Roti seller
Ubon Ratchathani
In his 35 years in Thailand, Mohamed has never felt so hopeless and depressed during Ramadan. This year, it has been a sombre affair.
The father of four, who once made 700-1,000 baht a day selling sweet roti in fresh markets and factories, barely scrapes together enough to feed his family since the outbreak of Covid-19.
“Business has been slow since the curfew was implemented. Roti sellers mostly work from late afternoon up till late at night. Due to people practising social distancing and working from home there are just not enough customers. Some days business is so bad that I have just 70 baht in my pocket.
“From the pittance I make today, all I can afford for a meal during the breaking of our fast is stir-fried morning glory, the cheapest of vegetables, on rice, and a mango, which due to a good harvest this year is cheap.”
Mohamed recalls the time when his earnings enabled the family to have a memorable Ramadan.
“In the past when we broke our fast as a family during the holy month, we enjoyed the choicest of dishes. There was often seafood, beef and even lamb curries. We had dates and other dry fruits that were donated by brethren from the mosque. It was a time of immense happiness for me.”
Due to widespread regulations that have been imposed where meeting relatives and friends for large iftar meals at dusk — the centrepiece of a Muslim’s month-long fast — is almost impossible, Ramadan this year is a stressful time for Mohamed’s close-knit family.
“I’m disappointed, but what can we do? The world is different now,” he said. “I know I have to accept this new normal, but it is always difficult, because we have never experienced this type of pandemic.”
Despite the odds stacked against him, he said he would keep the faith.
“I need to keep positive, even though it is hard. The Covid-19 pandemic has cast a long shadow over the rituals I am accustomed to, which today have been modified to fit public health rules on physical distancing. After having experienced this, the month of fasting and reflection will never be the same for me.”