While everyone stocks up food and beverage that will last a few weeks, here in Bangkok, Thailand you can find a small, open divider displayed in some public pavements full of basic goods like eggs, noodles, milk and many others donated by mostly Thai people. The catch is that it is free and it is for everyone! But you must play by the rule: fairly get some. For many this system is called “Sharing or Happy Cabinet” as referring to the Thai writing stamped against the divider in Red and Blue font colors. But foreigners like me who are working in Thailand call it the “honesty” cabinet. The thing is when you take some goods, there’s actually no one who is going to check whether you are taking too much. No one is supervising the day to day behavior of people passing by and getting some goods. Literally, this open divider is displayed 24 hours in many areas of Bangkok. Now, this gesture has emitted positive and encouraging messages to the community. There are so many people in Thailand who have lost their jobs because of COVID-19. So many that the people themselves decided to put up a stall where everyone can share their resources to the ones in need. These cabinets are seen standing in some areas of Bangkok up until today. And while the people here in Thailand are getting back to business, this gesture will surely be remembered for how people help each other especially during crises.
In this photo you can see a woman putting in some goods she bought using her own money. Instead of taking them home, she stocks them all there in hopes of helping people to get through the day. People like her make this world still a beautiful place to live.
MARK ANTHONY JARO LABRIAGA
-Thailand
Details
Comments are closed