Ranshoko

If they go along the route as outlined then it could be considered as a sensible route. The buying of alcohol for home consumption really should not be an issue. However, entertainment bars in Bangkok, Pattaya and elsewhere will likely be shut for some months as they represent a hazard. Things are better but caution is still required

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This would be amazing. Lockdown has worked, the incubation period for the virus has long passed, and it is safe to go outdoors again. If this thing were going to blow up, it would have happened a month ago. Millions need to get back to work. Let them work. Let them eat. Let them live. Let us live again. Whatever the authorities have done, has worked. Now, let us get on with our lives. 

Delusionist 

7 hours ago, Brunolem said:

Read the fine print!

 

It is 42 imported + 11 local

Of course I read the full article. When you TEST TEST TEST you get results either positive or negative. The "imported" cases were found due to TESTING.. The best way to reduce affected numbers is to reduce TESTING or by not increasing TESTING

4 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

The masks don't protect you, has nothing to do with the spread. The issue with Thailand (and many other countries) is the woeful number of tests being carried out. Thailand has no idea how many of it's 68 million people have the virus, the official number of tested is just 142k. Also I understand there was a mass migration of workers back to their villages not too long ago, well someone must have taken it with them and how would the government know? This virus is horrible and highly infectious. We are all going to be in some form of lockdown until an effective vaccine is found. Good news for Thailand because the government gave a blueprint to the local scientists to produce one in 3 months......... 

I wouldn't bet anything on Thailand developing any type of vaccine. There are some very good Doctors here and Thailand is one of the best places in Asia for cosmetic surgery. But vaccines!! I dont believe they have the skill set. I don't know of one decent world changing invention or idea that's emerged from Thailand? Let's be realistic, if a vaccine is found it will come from Oxford, London, USA, Canada, Oz or the EU

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

'Thailand has reported a total of 2,907 cases and 51 deaths'

Population of Thailand: 69,430,000

The consequences appear to be next to nothing.

FACT - the true numbers ARE NOT KNOWN. You can do what you want but rules are rules. If you don't abide by the current restrictions take the consequences. 

Just now, Burma Bill said:

An indefinite alcohol ban on the horizon?????

No I don't think so. 

8 minutes ago, Parsve said:

Yes, I remember. And I also remeber where the people who did the main work and decisions came from, do you?

Well said. 

It looks like the alcohol ban in Buriram and other Provinces will continue indefinitely. Not good for the alcohol dependents.

Lockdown + Boredom + Home Confinement with Wife and/or Kids + NO Beer.

Difficult and unpalatable times ahead for many!

1 hour ago, pixelaoffy said:

If Thailand's going to make me wear face masks in every public place it can go to hell, Or I should say leave the hell

If your living in Thailand abide by the rules. If you dont like them move out or accept the consequences. 

2 hours ago, apetryxx said:

This “new normal” is all so much BS. Business CANNOT make a profit at 50% capacity. Who in their right mind would think that an airline with every other row and every other seat empty could make a go of it—-only a government bureaucracy could dream up such nonsense. It’s the economy, not the virus, stupid! That’s where the real danger lies.

What alternatives do you suggest? Do you think all the medical experts are over reacting? This virus is very aggressive and nasty. Without the measures taking place millions could die. Look at the UK, they were looking at herd immunity and had to retract from that quickly when the consequences became evident. THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME FOR A LONG TIME IF EVER. Accept it .........

3 hours ago, rtco said:

Pig sick of phrases line this + lockdown and self-isolation and social distancing ... they have run their course. Everything will go back to the way it was with only passing adherence to whatever measures the "junta" decide to impose

You think so? How long will it take in your opinion?

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

I do and have posted as such on the Patong thread.....any more questions?

No. Good for your generosity 

The sensible course of action is to refrain from flying if not absolutely necessary. We dont know what the Covid situation is going to be in one or two months time. Stay put if you can.

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

You make some very good points in your post and I just copied the part which a lot of guys here don't seem to understand.

 

The poverty that a lot of these girls have lived in is grinding and circular and there is no way out for them, and what little education system there is at that level is deliberately kept "at that level" so that the status quo remains and the wealthy benefit, so in fact there is no way out for many of these poor girls/women.

 

I do know of quite a few bar girls who have been "streetsmart" and learnt the ropes to be able to earn more money than the average girl, and those have built houses in the country for their families and still support them, but they are few and far between unfortunately........and I admire them for what they have done.

 

Yes, you are right the sex trade is the "easy" way out for many, and believe it or not, the girls who earn a good living like that are proud of what they have done, not seeing the sacrifice in the same light as we do, but proud to be able to support their families back home.

 

The poor education system, the unevenly distributed wealth and a feudal system, along with massive corruption, have managed to produce very little for the Thai from a poor background, so the girls do what they do and it's been like that for decades.

 

Now that there has been a huge change, there will be much hardship out there, and I only hope that somehow, somewhere along the line these poor girls can still earn a living.

Same old story same old excuses. Fact is it's the easy way out for these girls. They dont want REAL WORK and REAL PAY .......

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Quite a few have from here (Patong) however some have stayed here and I know of girls who are sleeping 4 to a room, and who are queueing up for food – – actual numbers I wouldn't know.

 

I do know a couple of girls who managed to put some money aside when the going was good, and they are now using it on which to survive, but the last one I spoke to a few days ago reckons she's got one more month left before it runs out.........so let's hope there is some work for them soon. 

Why don't you help your friends out?

2 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

If you asked me I'd say there was a distinct chance that a place like Nana Plaza will never reopen. With bar operators struggling to pay rents the owner of the place could well prefer to sell out to some luxury condo developer. Which would be perfectly in line with what has happened in the area (from soi 10 down) for the last 10 years. 

Cowboy being a soi, would probably more resilient and become something like the Amsterdam RLD with upmarket Gogos instead of windows. Don't know much about Pattaya, but it could also shrink back into Walking Street. 

As far as the girls are concerned those who want to stay in the trade shouldn't have any problem to adjust to the On Line trade. 

I hope the rip off bars in Sukhumvit soi 4 and soi 6 never recover and close. This area is a blot on the BKK landscape. 

2 hours ago, Saint Nick said:

"The Thai government should invest in factories, located in Issan to reduce the dependy on entertainment bars."

But the Thai- government is not doing that, are they?

So what do we do in the meantime?

Oh, right...we just let some people die, we are not interested in, because they play on their smartphone!

By the same token, we can let some homepro- employees starve too!

Of course I have sympathy for people outside of the bar scene / sex trade. But for Prositutes, their gambling drinking maggot boyfriends, hangers on etc. NONE! They should have saved money when times were good instead of buying expensive iPhones, clothes gambling etc. Don't kid yourself not all of the money they get goes back to the farm in Isaan. For my part I try to help the poor the best I can. This month I gave 5000 Baht to a Thai family who is struggling. Next month I will do the same and will probably help another family I know also with 5000 Baht. These are just poor families with no Bargirl daughters working in BKK etc. I'm not rich, my income is solely retirement pensions and savings. I will continue to help where I can. 

2 minutes ago, jvs said:

Seems like you guys are all thinking this is all about bars frequented by foreigners,that

is just a very small part of it.

It is mostly Thai on Thai.

Agree. The Farang Bar scene is just the tip of the iceberg 

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I always wonder why these prudes ever came to Thailand.

It's a country well known for sleazy sex, and doesn't have much else to offer.

If you don't like sleazy sex go somewhere else!

Well we obviously know what your priorities are. There's going to be a lot less sleaze going on for the foreseeable future. Which should keep many of the sleazeballs away

Well tough! I've no sympathy with the owners of these bars and the women they employ. I've been coming to Thailand for more than 25 years and lived here for 10 years These "entertainment" bars have been ripping tourists off for years. Over priced beer, rip-off lady drinks with little or no alcohol in them. Since the advent of smartphones these girls spend most of the time sat on their <deleted> fiddling with the phone. I've lived in BKK and found a lot of the Expats drink in local pubs where prices are reasonable. An environment where you're not been hassled by Bar Girls begging for drinks. 

The "entertainment" bars that survive will be mostly dependent on tourists not Expats. I cannot see tourists coming back in any numbers any time soon. Most of the Chinese tourists anyway don't frequent girly bars. Most Bargirls are lazy, they want easy money, The Thai government should invest in factories, located in Issan to reduce the dependy on entertainment bars. I'm living in Issan now and feel sorry for a guy from England running a local pub. He's been forced to shut down and is trying to survive by offering take away food. 

3 hours ago, Yadon Toploy said:

The global financial crisis killed the Bangkok bar scene in 2008, most of the expats with decent jobs left and it has been on a slow decline ever since.

 

All that survived were the boiler room bars on Sukhumvit built with stolen UK and Aussie pensioners' money.

 

All the pockets of beer bars have closed, and now it has lost the character and edge that Bangkok so exciting. 

 

Washington Square, Queen's Park Plaza, Soi 10, Asok Plaza, Soi 22 Plaza, Soi Zero, Impressionists' Row, Clinton Plaza, Soi 7 etc. All gone. 

 

Cowboy turned from a sexpat enclave into a neon tourist eyesore. Nana died a death when they refurbished it, Soi Nana looks like it is on its last legs and rigor mortis set in to Patpong long ago. Only a few bars in Patpong 2 worth going to nowadays.

A very good summary.