Blog

MARCH: Our team started discussing news, fears, safety issues, checking individual temps daily, how to be available to students and bar-workers… team wanted to keep working but there were so many unknowns as to how best to do this. We start teaching new students about washing hands; cleaning things in café extra well, etc.

Mar. 12th- there were some confirmed cases at nearby BKK international schools. WHO declares covid-19 a world pandemic. Most international schools here start preparing to close down and do home based/online teaching and classes.
Mar. 18th- The Ministry of Education closes schools “until futher notice.” Churches start cancelling on-site services and activities. A lot more people begin to take “social distancing” seriously.

**Red light districts close down, many putting signs on bar doors that they will re-open March 30th… but of course, they are still closed. This was the first time in thirteen years of living here that I’ve personally seen entire bars & red light districts closed longer than a one day holiday.

One previous student had a medical scare and was told to quarantine, but turned out to be the flu. Five staff had high fevers and sicknesses… four of our staff were sick and unable to work for a week (two per week). Our part time counselor cannot come in due to his four boys being home for online school. (Wife is a full time teacher) So, our already small team of five full time staff and four part timers struggled to keep up with the changes and flexing. We did have a new full time staff start with us in the midst of these hard transitions (I’ll introduce her next post).

Mar. 20th- started receiving calls for help from bar-workers; three of our team went cautiously into red light districts to see what’s happening; started giving out food to homeless and/or freelancers; sending care packages directly to rooms; one bar manager tried to force young guys to work… but most of the red light areas were dark and shockingly quiet. US embassy sends travel advisory urging Americans who don’t actually live here to return to US while they still have the chance.

Mar. 21st- The Thai government finally puts Bangkok on semi-lockdown: all non-essential businesses are closed. Fitness gyms and fitness rooms in apartment buildings and pools close. Only grocery, market, convenience stores, restaurants with take out only, and pharmacies should remain open til April. 12th. We closed the café to the public- trying to figure out how to put more of our menu online. More team discussions on who should come to work and who should work from home. Most Thai staff do not have computers and good wifi at their house. Those with motorbikes (to avoid public transportation) are isolating but still “isolating a few days in our office.” Trying not to be around others- staying in groups less than ten, etc…

+ Nightlight starts food distribution and care for people in Sukhumvit area
+ Another group in Bangkok starts food distribution and care for female freelancers in Chinatown area.
+ Newsong church and Rahab work together to find ways to help bar-workers in Silom area

** Violence towards children and sex workers spikes high as families are home together and stressed… but also risks increase as porn, traffickers, angry customers seek out desperate individuals.

Mar. 26- Thai government mandates more strict lockdown until April 30. Includes checkpoints, no travel outside of your province, and curfew from 10pm to 4am. Since red light districts closed on March 18th, thousands of sex workers immediately had no income and possibly their first long break in years so many tried to rush home to be with family (rural villages outside Bangkok and even surrounding countries). Bus stations and train stations were packed and it was scary as several Burmese boys tried to make it back into Myanmar but Myanmar had closed the borders before Thailand did, so they were literally stuck at the border crossing, not allowed to enter either country and being “quarantined” with hundreds others in a location not prepared for sheltering or feeding others.

Most of the vulnerable and poor that we help have a one room style apartment, or living in one room slum home- rarely those rooms have a refrigerator or basic cooking equipment. So, for the poor, they cannot stock up on food, but must try to find fresh food daily.