Many of the workers from the airline industries decided to shift jobs in order to make ends meet as the coronavirus pandemic hit the aviation and tourism industry around the world because of travel restrictions.
37-year-old Kota Rattanasopon used to work as a senior Cabin crew in Thailand. But because of the pandemic and the Thai airline he was working with grounded all flights, Kota decided to apply as Grab delivery man.
He is now delivering food around Bangkok since May in order to earn income for his family. Kota says that he is earning around 1,000 baht, which is enough for him, his father and sister.
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Kota’s family also ventured into online selling of cook boxed meals to add to their daily income.
“I know things will not be the same again for at least another year, so I will have to keep doing this,” he told Reuters.
Around 4 million Thai workers lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The tourism industry in the Asian country is slowly picking up and opening up because of their successful drive to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Another airline worker and stewardess Thawanan Thawornphatworakul also changed her job and focused more on doing hairdressing. In fact, she even changed her living room into a hair salon.
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The 36-year-old worker also said that despite not earning enough compared to her salary when she was still with the airlines, her situation is much better than totally having no income at all.
“The income here helps with some expenses and pays the bills,” she added.
