Crisis shows good side of ordinary Thais

KHONNON JATHRAKUL was nowhere near the city centre when the deadly blast occurred on Monday evening, but when calls came out that hospitals were running low on blood for the injured, he knew he had to help. 

“It’s my duty to help, as a Thai, as a person,” he said. “I have O blood type and it is useful.”

Khonnon was not alone. Dozens of Thais found ways to reach both Chulalongkorn and Police General Hospital, where the victims were taken, despite roadblocks preventing vehicle access. While some chose to make their way to the makeshift donation centres at the hospitals, others took mopeds, motorcycles and a plethora of smaller vehicles. 

Danat Preechit and several of his friends in the same bike club all headed for the hospital after receiving word that it was running low on blood. 

After negotiations with a beleaguered police guard outside, Danat and his friends were finally let in to donate blood. “It is time we showed the world the good side of Thailand,” he said. “We’re here to answer the call.” 

Also, thousands flocked to the Thai Red Cross Society’s National Blood Centre. 

“I think the number of blood donors is about 2,000 today, up from the general range of between 600 and 800 a day,” National Blood Centre director Soisa-ang Phikulsod said, adding that the surge in donors was not uncommon in the wake of violent incidents. 

However, she firmly dismissed rumours that the country was running low on blood reserves. “These rumours are groundless. We still have blood reserves in stock,” she said.

She advised people to donate blood on a regular basis because the process of analysing and testing donated blood takes hours and, in times of emergency, the lack of immediately available blood can affect the ability of medics to treat injured people. 

Soisa-ang explained that donors are usually only required to spend 30 minutes at the National Blood Centre, but with huge crowds sometimes, the process could take longer.

Those who could not donate blood found other ways to contribute. 

Boonsue Kritiyapakdee, a motorcycle taxi driver by profession, was offering free rides to anyone who needed to get back and forth to the hospital. Others answered media calls that hospital staff were having trouble communicating with some of the Chinese victims. 

“I spent a semester in China, so I came to help translate,” said Benyapawee Ngamtanakitja, a 19-year-old university student, who travelled more than 20km to get to the Police General Hospital. 

“When I was in China, they took really great care of me, so I feel it is my duty to help all Chinese victims here,” she said. 

Hospital staff said that within a few hours of their call for translators, they received so many volunteers they were having to turn away many. Before she was asked to leave the hospital, Benyapawee said, “I feel sad because I want Thailand to be known as a friendly country. What happened was not the real Thailand.”