Two week shutdown for pubs & clubs

[StevieWonders]

The link says it all

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2096975/pubs-clubs-in-bangkok-40-other-provinces-to-shut-for-2-weeks

[cdnmatt]

You mean the imaginary link you never posted?

[gerefan2]

No. The article is misleading.

Until the PM agrees, and signs it off tomorrow, nothing is set in stone as implied in this piece.

He has often over ruled proposals and it remains to be seen whether or not he signs as proposed.

Remember TIT.,..let’s hope for the best.

[Manforallseasons]

No. The article is misleading.

Until the PM agrees, and signs it off tomorrow, nothing is set in stone as implied in this piece.

He has often over ruled proposals and it remains to be seen whether or not he signs as proposed.

Remember TIT., but let’s hope for the best.

The Bangkok Post doesn’t often print “misleading” articles however, if the PM does in fact sign off it will mean Jomtien Complex and what’s left of Sunee will close as well. This comes at a very bad time as Pattaya is expecting many Thais coming for the Songkran holiday.

[gerefan2]

Just like the Thailand Entry Requirements speculation is pointless.

Why not wait and see and keep our fingers crossed?

[Nirish guy]

Why not wait and see and keep our fingers crossed?

On a side note there Gerefan - how long have you got left there now ? Are you working to a fixed return date or perhaps you have an open return ticket and just staying / hanging on there just as long as you can / you fancy ?? I've no specific reason for asking by the way other than absolute pure basic jealously of you being there and me being here I should add :-)

[gerefan2]

I was fortunate that the airline cancelled my return flight in March so I selected another date much later!

I’ve a flight booked to return in 2 weeks but if this fiasco gets worse I may well pay up and change to an earlier date.

It’s not easy though as you have to book tests etc in UK and that’s going to take a few days.

So no speculating from me. I will wait and see what transpires tomorrow.

And finally just to make you really jealous I’m having this with my dinner. Only £4.06, cheaper than at home!

[goji]

Having been back in the UK for about a month & experiencing the cold weather even in April, be content that you have made the better decision !

As for booking the UK covid tests, I did that the day before heading to the airport and the confirmation came through immediately. Which is all I need for the next step of completing the online immigration test. They were a little lacking on the test delivery side, but none of that matters as long as the entry requirements are satisfied !

The only other thing needed was a covid test in Thailand, which was easily arranged & results were e-mailed through the same day.

Even if it's back to a Thai lockdown beer served with a decoy coffee mug or Sprite can, that must be compared with a British pub serving outside, from 12th April. Better beer in the UK, but think of the wind chill !

[gerefan2]

As for booking the UK covid tests, I did that the day before heading to the airport and the confirmation came through immediately. !

It’s changed a little. Some of the approved suppliers ran out of test kits and some of the others on the list now only let you tick a day of arrival at least 5 days ahead. Presumably to ensure they have the kits available.

Anyway no real problem.

[Nirish guy]

And finally just to make you really jealous I’m having this with my dinner. !

At least you can GET a pint of Guinness, with all the pubs closed here I would PAY the extra £4 quid just to get a decent sup nearly !

And I concur with Goji's view about you doing the right thing in staying there longer when you could as there's damn all of anything exciting to be here for just now - and if being in Thailand with the sun and heat and food and drink ( even in the limited choices of places that are open perhaps) and of course the company it really is / was a no brainer for you to go there when you could !

[aot871]

It's ok closing bars , etc but still allowing people to travel home for the holiday , to my thinking is plain bloody stupid, that's the fastest way of spreading the virus.

[Dodger]

It's ok closing bars , etc but still allowing people to travel home for the holiday , to my thinking is plain bloody stupid, that's the fastest way of spreading the virus.

If the CCSA has their way at the meeting with the PM this morning, we could possibly see provincial travel restrictions come into play again. I wouldn't be surprised if restaurants don't get closed as well.

There's no doubt Thailand is on the verge of a possible 3rd Wave of Covid, only this time being the UK variant which is apparently much more contagious and deadly. As far as Thailand has come thus far, it looks like we have another storm heading our way..

Phuket also had 2 reports cases yesterday so their bars and entertainment venues could possibly be closed as well. As far as the island being able to lift their quarantine requirements any time soon - all I can say is, "Good Luck".

[StevieWonders]

"The government is facing public anger for its perceived failure to clamp down on the decadent lifestyles of certain government figures blamed for recent high-profile COVID-19 cases.
On Wednesday (April 7), Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob became the highest-ranking government official to come down with the virus. He insists he caught it up from his secretary, but rumours are running wild that he actually contracted the virus at a nightspot in Bangkok’s Thonglor area.

The hashtags #Saksayam and #Thonglorpubs were top-trending on Thursday as netizens demanded clear answers from the minister about his whereabouts and from the government on how it is controlling the spread of COVID-19."

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/covid-outbreak-in-thai-govt-puts-spotlight-on-missing-timelines/

[Brad the Impala]

Oh dear, government chickens seem to be coming home to roost in this Thai PBS article. I wasn't familiar with Thai PBS before. The organisation sounds like it would be funded by the government, in which case it's surprising that the article with it's implied criticism was allowed.

Although I've now read the dry facts on Wikipedia about this news organisation, it would be interesting to know how it operates in practice.

[Brad the Impala]

WHO report from yesterday on the current covid situation in Thailand states:


405 new cases of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were announced by the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand bringing the total number of cases to date to 30,310. No new deaths were reported today.

https://reliefweb.int/report/thailand/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-who-thailand-situation-report-8-april-2021

[Manforallseasons]

2 Week entertainment venue closures to begin tonight at midnight:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2097611/entertainment-lockdown-in-41-provinces

[Nirish guy]

So thats any form of normal ( crazy Pattaya syle) Songkran basically wiped out now then it seems ??

Actually aside from the financial side of things for the bar owners etc the locals might find it refreshing to return to something more akin to how songkran used to be for them before it all got so nuts ( well in Pattaya and Bkk at least anyway).

A Thai friend of mine is gutted as he'd gone home to his village for the last few months as there was no work / fun / money in Pattaya for him to live off ( he's a hairdresser though not a bar boy) and had been looking forward to his return to Pattaya for songkran to blow off some steam as his mother was driving him crazy at home, so it seems is plans may now be right up in the air again now eh !

[Manforallseasons]

So thats any form of normal ( crazy Pattaya syle) Songkran basically wiped out now then it seems ??

Actually aside from the financial side of things for the bar owners etc the locals might find it refreshing to return to something more akin to how songkran used to be for them before it all got so nuts ( well in Pattaya and Bkk at least anyway).

A Thai friend of mine is gutted as he'd gone home to his village for the last few months as there was no work / fun / money in Pattaya for him to live off ( he's a hairdresser though not a bar boy) and had been looking forward to his return to Pattaya for songkran to blow off some steam as his mother was driving him crazy at home, so it seems is plans may now be right up in the air again now eh !

The water throwing madness was nixed last year and had been nixed this year even before the 2 week announcement, both decisions I am sure were run by gerfan2 as not to cause his holiday any unnecessary inconvenience.

[Nirish guy]

Ahh I see, thanks. So, only the no bar rule then may screw things up - but knowing him and his mates as long as a 7-11 is open and selling alcohol that then shouldn't impinge on their plans TOO much perhaps after all !

As to whether it's a great idea for him to actually leave the relative safety of his village to head into Pattaya to party, returning then to his village again a week or so later is of course a whole other question (and one that he seemingly could care less about just now :-(....and there maybe lies a problem that the whole Country may live to regret in a few weeks time perhaps and you'd wonder would they not have been sensible to ban travel as well too all at the the same time maybe ??!!

[Dodger]

.

As to whether it's a great idea for him to actually leave the relative safety of his village to head into Pattaya to party, returning then to his village again a week or so later is of course a whole other question .

Good point.

I have a feeling a lot of Thais are thinking the same thing and will forego visits back to their home villages this Songkran for that very reason. Jai told me this afternoon that his family members (spread across Bangkok and several other Provinces) have cancelled plans to go home to see mama and the chickens this year due to all the uncertainties.

What a pain in the ass all around.

Hey, what's up in Northern Ireland right now. I knew when they didn't serve Guinness on St. Pats Day all hell would break loose...and the Loyalists and Unionists have been forced to remain sober for too long and are not rioting. Hopefully, you weren't anywhere near the water cannons they were showing on the news.

[Nirish guy]

Hey, what's up in Northern Ireland right now..

In an effort not to derail the thread I'll simply say - no big deal, just the usual "local difficulties" - and as for the water canon, looking at some of the wee 14 year old fuckers that are out rioting it's probably the first wash they've had in a week so bring it on I say and soak the lot of them ! :)

[Blueskytoday]

When I see news reports of Thailand,,almost NO one wearing masks......maybe they should BEGIN mandatory wearing of them??

[Manforallseasons]

When I see news reports of Thailand,,almost NO one wearing masks......maybe they should BEGIN mandatory wearing of them??

Not sure what you are watching but living here I seldom if ever see people going maskless and you cannot enter any store, bank, immigration office etc. without wearing a mask.

[Brad the Impala]

The water throwing madness was nixed last year and had been nixed this year even before the 2 week announcement, both decisions I am sure were run by gerfan2 as not to cause his holiday any unnecessary inconvenience.

Ah there is more than one bitch on the board, with comments like that!! Actually there is probably a coven, and all the better for it. Happy to include myself in that group. All banal sweetness and light would be too too dull.

[goji]

When I see news reports of Thailand,,almost NO one wearing masks......maybe they should BEGIN mandatory wearing of them??

I was in Thailand for most of the winter and masks were worn by nearly 100% of people & far ahead of levels in the UK.
Obviously there are cases where it's not practical to wear one, like when eating or drinking, but the rest of the time, I would say well in excess of 99% of people were complying.
I only really saw a tiny minority not wearing the masks after covid infection rates had been down to zero for weeks in Chonburi.

Contrast with the UK, where the government allowed people not to wear masks for medical reasons, without any proof, therefore giving an excuse for all the riff raff not to bother.

[Dodger]

The residents of Bang Saray have been wearing masks so long - I forgot what the people I knew even look like.

[Ruthrieston]

This latest closure of bars is sad, but Thailand has done so well in containing the virus, including a good 99% of people wearing masks, and you even see families in Central Festival, with the little baby in the pram wearing a mask. What I have seen too many times is stupid farang, often young ones, wearing a mask to get in to the building and then taking it off and walking around inside with no mask or not covering their faces properly. What really scares me is how easily transmissible the UK variant is and I think this lockdown may go on much longer than two weeks, with some suggesting more like two months.

[Armando]

When I see news reports of Thailand,,almost NO one wearing masks......maybe they should BEGIN mandatory wearing of them??
There are mandatory wearing of mask rules almost everywhere in Bangkok, as there are temperature checks. And I rarely see anyone NOT wearing a mask. Those news reports must have been filmed 18 months ago or in some other country!

[Sen Yai]

It seems that MFAS, goji, Dodger and Armando have not spent much time hanging out at DJ Station / Soi 2 recently.... www.facebook.com/silomtwo

[Oliver2]

My last view of Thailand was in January of last year as I joined the check-in queue at Swampy. My memory is that even then the majority of the travellers (many of them Chinese it has to be said) were wearing masks. It was at least a month before I bought one in the UK.

[Armando]

It seems that MFAS, goji, Dodger and Armando have not spent much time hanging out at DJ Station / Soi 2 recently.... www.facebook.com/silomtwo
I haven't. But I have been in restaurants where masks are taken off on entry. You mention one disco. Blueskytoday wrote "When I see news reports of Thailand,,almost NO one wearing masks." Were the cameras only in DJ Station?

[goji]

It seems that MFAS, goji, Dodger and Armando have not spent much time hanging out at DJ Station / Soi 2 recently....

I've never spent ANY time at DJ Station. Why would I go somewhere with loud music and where I have to use my charms to pull ?

However, perhaps this is where MFAS goes when he permits himself some fun ? :)

[Manforallseasons]

I've never spent ANY time at DJ Station. Why would I go somewhere with loud music and where I have to use my charms to pull ?

However, perhaps this is where MFAS goes when he permits himself some fun ? :)

When I first came to Thailand I lived in BKK and used to frequent a GoGo at the end of the Soi and upstairs name Top Man it was across from D.J. I once went into D.J. the music was soooo fucking loud I just walked out.

[Nirish guy]

I've never spent ANY time at DJ Station. Why would I go somewhere with loud music and where I have to use my charms to pull ?)

I'm literally not exaggerating when I say that for the first several years of coming to BKK ( and on finding DJ station) that I SERIOUSLY debated trying to work out some way of having my ashes sprinkled on the dance floor and the first floor if I passed away when it was still open. THAT is how much I enjoyed / enjoy the place :)

I have to admit that on my last few visits and as I'm getting older that idea did start seem less important / appropriate. However as a) it doesn't really matter a shit WHERE one's ashes go really and B) the idea of being ever surrounded with slightly drunk, hot and sweaty horny asians guys for the rest of time ( or until it closed at least) sounded like a very reasonable way to spend a few years of my eternity I thought :-)

Knowing my luck mind after I died the place would probably close and be sold to the Catholic church to become a old Priests home or something ! Still, if so at least I'd still be assured of a steady stream of cute young hot guys being brought in and out by the Priests then each and every week too if nothing I guess :-)

[cdnmatt]

Might be longer than two weeks. 967 cases today in Thailand, highest daily count so far...

[Dodger]

Pattaya entertainment crackdown considered the softest yet.

Only lasts to weeks - massage parlors allowed to remain open - restaurants can serve alcohol up till 10:00 PM - and travel in and out of Chonburi province is unrestricted.

The beachfront in Jomtien was busy today.

Not too bad all things considered,

Read about it here:

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/news/latest-pattaya-entertainment-crackdown-the-softest-yet-350692

[Nirish guy]

. Not too bad all things considered,

Or bloody terrible depending on your view of what perhaps the authorities maybe should be in terms of fighting this latest surge as if Boris and the UK learnt anything from their experiences I think it was that they should have acted sooner and in a more drastic way earlier and for longer.

[cdnmatt]

Not too bad all things considered

Why are they being so nonchalant this time around? Kovid fatigue?

You only have to look to Canada today to see an example of what has a decent chance of happening in Thailand in a few simple weeks due to the UK variant. Ontario is currently at the breaking point, and they're going to start to triage care if they haven't already, meaning doctors get to make the unpleasent choice of who gets to live and who dies, because there's simply too many people getting sick, and they don't have the resources or staff to take care of everyone. When your ICU admissions are increasing by 20% every day, it doesn't take long for shit to spiral out of control.

[gerefan2]

Why are they being so nonchalant this time around? Kovid fatigue?
.

Because they have already agreed Songkran can go ahead. Remember it was cancelled last year.

People are already travelling all over the country. Too late to stop it.

Expect a serious clampdown as soon as Songkran is over.

[Nirish guy]

People are already travelling all over the country. Too late to stop it.

And therein lies the problem of course :-( Lets hope the clamp down later is enough to stem whatever might befall them numbers wise IF things progress in a negative way for them :-(

[goji]

Because they have already agreed Songkran can go ahead. Remember it was cancelled last year.
People are already travelling all over the country. Too late to stop it.
Expect a serious clampdown as soon as Songkran is over.

Sounds rather like Boris and all the UK devolved administrations (run by the other parties) agreeing to relax restrictions for some religious festival in December.
Except Thailand is starting from a much lower infection rate.

[gerefan2]

Sounds rather like Boris and all the UK devolved administrations (run by the other parties) agreeing to relax restrictions for some religious festival in December.
.

Absolutely. And scroll down to the “Daily new death” graph below to see how many thousands of extra people died as a result of not cancelling Xmas.

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

[Dodger]

Why are they being so nonchalant this time around? Kovid fatigue?

Too much pressure on the PM. He tossed the "hot potatoe" to the Provincial Governors so they will take the heat for any increase in Covid cases. The CCSA can't be happy, and are standing in the background waiting to scream "I told you so".

Some Provinces, such as Buriram, have mandatory quarantine restrictions in place for anyone entering from other Provinces during the holiday period. Chonburi has not imposed this which is getting a standing ovation from businesses - but has residents scratching their heads and running for cover.

With no travel restrictions in Chonburi, My little town of Bang Saray is now in jeopardy because of so many domestic tourists hitting the beaches here on the weekends. As a result, Bang Saray announced yesterday that the Beach will be closed until further notice, as well as the markets and fitness park. Residents here are softly groaning, but fully support these actions. There has only been one reported case of covid in Bang Saray since this pandemic started - and people want to keep it that way.

Hopefully Thailand can make through the holiday period without having a catastrophic increase.

[Oliver2]

As I post, I fear that many infected people are at this moment unwittingly carrying the virus to rural areas.

[cdnmatt]

As I post, I fear that many infected people are at this moment unwittingly carrying the virus to rural areas.

Yes, tends to happen when there's a ~14 day incubation period, and the virus can be transmitted when people are asymptonmatic.