The coronavirus pandemic brought the world to its feet. The unprecedented effects of COVID-19 are taking its toll in the global economy, with the greatest hit being on developing countries whose economic life relies on tourism, such as Thailand. Content creator Junior Chia has made it his mission to help the country get back on its feet, and he seeks to achieve this goal through social media.
With a significant portion of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dependent on tourism, Thailand is one of the countries affected by the pandemic as tourism is put into a stop to combat the spread of the virus.
As a foreigner living in Thailand, Chia had a choice to go back to his hometown in New Zealand. But the 27-year-old with a brave heart chose to stay in Thailand. His reason was simple; it was his determination to help rebuild the country. With this goal in mind, he knew that the best approach he could take was through what he is good at doing. As a social media content creator, Chia turns to the online world for help.
This content creator sees much hope for Thailand, and he credits this to the impressive resiliency of the people. He pointed out that “the Thais are resilient people, they have faced adversity before and will no doubt face it again—but there’s no hiding from the fact they need help this time.”
With relatively low cases and a minimal number of deaths, businesses in Thailand are slowly going back to its normal operations. Foreigners will soon be able to re-enter the country as new information on specific dates and groups allowed to re-enter the country are disseminated daily.
For Chia, he seeks to provide his social media platform as a vehicle to bring back tourists in Thailand. His aim is for his platform to serve as a window where people from the outside world can look over to see what is inside this beautiful country. He is aware that sooner or later, when international borders open, people will be looking for places to travel to, and in today’s world, the best way to help people choose a country is by “providing engaging, high-quality, and valuable social media content” about it. This is what he aims to achieve for Thailand.
Unlike Chia, whose work is on social media and is based online, locals in Phuket, where he resides, lost their main sources of income in just a blink of an eye. Today, Chia works with other expats and locals, on the ground, in giving out rice, condiments, and other sources of food for the people of Patong Beach. This was one of his ways to give back to the community.
Although uncertain, he continues to be hopeful. He continues to do what he can do to help rebuild Thailand. For now, making content on social media seems to be the most effective way to help Thailand connect with people from all over the world and, in turn, boost its economy through tourism. With Junior Chia’s endeavor and support from the online world, the beautiful country of Thailand will definitely be back on its feet in no time.
For more information about Junior Chia, feel free to connect with him through his Instagram.
