The Covid-19 policies: A comparative welfare state analysis between Germany and Thailand
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Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic effects both people’s health and social welfare. To address these problems, integrated health and social policies are crucial. This article applies
1.) a comparative welfare state framework to analyze the differences of welfare regime leading to different social policy responses to COVID-19, and 2.) an analysis of capacity of different health system, of which leads to different health policy responses to COVID-19.
This article compares different health system and welfare regime of Germany with the Thai system. Germany has a corporatist welfare regime. Various social policies and financial assistance aim to alleviate negative economic impacts of COVID-19. German health system has high capacity based on advance medical knowledge and technology. Furthermore, health system administration, in which many public and private actors participate, is decentralized and limited. Therefore, policy responses to COVID-19 are based on a collaboration between the state and society. Authorities exercise the emergency powers of the Executive in relation to the degree of pandemic. Local administrative bodies were also granted authority to deal with the pandemic. On the contrary, Thailand has a productivist welfare capitalism, subtype developmental-particularist welfare regime. Therefore, social welfare distribution could not meet people’s needs during pandemic. As a result, charity organization were needed to contribute to relief the efforts. Thailand’s heath system capacity were inadequate; thus, the people were forced to responsible for their own health and welfare. Moreover, Thailand’ use of emergency powers was unproportionate with the degree of pandemic.
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