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The Light of Dharma July 2020 – June 2021 7he Light of Dharma July 2020 – June 2021 7
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Editorial Preface

Translated to English : Barry Ismail

Crisis of the emerging outbreak, although Thailand was one of the first
countries to find a Covid19 infection; it was the island province of
Phuket that was found to have had the highest number of reported
daily infections. As of now (July 2020), Thailand is considered to be one
the best country in the world in controlling this disease, and thereby
drawing international attention to the Thai public health system. Also
being looked at is the efficiency of the government’s management
during this difficult period, the cooperation of the people, as well as the
various sectors who all worked together to achieve this positive result.
Phuket is an important province, after Bangkok, it generates the
most revenue for the tourism industry. This The Light of Dharma would
like to present a story on historical epidemics and their management by
looking back from between one to two hundred years. From the article
“Hygiene in the past, Phuket Town” and on through to the various
examples in the column “Phuket Buddhist Activities”. The highlight
being an interview with the governor of Phuket. He answers the question
of why so many people are infected, various operations undertaken and
the vision shown to change crisis into new opportunities, for the future
of Phuket. The thoughts and encouragement from Bhikkhuni
Dhammananda in “When Covid visited the Globe” makes for a
compelling read also.
We hope that these contents, including the analysis of handling
of this crisis, how it changed our world and our way of life, will be
remembered and looked upon as an important lesson for future
generations.