Coronavirus - Thailand

[Jellybean]

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.

I hope the situation doesn't come to this.

Coronavirus 15.jpg

Gulp! Neither do I, dinagam.

[Nirish guy]

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.

[Jellybean]

Today, I highlight one report from the Bangkok Post and one from BBC News.

Anxiety 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 . . .

For the full report see: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand...ntine#cxrecs_s

And from BBC news . . .

Coronavirus: 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 . . .

For the full report see: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51777049

[Jellybean]

. . . 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!

And just to wrap up your outstanding point from the above post, bkkguy, I was on one side of Silom Road yesterday and noted only two street traders were selling face masks. The one nearest to Silom Complex was selling her masks at a reasonable B25 each. They looked like surgical masks, the type surgeons and nurses wear while in theatre. Farther down the road, but before Convent Road, another street seller was selling white and blue masks, both types were priced at B120 (but I couldn’t tell it was just for one or if it was a multi-pack).

But on facebook this morning I spotted an altogether more high-tech version of an anti-virus face mask which, so far, I haven't seen for sale on Silom Road.

Coronavirus 16.jpg

[pong]

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.

[Jellybean]

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.

[Nirish guy]

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 !

[bkkguy]

And just to wrap up your outstanding point from the above post, bkkguy, I was on one side of Silom Road yesterday and noted only two street traders were selling face masks. The one nearest to Silom Complex was selling her masks at a reasonable B25 each. They looked like surgical masks, the type surgeons and nurses wear while in theatre. Farther down the road, but before Convent Road, another street seller was selling white and blue masks, both types were priced at B120 (but I couldn’t tell it was just for one or if it was a multi-pack).

it depends on how you define reasonable I suppose, standard surgical masks were supposed to be selling for 4-5 Baht, the GPO has recently been selling them for 1 baht and the government directly for 2.5 Baht, but according to the Bangkok Post on Friday the government is now subsiding the wholesale price to cap the retail price at 2.5 Bht, vendors have been given the weekend to clear old stock and as of Monday "vendors who sell face masks at a price higher than the fixed 2.5 baht per item face a jail term of five years and/or a fine of 100,000 baht."

my glass half full side expects all these stalls to disappear and the government supplied shops, pharmacies and convenience stores being well stocked with masks at 2.5 Baht, my glass half empty side expects no change in the current mask availability situation - any takers on which side will win?

but re the CDs - I have dozens of these and they are obviously outside of the scope of the government's mask controls so I think I should set up a stall on Silom selling these - I will keep a large bottle of water handy to keep my glass half full!

[latintopxxx]

...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....

[Nirish guy]

^^ This ! And or coming home and genuinely transmitting something to my older relatives or work colleagues and or the wider community in general and doing damage to some poor soul who hasn't perhaps the strength to get over it.