Stargeezr

Considering the 12 staff members are very likely the majority of the staff and management of this restaurant, closing it down is the logical thing to do. It also show of just how contagious the delta variant of COVID is. I guess masks and social distancing works, but working in close quarters like a restaurant makes it impossible to do the distancing, and likely why all 12 staff members became infected. Geezer

Hey R R, the USA is maybe a bit stupid, as there are still over 2000 people there dying each day. DYING... In the USA and Canada, there are still many anti vaxxers who are still able to go to some activities and still getting sick, and many of them are in the ICUs plugging up the hospitals and creating a crisis that could have been avoided. However the big babies who are scared to get a vaccine, do not care for anybody but them selves. Some still have the stupid thought that somehow their freedoms are being affected. Even though they all have been vaccinated as children for small pox, polio, typhoid , and other illnesses, but will not get a vaccine as an adult . Stupid is as stupid does. I believe that in Thailand, there are fewer people who want to take the chance on catching COVID without being vaccinated, as they cannot afford a long hospital stay. My family have had a few who have spent time in a hospital and it is not cheap. Good Luck Thailand, carry on. Geezer

If the international tourist has to do more than get a test at the airport on arrival, and stay in a local hotel for one or two nights until their test results come back, then there will be very few tourists coming to Thailand. Only the expats and people who have properties with their Thai wives will be returning, as they are sort of committed to Thailand. I am fortunate that I only rent a place when I am in country, and leave my few possessions with my Thai relatives. I will not be back until 2022 when hopefully the Thai government and TAT may by then realize that if they want any serious tourism this Winter, they will be doing a lot more relaxing of their restrictions and rules. I think that by December there may be a better atmosphere as there will be more Thai people who have had their 2 vaccine shots, and hopefully the Delta variant is not flooding the hospitals with a ton of people sick with COVID. Geezer

I miss the video news from Phuket. Hope the host is doing okay. Geezer

Yup this is surely a Thailand story. I hope the local TV stations and newspapers covered this story and made the police chief notice it. Loss of face you say... Geezer

Just think of the police as Big Brother of Thailand. Now doesn't that make you feel much better? Yup who need cops on the streets doing the old fashioned duties. Are we going to see Robo Cop, soon? A wonderful, scary future awaits us all. A big brother with sticky fingers, Oh do you still have a wallet in your pocket? Is there any money extra in it? Hmmmm.. Geezer

Alberta Canada tried the endemic approach, but with so many unvaccinated younger people getting sick and plugging up the hospitals ICU wards, we are back to masks and restrictions. Good Luck Thailand, I do hope that the vaccination program there is successful and 100 percent of Thailand people get their 2 shots. Delta Variant, what's that death mask you have on? Could it be a faded rose from days gone by. Think Delta Dawn.... song... Geezer

I guess this is also why, the Sinovac is still being ordered? Yup Yup it is still very available. Geezer

Listen to the Song, One night in Bangkok. It is a huge sized, polluted city. That is why you will see masks on so many people, as some had to wear masks for the pollution, long before COVID come along. Retire to South Pattaya, as in Jomtien Beach area, or in Hua Hin as it has 3 hospitals, 2 which are great. If you want to visit Bangkok from either of these places, it is just a bus ride or with Hua Hin, a bus ride or train ride away. You would find that the less pollution in retired life, the better. The cost of living may be a bit more but the clean air and closeness to the ocean would certainly off set the cost. Plenty of expats in either of those coastal cities. Just my advice. Geezer

Another reason for Thailand being a country I like to visit to escape Winter months, but not a country that I would trust enough to live in, especially with COVID and all its after effects, like this hospital bill, etc. LOS indeed, Amazing indeed.. Expensive, Indeed. Geezer

Ah another big brother event? I guess the computers will have to get improved programs. What is the next thing to happen, we will all be chipped? Geezer

I agree that a December, but more likely a January 2022 opening will be the start of Thailand s re opening for international tourists. In truth, it will likely take Thailand until next June to have all their younger population vaccinated, if the kids do get vaccines at all. Maybe by next June the COVID situation will be less scary for the survivors. Geezer

Well this is a story that makes it much easier for me to wait until next November to travel to Thailand, Land of Schemes, Land of Smiles, when you hand over your money. A less than amazing country indeed. I will wait until all these regulations are finished, as well as the ban on alcohol for a tourist is a big straw as well. Good Luck TAT and Thailand with your high season plans. Geezer

Since the international traveler to Thailand has to have had two shots to be fully vaccinated, plus some other negative tests. They should be okay to go to Thailand, because if they get sick with COVID, they should only have to stay in their hotels, guest houses a few days and get food delivery until they feel better. It is the Thai who only have their one shot who have to still worry about contracting COVID as they will likely have worse effects from the virus. The big risk to the Thai hospitals will be the Thai population. The old tourists may still have their other medical problems and have to be hospitalized for them reasons, but that should be considered a normal problem in a Tourist destination any where in the world. Here comes high tourist season, known as Winter, bring on the tropical drinks and festivities! Geezer

So TAT and the Thai government want a high season of tourism this Winter? Well in November first, the country should lose all of the restrictions so that the working class of people who only get 3 weeks vacation can come and escape the cold Northern Hemisphere Winter. A test at the airport when landed, and being fully vaccinated with 2 shots of a COVID vaccine should be all that is required. If they want a complete failure, then keep up the no alcohol rules. Keep up the no fun by playing pool or other sports ruling as well. There are many other tropical countries in the world, and Thailand may lose out to some of them if the present rules and restrictions are kept much longer. Something for the government and TAT to keep in their planning stages. However keep up with the vaccination program and please do announce to the world when at least 75 percent of the teens and adults in Thailand have had their second shots of the COVID vaccines. Good Luck Geezer

I agree that a foreigner should not be able to own land and a house if they are not married to a Thai. If a condo ownership is not good enough, then that is too bad. The rich foreign people do make the prices go up. It happens in many other places of the world, and Hawaii is a bad example, as it is only the rich people who can afford to live in the cities in Hawaii, most locals live either on the fringes or out in the country side, as prices are so high. In Vancouver Canada, the situation is the same, as well as Toronto, where houses cost way more than in most other places in Canada. Do not let just any foreigner own the big houses and big acreages. or Rai in Thai. Geezer

The guy should get an urn, and show up at the health department, to show them the notices and say, do you want to put the vaccine into the urn? Maybe they people there would get the message to the proper place and the relatives could maybe get an apology letter. Geezer

I guess they both will enjoy the inside of a prison for at least several months. Hope they are a bit wiser when they finish their jail time and get to go back home. Geezer

But Thailand is not ope4n until October first. Now the early bird tourists have to not drink alcohol, not play any pool games or have fun, and they have to behave, behave, behave. No touristy stuff happening until October, or actually until November or December, when the slow brains of the Thai government finally realize that, tourist will not come to Thailand if they cannot have some holiday fun. Geezer

When the Plod become desperate, be afraid. They were dangerous enough before the COVID pandemic. Geezer

Being that Thailand is a tropical country and Winter season is not far away, it is a difficult situation for a decision on whether to open up at least the Tourist areas of Thailand. However the alcohol ban will not be popular for the international travelers. Hopefully by November or December, Thailand will have at least 70- percent of its population over 12 years old vaccinated with their 2 shots, and boosters for the front line workers in the medical and other critical areas, who could use the extra immunities against the COVID virus. It would appear that the tourist industry is in fact really important for the general Thailand economy, right? Geezer

Thai logic does not work with tourists. The sooner that TAT can pound this fact into the heads of Thai government the better. If Thailand indeed wants a high tourist season, then the conditions will have to change, at least in the tourist areas. Winter is not that far off. Geezer

It seems to me that Thailand had a lot larger percentage of the Thai population who were working in some capacity with tourism, than the government thought was affected. Maybe it is also because there were a lot of rich Thai families and businesses were involved with companies that were connected in some way to the vast tourism machine in Thailand. Either way these 18 months have affected a ton of people all over the world, as well as in Thailand. Maybe the value of tourism will be better for a few months, before we are all just a money source as we were before the pandemic. Just a thought. Geezer

Now that most expats have used the Phuket sandbox for their return to Thailand, it will be interesting to see how many real tourists do show up from October until December, which is the start of the normal High Tourist Season. Some people in other countries see that the COVID numbers in their countries are still high, with or without the vaccines, and will likely be wanting to escape the cold Winter, no matter if there are still risks in the tropical countries. This is maybe why Thailand and other tropical countries will try to open up for the tourist dollar, and tourists. Good Luck everyone, I hope you all get your 2 vaccine shots soon. Geezer

As she seems not to be connected to someone wealthy or powerful, I hope she and her fellow thieves get lots of jail time at COVID central in Northern Thailand prison. Geezer