Fact-Check: Are they bodies of Covid-19 victims in Thailand?
News about the spreading of Covid-19 in Thailand is often shared social media by those speaking Khmer language. One of them is that a Facebook user posted a photo showing a pile of something like bodies covered by white clothes. The Facebook author claimed it was a tragedy of Covid-19 in Thailand. The photo along with such a claim had been shared many times. After running Google Reverse Image, however, it proves the claim is misleading.
Social Media Claim
On August 1, 2021, a Facebook user posted a photo in group of social media. The photo shows a group of people in students uniforms paid tribute to coffins of bodies. The social media user claimed it depicts the tragedy of Covid-19 in Thailand. The claim author also said Thailand reported nearly 20,000 news Covid-19 cases and 200 people had died of the virus in daily basis.
The photo with such a claim had been multiple shared by Khmer-speaking Facebook users along with a mixture of comments and reactions.
Below is a capture of the post reads: “Situation in Thailand, it had yet been over for Cambodians. Please stay at home if unnecessary. See an example in Thailand where 20,0000 people contracted with Covid-19, 200 people died in daily basis. It’s tragic. Protect yourself is equivalent to protecting your family. Do not gather for drinking if you do not want to get regret. Please share it! The photo is from Thailand.”
Fact Check
Fact Crescendo Cambodia begins checking the photo and the claim by running Google Reverse Image and reviewing Thailand’s Covid-19 situation report officially recorded by the country’s health authority and the World Health Organization.
The photo was published by various Thailand’s local media organizations, saying it was a homepage paid by medical students to ‘principal’ – referring to those who donated their bodies for the interest of medical study.
In its article, Thailand’s NewsClear reported the principal cremation was hold by medical students at Chulalongkorn University on April 26, 2017.
The website added the cremation has already been for the last 14 years. It is hold by medical students every year after they have finished the second year of medical school.
For medical school at Chulalongkorn University, every student is required to study the anatomy of human body which kindly donated by some people for the medical course. After having finished their second year of medical school, the students held a Buddhism ceremony to pay tribute to those who have donated their bodies before cremation.
A Facebook page also posted the photo among three other photos showing a group of students placed flowers and paid tribute to coffins of bodies. The caption written by the social media page said the ceremony was taken place on April 26, 2017 at a campus of Chulalongkorn University.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo Cambodia found out the claim along with photo mentioned above is misleading. The photo is unrelated to Covid-19 bodies. The photo shows a group of medical students at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University paid their last tribute to ‘principals’ or those who kindly donated their bodies for the interest of medical studies before cremation in April 2017.
