Disaster porn
Any time there is a catastrophe or crisis in Thailand, politicians and celebrities circle like vultures, hungry to show the kingdom how kind and caring they are
Thailand is in mourning after 20 children and three teachers died in a devastating blaze that engulfed a bus taking them on a school trip.
The gas-powered vehicle was a disaster waiting to happen. It was more than half a century old, first registered with the Land Transport Department in February 1970 as a Japanese-built Isuzu diesel bus, but heavily modified over the years and converted to run on compressed natural gas, with a new chassis and eight-cylinder Mercedes engine. It was licensed to have six gas canisters, all at the rear, but in fact it had 11 stored all around the lower deck.
It should never have been allowed on the road.
After a minor accident on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road in the northern outskirts of Bangkok on September 30, the gas canisters ignited and fire swiftly consumed the vehicle. Many of the bodies of the dead children were found at the back of the bus, where they fled to try to escape the flames but were unable to get out. The driver of the bus left the scene but later handed himself in to police.
Sixteen children and three teachers managed to escape the burning bus. Three of the children were in critical condition and were taken to Rangsit Medical Centre. The rest were brought to the Royal Development Projects and Security Coordination Centre in Pathum Thani.
If the welfare of the children was the top priority of the government, the doctors at Rangsit would have been left in peace to do their work, and the survivors at the army centre in Pathum Thani would have been looked after in a stress-free environment, cared for by psychiatrists, trauma specialists and other professionals who know what they are doing.
But this is Thailand. The children quickly became unwilling performers in a circus of political self-promotion.
Prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was visibly moved by the tragedy and has two young children of her own, made a pointless visit to Rangsit Medical Centre. This caused significant stress and disruption, as staff scrambled to give an appropriate welcome to their VIP visitor and her large delegation and security team. It’s unclear what her visit achieved aside from being a photo opportunity for Paetongtarn.
She then made her way to Pathum Thani to see the other survivors, where she at least showed genuine compassion and concern.
The same could not be said for interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul and transport minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit. A jaw-dropping photograph shows bewildered children sitting on the floor at the feet of the ministers and their large delegation as journalists take pictures.
Children who had just survived a traumatic disaster in which many of their friends had been killed were used as props for political publicity, in a highly stressful and confusing environment. It was was utterly unacceptable and inappropriate. The manic grin on Suriya’s face made the scene even more ghastly.
Trying to defend the debacle, transport ministry spokesman Kritchanon Dr Tan" Aiyapanya claimed in a ridiculous tweet that the children were brought to sit on the floor out of kindness because it was in an air-conditioned hall. He said Suriya had even graciously enquired about finding chairs for them. Meanwhile a “source from the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces” who didn’t even provide their name gave a different excuse to Khaosod English, claiming the children were sitting on the ground because a bus to take them back to Uthai Thani was arriving shortly, and the ministers “dropped by to check on them”.
Both explanations are clearly bogus, and it is a reliable sign that people are lying when their excuses don’t even match with each other.
Eventually the bus to take the children back to Uthai Thani arrived. Nobody seems to have thought it might be traumatising for them to board another bus so soon after the tragedy, and that maybe organising cars would have been a better solution.
By now deputy interior minister Sabida Thaiseth had also arrived to join the circus. She’s one of the daughters of notorious Uthai Thani mafia godfather Chada Thaiseth, a member of Anutin’s Bhumjai Thai party who held the deputy ministerial role in the previous cabinet.
After the Supreme Court removed former prime minister Srettha Thavisin for a relatively minor ethical violation, the Pheu Thai coalition realised it was too risky to reappoint infamous crooks like Chada and Tamanat Prompow, so the gangsters just nominated relatives instead to act as their proxies. That’s how Sabida got the job.
Sabida was photographed with the children as they boarded the bus, and then in another blatant piece of self-promotion, a photograph from inside the bus, showing a young girl sleeping with her head on Sabina’s lap as they headed back to Uthai Thani, was posted on social media by her sister Krittiya.
These people have no interest in quiet acts of compassion and kindness. Their benevolence has to be broadcast to the whole kingdom.
For Thailand’s political class, every tragedy is an opportunity to be exploited. Instead of letting professionals handle the crisis, they shamelessly scramble to get themselves involved and signal their great virtue, despite not really having a clue what they are doing. Disaster porn has become routine.
Secret Siam is fully funded by my readers. Please sign up to receive free updates, and if you would like to receive premium content you can subscribe for $5 a month or $50 a year.
Thank you to all my subscribers for your support. 🙏
Floods of (crocodile) tears
Whenever there is a flooding crisis in Thailand, politicians and celebrities rush to the scene to get photographs of themselves bravely wading through the water handing out relief supplies to pathetically grateful villagers. The latest severe flooding in northern provinces since August has been no exception.