So, is that the "official" word then - that there will be no "playing water" in Pattaya !! ??? If so that sort of suits me just fine actually as after Bkk it always started to wear a little thin by the time I'd reached Patts for their party. But Im guessing no matter WHAT the Government say that there's stilla fairly high chance of getting blasted whilst on your motorbike when passing a bar when you least expect it to the point of nearly causing an accident !
Oh in response to my OWN question above and after reading the article ......it seems if that article is correct Pattaya City hall is indeed not only saying "dont play water" but are actually saying that they are cancelling ALL Songkran festivites City wide !?? if so that's quite a big shift if true, with the added info that Bangkok's celebrations are now "looking less certain" also too !?
From that article
"Pattaya City, meanwhile, has cancelled the traditional Songkran festival called wan lai scheduled for April 18-19. The festival that brings people into the streets for water splashing, as well as religious ceremonies, is normally held after the Songkran holidays in the rest of the country.
All entertainment activities during the festival will be cancelled, the city said.
“We are seeking cooperation from local residents and tourists to refrain from slashing water as it could cause the spread of the virus,” Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Khunpluem said in a message on his Facebook account on Friday."
Ah! I thought it was only a matter of time before Cervecería Modelo in Mexico, the producers of Corona Extra, the pale lager, decided it was time to change their brand name to something a little less controversial and more appealing:
Coronavirus 13.jpg
catawampuscat (March 10th, 2020), christianpfc (March 15th, 2020)
Originally Posted by Jellybean
Coronavirus 15.jpg
Gulp! Neither do I, dinagam.
splinter1949 (March 7th, 2020)
They say there's no such thing as bad publicity so it WILL be intersting to see how their brand managers "manage" this particular "challenge".
Either a complete rebrand I guess OR a "no, actually we're delighted as for the first time ever Corona is the talk of the world and is on everyone's lips" - OK so the fact that it's killing some people too....hmmm maybe NOT such great PR though :-) Yes, will be interesting to see how their brand ends up perhaps.
Today, I highlight one report from the Bangkok Post and one from BBC News.
For the full report see: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...ntine#cxrecs_sAnxiety grows as new cases surface, returnees avoid quarantine
published : 7 Mar 2020 at 00:06
newspaper section: News
writer: Post Reporters
Anxiety is building amongst the public amid reports that a number of people who have returned home from high-risk countries have ignored requests for self-quarantine and undermined efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
One case involves a 20-year Thai student who returned from Iran on Feb 26 and was confirmed to have contracted the virus on Thursday.
Kitti Rattanasombat, director of Tha Sala Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat, said the patient stayed at a relative's house in Bangkok before travelling by an interprovincial bus from Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat on Feb 28 . . .
And from BBC news . . .
For the full report see: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51777049Coronavirus: Italy reports biggest daily jump in death toll
The death toll from the new coronavirus in Italy has risen to 197 after the largest daily increase in fatalities there since the outbreak began.
Officials said 49 people had died in 24 hours, while more than 4,600 cases have been reported in total.
The country has now reported the most deaths outside of China, where the virus emerged in December.
The World Health Organization says nearly 100,000 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus.
More than 3,000 people have died - the majority in China . . .
Yesterday our dear Thai rattabaan (thats the govmt, the institution that takes so well care of its 60 mln+ citizens) was doling them out for free at Sanam Luang here in BKk and several other places-with gint Qs as result.
Yesterday I had to shop some errands and first went to a tesco (where many shelves were empty and many hitherto always for sale things were not on stock-as if they had ceased getting fresh supply in the wake of their sale)-pennywatchers who know that every little bit helps for roll-back prices should watch when they start dumping heir own brands biscuits etc.-as these are clearly not wanted by anyone who buys them.
Thus I had to go onward to a flashy hi-so Centran with TOPs in the cellar-and there, hey presto, anyone wanting to enter now had to have its temp. checked by a pretty lady with such an electronic device. I was declared OK, as were all others in the Q. Inside the usual amount of students etc. taking avail of the free cold AC in these hot climates outside+WiFi. happy consuming and about as busy as always. It was late afternoon and my favorite foodcentre in between the 2 was about to close (I always go there around lunch, so had no clue) but there was a giant nr of foodcarts outside.
Meanwhile here in BKk street-traffic is notably much, much less busy as usual-like on sunday mornings. The buses are also much more empty.
Meanwhile the infamous songkran watersplashing has been declared as cancelled for Pattaya end KhonKhaen, and probably with more to follow. Also that SINgy gymbuddy G-circuit on songkran in BKK has been cancelled. Now just wait+see if a Thai lets this being taken away from her/him.
While browsing facebook today, I stumbled across a short 30 second video which is Covid-19 related and struck a chord with me. I felt it reminded me of someone from this forum, but my memory being unreliable and like a sieve; I couldn't quite place the name. It's on the tip of my tongue and I know it will come to me out of the blue, usually when I least expect it. Damn it! Don't you just hate it when that happens?
Although I wasn't able to attach the video, I did take a screen shot, which I've posted below:
Coronavirus 17.jpg
Yes, I feel sure the clue is staring me right in the face, but right now, I just can’t see it.
Ha to be fair that could one of any of us Irish lot here as we're a hardy bunch it seems and it takes more than possible death to put us off our holidays ! In fact after deciding to cancel Japan yesterday ( which I haven't done yet) I'm sitting here today re weighing up the whole "am I over reacting thing" and half way to convincing myself "actually, maybe it's not all THAT bad anyway and maybe I should just crack on with my original plan!" lol
And ok I know my heart that probably isn't a great idea but as I'm now sitting here going through various booking looking at cancelling my japan to Bkk flight ( no refund available) and struggling to find cancellation terms for my Japan hotel ( which even though I'm apparently able to cancel has been prepaid and needless to say no one's interested in talking to me about that any longer now that they've got my money) all in all a two week quarantine would be a welcome rest perhaps from all this bloody admin !
...its not the virus I'm scared of, having sailed cluelessly (lots of beer helped) through aids, sars, mers , mex flu...thios latest version is so...been there, done that, got the t-shirt...its the thought of getting quarantined in some shitty airport or 4th world hospital....
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