The Covid-19 Crisis in Thailand: Charting a Safe and Sustainable Path to Recovery

This case describes Thailand’s response to the global Covid-19 pandemic from when it started in January 2020, until early August 2020 when it was considered to be under control. While the Thai government managed to keep the coronavirus at bay, the pandemic nevertheless had exacted a heavy toll on the country. Businesses, small and large, were floundering - particularly those in tourism, a sector that had been the lifeblood of the kingdom’s economy. Many Thais also had to adjust to working from home (WFH). This new normal would likely remain as the business-as-usual scenario for many months ahead.

As a consultant to the Thai government, David Chong, had been brought in to review the country’s Covid-19 crisis response, particularly on the performance of its reopening strategy, with an eye to preserving tourism and mitigating the impact on families and firms due to WFH arrangements.

The critical questions that David needed to address were as follows: How could the economy be reopened safely and sustainably? How would the Thai society work, live, and play at home when so many were telecommuting? What are the critical decisions that the country should focus on?

This case is suitable for both undergraduate and graduate classes. It can be used for topics related to crisis management and leadership. Students will be able to 1) understand the characteristics of new types of crisis, 2) Appreciate the need for crisis management, especially for novel crises, 3) Identify the components of a crisis and the associated actions and activities, 4) Evaluate the outcomes of crisis management more holistically, 5) understand the importance of trust and state capacity in national crisis response, and 6) discern the complexities behind crisis decisions, particularly the tensions and trade-offs decision makers have to confront.

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