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Calls to suicide helpline show Thais' stress in downturn


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Calls to suicide helpline show Thais' stress in downturn

By Athit Perawongmetha and Jiraporn Kuhakan

 

2020-06-04T234602Z_2_LYNXMPEG532MB_RTROPTP_3_HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS-THAILAND-SUICIDE.JPG

The work uniform of Nitiwadee Sae-Tia, 50, who took her own life after losing her job during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, is hung up outside her wardrobe at Sae-Tia's home in Bangkok, Thailand, May 26, 2020. Praphai Yodpradit, Sae-Tia's aunt, said that Sae-Tia had grown increasingly stressed and withdrawn after losing her job. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - In the weeks before she took her own life, Thai waitress Nitiwadee Sae-Tia felt growing financial pressure after she lost her job, a member of the family said.

 

She was one of millions of Thais who lost their jobs after lockdown restrictions to combat the spread of the coronavirus forced malls and other public venues to close in March.

 

That included the Japanese restaurant where Nitiwadee worked, said the aunt who found her lifeless body when she visited her home in May.

 

"When I opened the door, I was shocked," said Praphai Yodpradit. She said Nitiwadee, 50, had grown increasingly stressed and withdrawn after losing her job.

 

Although Thai figures show the average rate of suicide fell in the first four months of the year, the charity group Samaritans of Thailand said it had received between three and five times the normal volume of daily calls to its suicide helpline since the lockdown in late March.

 

Most related to concerns about financial problems, said Panomporn Phoomchan, the director.

 

In a bid to cushion the blow, Thailand announced it would pay 15,000 baht ($460) in three monthly payments to people who had lost their jobs due to the shutdown.

 

Initially, 24 million people applied, but only 15 million qualified, a finance ministry spokesman said.

 

The financial struggle of many Thais during the lockdown was also highlighted in widespread media coverage of 59-year-old Unyakarn Booprasert, who tried to take her own life in April outside Thailand's finance ministry building.

 

She has since recovered and told Reuters she had tried to kill herself "to speak for other people who suffered like me."

 

Authorities have provided Unyakarn with financial support and the public has donated money. She said she is looking for work.

 

In the first fourth months of this year, Thailand has recorded an average of 350 suicides per month, down on the monthly average of 368 last year.

 

But Nattakorn Champathong, director of the National Suicide Prevention Center, is concerned that will change later when the immediate crisis of the pandemic has subsided but financial problems persist.

 

Health experts say it is an internationally recognised phenomenon that suicides often fall during a crisis, only to rise afterwards.

 

After the Asian financial crisis in Thailand, for example, the number of suicides between 1998 and 2000 increased to more than 8 per 100,000 people from below 7. That compares with 6.64 per 100,000 people last year. Similarly, they rose in Japan in the years following the Asian financial crash.

 

"Six months after the crisis, the Thai government will face a challenge as the number of suicides will spike," said Champathong, who wants authorities to prepare now.

 

(Additional reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat:; Wrting by Ed Davies: Editing by Neil Fullick)

 

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-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-05
 
 

The charity Samaritans is available around the clock for people who want to talk.

If you or anyone you know is in need of mental health services, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand at their 24-hour hotline 02-713-6791 (English), 02713-6793 (Thai) or Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai).

http://www.samaritansthai.com/news/samaritans-of-thailand-english-hotline/

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A tragedy of an individual driven to a desperate act because of matters beyond her control.
My deepest sympathy to her family. I pray that Samaritans and other help orgs can rise to the challenge and save more from copying this.
How about netizens taking time off from the news and making a contribution ( help, donation, whatever ) to stop the next one doing something ?

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I was moved by this poor woman's touching and very sad story.

 

There is a place for capitalism although the government has a responsibility to provide safety nets with minimum standards that respect human rights.

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3 hours ago, anchadian said:

And Chinese tourists will be one of the first to return to Thailand/

Did Chinese tourists develop the virus ? 
Did Chinese tourists cover up the start of it ?
Wouldn't blame their government and WHO be more fair ?

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14 hours ago, steven100 said:

many people are facing stress all over the world, can you imagine how things start to snowball when you can't pay the bank mortgage on your home loan. Eventually, six months down the track the bank seizes your home. 

This is the unfortunate scenario that is being played out everywhere .... thousands upon thousands losing the roof over their heads. All because of China. 

Absolutely all because of these pathetic people creating or not safeguarding a virus they have destroyed the world caused mayhem and there are the first people to be let back into Thailand ????????????Wake up thailand especially the government

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29 minutes ago, schvonsky1 said:

Absolutely all because of these pathetic people creating or not safeguarding a virus they have destroyed the world caused mayhem and there are the first people to be let back into Thailand ????????????Wake up thailand especially the government

yes ..... but be careful,  you cannot blame a chinese family going on a Thailand holiday because of lackluster idiots chopping up monkeys at the Wuhan wet market.  You have to put things in perspective, are you going to block millions of baht from Chinese folks who had nothing to do with the cause of the virus  ?  

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Just a reminder: If you can help, don't donate food. Donating money is the best. You don't know what their needs are. There are enough people donating food. Maybe what they need is rent so they don't become homeless. Maybe they need to buy antidepressants or insulin, maybe they need to buy baby formula. Give them the resources and let them make the decision for themselves. It is also highly empowering for the receivers compared to having people assume that as long as they have food, they'd live. 

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5 hours ago, steven100 said:

yes ..... but be careful,  you cannot blame a chinese family going on a Thailand holiday because of lackluster idiots chopping up monkeys at the Wuhan wet market.  You have to put things in perspective, are you going to block millions of baht from Chinese folks who had nothing to do with the cause of the virus  ?  

The "millions of baht"from Chinese tourists go,es into the back pockets of the elite,the millions of baht spent by farangs go,'e into the local economy.

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The last thing you want is stressed thais. 

The males are borderline volatile without being stressed out  through no jobs.

No money for smokes drink and gambling. 

Open up the borders and get the jobs going. 

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16 hours ago, Khunangkaro said:

PROTEST... Protest... 

This Covid lie must be stopped. More people die of stress from lockdown etc. caused by Covid. 

Yesterday I ripped a screen of the table. 

I'm fed up with this on-going nonsense. 

You are so right, covid-19 the the biggest lie in this century. I only wish people can wake up and protest against it.

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On 6/5/2020 at 7:39 AM, webfact said:

Most related to concerns about financial problems, said Panomporn Phoomchan, the director.

Which has been exasperated by the governments poor handling or non-payment of promised financial help.. while they put together a bail-out plan for a lost cause of an airline, and borrow 1.9 trillion for themselves let the poor and starving suffer !!!

I sincerely hope the voting public think more wisely at the booth next time around!

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17 hours ago, NightSky said:

I was moved by this poor woman's touching and very sad story.

 

There is a place for capitalism although the government has a responsibility to provide safety nets with minimum standards that respect human rights.

Sorry, but there is no place for capitalism, the less we have of the greedy Branson type, the better.

Sorry for going off topic, but I was just replying to this post.

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34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Which has been exasperated by the governments poor handling or non-payment of promised financial help.

AMEN!  My gf's family business, like so many others, has been devastated.  No sales, no income.  And since they had some money in the bank left from the pre-Covid days NO financial help from the government.  Now I'm helping them get by until lockdowns are in the rearview mirror.

 

34 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I sincerely hope the voting public think more wisely at the booth next time around!

The public voting "wisely"?  Since the elections were completely rigged we certainly can't blame the public on this fiasco.

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1 minute ago, Jimbo in Thailand said:

AMEN!  My gf's family business, like so many others, has been devastated.  No sales, no income.  And since they had some money in the bank left from the pre-Covid days NO financial help from the government.  Now I'm helping them get by until lockdowns are in the rearview mirror.

 

The public voting "wisely"?  Since the elections were completely rigged we certainly can't blame the public on this fiasco.

Maybe this time around there will be such a landslide it will be hard to "rig" the figures.

But the problem is with FFP being silenced who can the public vote for as an alternative.

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 people can say what they like but there is no doubt this virus release was caused by the heads of the Chinese military as an experiment, but worse the news media as usual have made the situation much worse for the sake of money for them, most counties are now in a situation where they now do not have the money required to help all their peoples needs, very sad in deed and unessary but it will go on just the same

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On 6/6/2020 at 1:41 AM, daphnia88 said:

Just a reminder: If you can help, don't donate food. Donating money is the best. You don't know what their needs are. There are enough people donating food. Maybe what they need is rent so they don't become homeless. Maybe they need to buy antidepressants or insulin, maybe they need to buy baby formula. Give them the resources and let them make the decision for themselves. It is also highly empowering for the receivers compared to having people assume that as long as they have food, they'd live. 

Gamble the money away then the kids dont get fed

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