Thailand faces New Year lockdown

[StevieWonders]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has signalled a halt to the easing of travel restrictions and the reimposition of tough disease control measures, including a potential ban on New Year's celebrations, in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak in Samut Sakhon at the weekend.

"This outbreak serves as an important reminder of how serious a threat the Covid-19 pandemic remains to our nation. At the same time, the global Covid situation has also taken a sudden and serious turn for the worse," the prime minister said during a TV Pool broadcast on Tuesday.

Just in time for gerefan2 and goji to end their time in quarantine

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2039591/virus-fear-threatens-new-year

[dinagam]

Just in time for gerefan2 and goji to end their time in quarantine

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2039591/virus-fear-threatens-new-year

They will no doubt enjoy the clear waters and calm waves of Pattaya.

[StevieWonders]

They will no doubt enjoy the clear waters and calm waves of Pattaya.”clear waters”? Isn’t Pattaya beach known as “swimming in sewage”?

[StevieWonders]

In a wonderful “This Is Thailand” moment it’s been revealed that COVID-19 tests may not be free for those caught up in the latest outbreak.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2020/12/22/vegetable-sellers-bangkok-restaurant-owner-test-positive-for-virus/

[cdnmatt]

Any word on how much a KoVid test costs in Thailand? I know in Canada it's free, unless it's for international travel, then it's $200.

[catawampuscat]

There was talk of a lockdown last night in Jomtien Complex. It was supposed to happen at a 9am press conference today
but it was just
nervous Cambodian boys who are fearful of the consequences of a bar shutdown in Jomtien complex.
I stocked up on wine and beer
just in case.. supples of Thai beers were sold out in some stores.
It doesn’t feel like Xmas Eve in Pattaya. I only saw one vendor trying to sell red Santa hats with lights

[cdnmatt]

PM Announces no National Lockdown in Thailand

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1198242-no-national-lockdown-in-thailand-prayut/?utm_source=newsletter-20201224-1317&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

[Nirish guy]

PM Announces no National Lockdown in Thailand

So, no "lockdown" but instead they seem to be going with the UK "tier" system, albeit by another name - and look how well THAT's working :-(

Mind you short of going full lockdown ( which does seem a little full on just now based on their numbers) that tiered idea is probably all they CAN do for now.

However if numbers keep increasing taking their example from other Countries would suggest that the quicker they DO just "lockdown" the better perhaps as Im guessing it wouldn't take much for this new variant to run amok throughout Thailand very quickly, but for now the tiered system and the "do not travel" (much) between provinces etc is probably just about all they can do - until they're forced to do more.

[cdnmatt]

In my opinion, should be full lockdown straight away for three weeks. We've been at this whole pandemic thing for 11 months now, we know how this works.

Having different regions with different rules just creates havoc and an absolute mess. Prime example, look at what happened when Johnson announced tier 4 lockdowns in parts of London. Within hours, the trains were completely over crowded with people getting out of London before the lockdown took effect. So much for keeping the new variant contained.

It's been well proven, a consistent message and set of rules across the board is the only thing that seems to work.

[Moggy]

You are absolutely correct its pure shambles here where 8 out of 10 people dont even know what tier 4 rules are lock down is the best path.

[arsenal]

I very much hope I'm wrong but it's possible Thailand is about to take the hit.

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30400306?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

[cdnmatt]

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1198686-thailand-reports-144-new-covid-19-cases-as-anutin-self-isolates/?utm_source=newsletter-20201228-1314&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Over 6000 cases per-day now? Yeah, I'd say tring to keep the virus 100% contained like they did before is a distant pipe dream now, same as pretty much every other country in the world.

[Nirish guy]

Sky news reporting that bars, restaurants etc in Bangkok will be forced to close at midnight on the 28th Dec until 4th of Jan after first Covid death in Thailand in two months ..... is this accurate I wonder on the ground ?

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-thailands-first-coronavirus-death-in-two-months-leads-to-new-lockdown-measures-12174462

[StevieWonders]

Sky news reporting that bars, restaurants etc in Bangkok will be forced to close at midnight on the 28th Dec until 4th of Jan after first Covid death in Thailand in two months ..... is this accurate I wonder on the ground ?

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-thailands-first-coronavirus-death-in-two-months-leads-to-new-lockdown-measures-12174462
Reuters reports the same. I haven’t really been following as being out after midnight isn’t something I do very much. One feels however for our intrepid adventurers, one of whom I may have seen in Soi 4 on Saturday evening, having been freed from captivity earlier in the day.

[gerefan2]

Sky news reporting that bars, restaurants etc in Bangkok will be forced to close at midnight on the 28th Dec until 4th of Jan after first Covid death in Thailand in two months ..... is this accurate I wonder on the ground ?

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-thailands-first-coronavirus-death-in-two-months-leads-to-new-lockdown-measures-12174462

It’s been midnight closing for a long time.

[gerefan2]

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1198686-thailand-reports-144-new-covid-19-cases-as-anutin-self-isolates/?utm_source=newsletter-20201228-1314&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

Over 6000 cases per-day now?

Nonsense. It’s a little over 100 per day and a grand total of just over 6000 since records began.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

[Nirish guy]

It’s been midnight closing for a long time.

It's not saying closing at midnight but closing at midnight UNTIL the 4th of Jan ??

[gerefan2]

i think it has lost something in the translation. The Bangkok Post says
“ . The order covers bars with hostesses, horseracing tracks and cockfighting arenas and other entertainment venues including massage parlours. However, pubs and restaurants can stay open as long as they serve only food and drinks, and close by midnight.”

[StevieWonders]

The mandatory closing time is indeed midnight. However the payment of tea money to the Boys In Brown means an unofficial closing time of 2am (I’ve just verified with a friend). Presumably the latest announcement is merely a shot across the bows.

[cdnmatt]

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1198870-worst-case-scenario-18000-daily-new-covid-cases-by-mid-january/?utm_source=newsletter-20201229-1349&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

They're now predicting somewhere in the vincinity of 1000 - 18,000 new cases daily by mid-January.

Welcome to the lockdown Thailand.

[arsenal]

Perhaps it was absurdly unrealistic to hope that Thailand would escape this behemoth of misery.

[Nirish guy]

The scarier part for the Train people ( and selfishly ourselves too I guess) is that IF they do get a bad run of things ahead the fact they're already only planning to buy vaccine for half the population must surely be going to have some impact both on the numbers of people getting sick as well as pushing a likely "open" date even further down the line perhaps.....although I'm guessing in a while once the vaccine pushes out in the west it'll just end up "no vaccine, no entry" just perhaps to us lot?

[cdnmatt]

Nah, I think Thailand only bought enough vaccine for 13 million people, and they have 65.5 million, so about 20.6% of the population. And they plan to start vaccinated in May, but who knows, fluid situation.

Not sure about this whole vaccine thing anyway. Not sure how the rollout is going in your guys' part of the world, but I have to say, it's a bit of a shitshow here in Canada. We have a bunch of vaccine sitting in freezers, but only managed to give 20,000 people a jab in the first week. At this rate, it's only 1850 more weeks or 35.5 more years, and everyone in the country will be vaccinated. Fuck yeah, go team Canada!

[StevieWonders]

Nah, I think Thailand only bought enough vaccine for 13 million people, and they have 65.5 million, so about 20.6% of the population. And they plan to start vaccinated in May, but who knows, fluid situation. One "enterprising" Thai hospital was selling future vaccinations at something like 10 times their cost from the manufacturer last week. Their enterprise was shut down on the weekend by the Thai government, not on the basis that it was unethical but because no vaccines have yet been approved for use in Thailand.

https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/thai-hospital-banned-offer-sell-103500452.html

[cdnmatt]

https://www.gaybuttonthai.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10570&sid=cbf09cfc752ab3230481fa70a90d45ad

And Pattaya goes into strict lockdown. Everything closed.

[arsenal]

A piece of good news. The Oxford vaccine has been approved for use.

[Brad the Impala]

this behemoth of misery.

Now there is an appropriate phrase!