Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jellybean
Oh dear, bkkguy, that is depressing news. If the UAE has banned its own citizens from visiting Thailand, it’s not much of a leap for them to ban other nationalities from flying out of Thailand and transiting through Dubai.
in case you are not following the Emirates page, an update on 4 March clarified that transit passengers in Dubai from an increasingly long list of high risk countries - including Thailand - will simply need a temperature check before boarding their connecting flight, but passengers from these countries planning on staying in the UAE will be subjected to strict health checks and possibly forced isolation
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jellybean
The photos represent three different street traders, bkkguy. After the little local difficulty with the first trader all the photos were taken rather quickly before I departed each scene. I didn't post the blurred ones.
I therefore didn’t have a chance to check out the prices and sadly, my eyesight with one eye with a cataract isn’t exactly at its best right now. I was hoping that the photos captured the prices, but unfortunately not. Perhaps I’ll have another look and this time keep my mobile phone firmly ensconced in my pocket.
sorry, didn't mean to overwork your cataract, was just curious - prices at most of the impromptu stalls I have seen over the last few weeks along Silom have been significantly above the government fixed price of 2.5 Bht per mask (surgical mask, not sure of prices for N95 masks), typically charging anywhere between 10 and 50 Baht per mask, prices not usually displayed and the traders often get aggressive in response to price inquiries from non-Thais, price assessing is somewhat difficult because many of the offerings are not typical blue/green masks in single mask packs - they are often "fashion" designs, or different materials (eg washable cloth) and thus perhaps outside the govt definition of a controlled "mask", and many of them are unpackaged and potentially from unknown and thus untrusted sources - if I was going to start wearing a mask I would prefer them to be from a more trustable source!
to finish on a lighter note, following numerous reports of toilet paper being panic-purchased and sold out in many cities around the world, one Australian newspaper - known for its humorous front pages - has added extra pages to its latest edition to help with the situation:
Australian newspaper prints extra pages to help out in toilet paper shortage
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
cdnmatt
I guess one good thing about a pandemic is you don't have to worry about this or that country as much.
Yes. For those who believe the figures, the number of active cases in Thailand is far below most western countries, so going on holiday to Thailand is the obvious response.
Get your flight booked.
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bkkguy
in case you are not following the Emirates page, an update on 4 March clarified that transit passengers in Dubai from an increasingly long list of high risk countries - including Thailand - will simply need a temperature check before boarding their connecting flight, but passengers from these countries planning on staying in the UAE will be subjected to strict health checks and possibly forced isolation . . .
Actually, no bkkguy, I haven’t been following the Emirates page, but of course I should have been. Thanks for the update. All that is required for transit passengers is just a temperature check, that is indeed good news.
At this moment in time I estimate my temperature to be normal, so unless there is any last minute rise, all should be fine and dandy next month and I’ll be on my merry way back home.
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
As the uk total confirmed as 90 this morning , will we be next on the dreaded list ,Im due to fly in 3 weeks
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
goji
Yes. For those who believe the figures, the number of active cases in Thailand is far below most western countries, so going on holiday to Thailand is the obvious response.
Get your flight booked.
It's still too soon for that.
Remember that up to 10,000 illegal Thai workers are in the process of being repatriated from South Korea. These 'little ghosts' could be harbouring the Covid19 virus and this episode is of much interest to Thailand and the world at large.
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bkkguy
My-oh-my bkkguy, it’s all happening down under . . .
Quote:
Coronavirus: Man tasered by police after fight over toilet paper at shop in Australia
Panic over outbreak sparks frenzied buying across country
Andrew Griffin @_andrew_griffin
A man was tasered by police after allegedly attacking staff at a store in Australia that had run out of toilet roll.
Amid growing reports of panic buying linked to coronavirus across the country, police said the 50-year-old man became angry because a New South Wales department store was running out of tissues.
They say officers were told he threw toilet paper at one member of staff and grabbed the throat of a female customer who approached him . . .
For the full report see: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...-a9376726.html
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
a447
Have you reached a decision yet?.
No. i cant say that I have reached any firm decision yet - although the reason for that is that I probably already KNOW that I shouldn't be going !
I do know that If one of my staff came in and said they were deciding to head off on the same trip I would be flagging up the risk of them either catching the virus and coming back and infecting the rest of the office. Or them ending up geting quarantined on arrival at any of the THREE different airports they'd be going through (i.e entering Japan, entering Thailand and returning to Dublin/UK) and I'd explain how I felt that the risk was surely to high ( to their jobs !) and I'd be suggesting a fairly sharp rethink of them submitting a leave request form to me in the first place perhaps! As the boss I am of course "meant" to lead by example and ( in theory) can't afford to be quaratined anywhere for any length of time ! so for me to even consider going jsut now is of course quite ridiculous.
HOWEVER........I'm also a great believer in living for the moment and getting on with life and letting the chips fall where they may and whilst I'm never a great lover of changing my plans to suit rising public panic (genuine needed or not) which seems to be largely based on hyped media reporting even I do concede that I just might have to bit the bullet on this one if things keep progessing as they are.
I did check with Emirates the other day and it seems cancelling my flight/s would only cost £100 or so and likewise my hotels are all still able to be cancelled too hopefully at little or no cost and all of those options will still be available to me until the 2nd or 3rd of April.
So for now I guess l'm just letting everything run to see how things develop and I'll take it from there as on one hand I still of course would like to go - but not at ANY price, whether that be to my pocket or my health but I'm also thinking that if everywhere I go is on half lock down when I arrive then the pleasure of the trip ( to the museums and temples :-) may well end up quite limited anyway.
We'll see.....
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Today, I highlight two reports from the Bangkok Post, one from BBC News and one from The Times:
Quote:
Full moon festivities called off
Coronavirus puts Songkran in jeopardy
published : 6 Mar 2020 at 04:01
newspaper section: News
writer: Post Reporters
The world-famous full-moon party in Surat Thani's Koh Phangan island has been cancelled until further notice, as has the well-known Wan Lai water festival in Chon Buri's Bang Saen district in a move to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
As four new Covid-19 cases were reported yesterday, acting Koh Phangan district chief Somchai Somwong yesterday announced the party on Rin beach will be called off as the gathering of tourists can increase the risk of a Covid-19 outbreak.
Mr Somchai said the parties will be held again as soon as things return to normal, adding that tour agents and hoteliers have been informed of the suspension . . .
For the full report see: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...d-off#cxrecs_s
Quote:
Disease Control Department mulls tougher steps for returnees
published : 6 Mar 2020 at 08:01
newspaper section: News
writer: Post Reporters
The Disease Control Department vows to intensify surveillance against illegal Thai workers who have returned from Covid-19 hit-South Korea, following reports on social media they have ignored requests to self-quarantine at their homes for 14 days.
If the request for their cooperation fails, "we need to level up our control", department chief Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai said on Thursday.
The department's stronger stance against the workers came after owners of at least four restaurants in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Phuket and Bangkok decided to clean and close their shops temporarily after some returnees allegedly visited their restaurants.
One female phi noi, or "little ghost", a term which refers to illegal Thai workers in South Korea, is suspected of dining at a restaurant in Phuket after her photo was posted and shared on social media.
"We're checking it and will bring her in for questioning," Phuket governor Pakkapong Tawipat said . . .
For the full report: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...-for-returnees
And from BBC News:
Quote:
Coronavirus: White House concedes US lacks enough test kits
6 March 2020
The White House has acknowledged the nation does not have enough coronavirus test kits as cases of the disease ticked upwards on both US coasts.
Vice-President Mike Pence said the Trump administration would not be able to meet its objective of delivering one million testing kits this week.
Congress meanwhile moved with unusual speed to approve a bumper emergency aid package to combat the outbreak . . .
For the full report see: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51761435
And from The Times:
Quote:
First coronavirus death in UK as toll rises
Elderly victim had no contact with known case
Chris Smyth, Whitehall Editor | Kat Lay, Health Correspondent
Friday March 06 2020, 12.01am GMT, The Times
A British woman has become the first to die from the new coronavirus in this country after having the disease diagnosed during routine testing of pneumonia sufferers, it is understood.
The frail patient, who had underlying health conditions and is believed to have been 75, died at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, it was announced yesterday. She is thought to have had the virus diagnosed after the NHS started testing intensive care patients with respiratory problems . . .
For the full report see: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/
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Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
And once again, just a little bit of light relief, via facebook, as an antidote to the more depressing Covid-19 stories:
Attachment 9723
Re: Coronavirus - Thailand
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nirish guy
No. i cant say that I have reached any firm decision yet - although the reason for that is that I probably already KNOW that I shouldn't be going ...
I'm in a similar situation Nirish. After delaying for some time I took the plunge and booked my flight to LOS at the beginning of April. While it is still possible that I may not travel, the stats have shifted in favour of going.
As far as I can judge from chatting to friends there, and reading posts here, there seems to be little evidence of community transmission of Covid19 in Thailand.
Things have changed here at home in Ireland meanwhile with cases rapidly rising and the first case of community transmission confirmed in the past 24 hours.
So I'm planning to go ahead to Thailand in April...to escape the Covid19 here!
To be statistically honest, however, any time i consider whether or not to take a holiday in Thailand I have always decided to go in the end.