Living abroad | Former Wimmera resident Gary Chatfield feels just as safe in Thaliand as he would in Australia

That's the feeling former Wimmera resident Gary Chatfield has when comparing the differences of living through a pandemic abroad.

Mr Chatfield said he wasn't aware of how much testing was being conducted in Thailand, which would make statistics differ.

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"Things are going along ok," he said.

"There aren't too many deaths from the virus.

"Anyone who is coming back into the country is getting tested and people who are coming here for work or returning are quarantining.

"People's attitudes I feel are a little bit different which could be because Thailand is a bit closer to the source of the virus so they are a bit more health-conscious in that regard."

Mr Chatfield said since the pandemic broke out from China, people started wearing masks straight away.

"Some stores you cannot enter without a mask," he said.

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"Initially temperature checks were done everywhere but that seems to have eased off - but wearing masks is compulsory.

"I think it's made a big difference. There is a lot of common sense being used everywhere even though things have relaxed a little."

Living 70km from Bangkok in a rural area Mr Chatfield said he wasn't as exposed to the general public as if you were in a big city.

"Our nearest neighbour is about 50m away," he said.

"So at home, we were pretty safe and only when travelling away for work and meeting up with people you weren't familiar with would we wear a mask."

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After Australia closed international borders Mr Chatfield said he wasn't worried at the beginning but as time went on it was becoming harder.

"I was home at the beginning of February for my Dad's 90th birthday," he said.

"When we flew out of Bangkok I had never seen so many people wearing masks at the airport.

"There were a lot of Chinese nationals still travelling at the time and people were really weary because they were unsure of who could have the virus.

"I'm starting to get concerned about if I needed to come home I would need to do 14 quarantine in Australia and then again on returning to Thailand.

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"Normally I would come home every four months to see my Dad at Eventide Homes in Stawell but unfortunately at the moment it's just a wait and see and I can't come home if I can avoid it until the quarantine period is lifted."

Mr Chatfield has been in Asia for 28 years and owns a turf consulting business.

"My business hasn't been impacted too much by the virus," he said.

"The only thing I've stopped doing is travelling to nearby countries to do work."

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