens for these jobs, if you can’t afford to sell your products, as cheap as you do, well don’t! But as been said before, then the ruling party will loose to much kickbacks so that will probably not happen during our lifetime.

Reply
- James Pate
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 1:07 pm
  
  Yeah, I don’t get that, either. I guess the professor has years of research and reams of data to back up his conclusion regarding the “international community”. Is he too afraid to say “Chinese”?
  
  Reply
murika

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 6:31 pm

when you are rich in thailand, you pay the police and invest in illegal gambling / brothel / drugs / human traffic / guns / money laundering , i mean don’t be naive that where the money is, payut know all of it of course, and probably get a piece of the cake, with all the other officials, in the village i live in, the mayor elected by buying vote in, is doing all of the above without hiding, he is too powerful for anyone to testify against him, so people just let it be, this guy just built a huge property in the national park, on top of the mountain for everybody to see, and every night girls, drugs and casino ! It’s the same all over the country, and when something bad happen their is tons of burmese or poor thais to blame and put in jail, TIT and most thai know it !

Reply
Wayno

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 8:04 pm

someones space bar is playing up

Reply
Andre

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 9:32 pm

Wow! There is nothing new in what he claims, but that he dares to go public with this is amazing in amazing Thailand.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:27 am
  
  Nothing daring about it – he hasn’t named anyone, so who cares?
  
  Reply
Pedro

Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 10:36 pm

It is obvious to those looking in from the outside that gambling is in the Thai psyche, and no Government will ever stop it, so to make gambling illegal in Thailand is playing into the hands of Organised Crime. Far better to legalise and control, and make money for the country from taxes lawfully applied, and from employment contributions. Control can be overseen in many formats and paid for by the extra tax revenues. Also, more criminal intel will come in about the illegal gambling particularly from those involved in the licensed casino’s.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 12:20 pm
  
  Agreed 100%, Pedro.
  
  I can understand the arguments against gambling, particularly given who the strongest objections came from (now deceased), but being realistic it’s like banning abortions as it’s impossible to stop so it’s driven underground instead.
  
  Far better to be realistic, accept that it’s going to happen, and to legalise, regulate and control it with the country profiting from it rather than the criminals.
  
  Reply
Jeff

Monday, January 11, 2021 at 10:16 am

Of course the sheeple can’t find the wisdom or courage to support the young people of the country trying to do something about it.

Reply
- Issan John
  
  Monday, January 11, 2021 at 11:31 am
  
  I may have missed it, but what are “young people of the country trying to do about it” that “the sheeple” aren’t?
  
  Reply