Blog Ambassador Kees Rade (16)

You will not be surprised that everything we have done in the past month, and I am afraid that will not be much different in the coming weeks, has focused on just one subject: the COVID-19 crisis. In February we already had a preview of the vicissitudes around the Westerdam. But now the crisis has erupted in full force in just about the whole world, and certainly also in “our” three countries.

To start with Thailand, it is an exciting moment every day when it is announced what the growth in the number of infected people has been in the last 24 hours. As far as the growth curve is concerned, Thailand is still exactly between the fast growers Italy, Iran and the US on the one hand and the mild risers Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan on the other. It is very important to the government, and all of us, to let the curve rise less, so that the crisis lasts longer but the health system can better handle the number of patients. “Flattening the curve”, as the World Health Organization calls it. As long as the government manages to curb growth somewhat, we may escape a curfew.

The situation in Cambodia and Laos is somewhat less clear. On the one hand, still relatively low figures, although things have been going faster in Cambodia in recent days. Not yet a state of emergency either, with the emphasis on “yet”. But on the other hand, there is also less confidence in the statistics than in Thailand. And of course, a crisis would also have greater consequences given the less developed healthcare system. Laos has a total of a dozen ventilators, essential for critically ill patients. It is understandable that people in those countries are therefore very concerned about the consequences of a serious outbreak.

The coronavirus has a huge impact on our daily work. An absolute priority for all Dutch embassies in the world is to provide the best possible support to Dutch tourists who want to return to the Netherlands. The government has called on every Dutch tourist to do this, although it is of course up to everyone to respond or not. But calling is one thing, actually being able to land safely at Schiphol again is increasingly another story. Almost all international flights have been canceled and travel restrictions are increasingly being imposed within and between countries. And this is typically one of those subjects where an embassy can play a useful role.

An example. For Dutch tourists in Laos and Cambodia, a transfer option in Bangkok is essential, since the vast majority of flights to Europe go through this hub. The sudden decision by the Thai government in mid-March to make this transfer practically impossible by requiring a health certificate that one is free of COVID-19 contamination was therefore very bad news. After all, there is no country in the world where doctors will use the scarce test kits to facilitate tourists. We therefore quickly, together with the embassies of the EU and Schengen countries, asked the government for a postponement of this demand in a memorandum. Together with a few colleagues, I also gave the same message to Minister for Health Anutin during an informal meeting at my Swiss colleague's house. Thanks to these actions, the measure for transit passengers has been suspended until April 1, allowing many tourists to travel back via Bangkok.

Another example. KLM approached us with the cry of distress that they were not allowed to ground their aircraft in Bangkok for more than four hours due to scarce parking options at the airport. This made it impossible for them to keep the service open to Bangkok, due to the mandatory rest time for the crew, the aircraft must remain on the ground for 36 hours. After consultation with The Hague, we and our French colleagues quickly drafted a letter to the responsible ministers asking for flexibility. The longer time slot was granted just before the shipment. We'll never know if the announcement of diplomatic action played a decisive role, but it certainly helped.

We are also busy trying to get stranded Dutch people, especially in Laos and Cambodia, on extra flights. Reaching these compatriots is not always easy. But thanks to the great efforts of our consular people, and our unsurpassed honorary consuls in Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Phuket, we managed to get rid of the most urgent cases quite well. It shows how important communication is. Sometimes we assume that something is known to everyone because it is in our messages. It turns out that it doesn't work that simple, information often has to be repeated and explained before it really sinks in. On the other hand, it is surprising to notice how easily some (fortunately a small minority) assume that registering in a government system automatically means that you no longer have to do anything yourself, and that everything is now done by this government. will be arranged down to the last detail. Primary responsibility is emphasized in every possible way, especially if there are still commercial flights. But unfortunately that doesn't always get through. It is all the more beautiful when grateful e-mails arrive from travelers who did get away!

We're not there yet. Or as some say, it will get worse before it gets better. Let's try to get through this difficult period together as best as possible, as I also said in my video message of March 30. As an embassy and with our HCs, we will try to support you where possible. But it's up to everyone to do everything they can to stay healthy, so: keep your distance!

We wish you a lot of strength in these difficult times!

Regards,

Keith Rade