Thailand cancels Buri Ram MotoGP amid Covid-19 threat

[webfact]

Thailand cancels Buri Ram MotoGP amid Covid-19 threat

By THE NATION

 

Public Health minister Anutin Charnviraku

 

Thailand has cancelled the MotoGP in Buri Ram province next month due to fears of the Covid-19 crisis spreading, Public Health minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Monday (March 2).

 

The announcement came just hours after the MotoGP Class in Doha, the season opener of the world’s biggest motorcycle competition, was abandoned due to similar reasons.

 

“This decision will prove that Thailand is taking serious measures against the spread of the disease among Thais and foreigners coming to the event,” said Anutin, who is also deputy prime minister.

 

The tournament was originally scheduled for March 21-22. World champion Marc Marquez had won the last two editions of the Thai MotoGP when it was still held in October in 2018 and 2019.

 

MotoGP is the second world class sporting event cancelled this year in Thailand. The Thailand LPGA was dropped from the schedule last month.

So far, Thailand have 42 infected cases with one death. 

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/sport/30383145

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-02

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[champers]

Better to miss out for one year rather than to risk having a major problem and never getting it back.

[tlandtday]

Didn't he just say a week ago this would never be cancelled and the hot weather would kill it?  When will this guy be replaced?  Not soon enough you can be sure.

[ozz1]

I thought that he said that everything  was ok no virus nothing to see here now he has egg on his face couldn't happen to a nicer person haha

[transam]

Blimey, wish folk would make up their mind, first it's 100% safe, a little later an about turn...????

[YetAnother]

Amazing he didn't say something really stupid, in keeping with his recent resume

[smedly]

They can now ban political gatherings lol

 

you couldn't make this stuff up

 

next announcement - all political gatherings banned because of COVID 19 risk

[Tayaout]

My guess is that too many racers canceled by themselves by fear of being stranded in Thailand or quarantined when coming back to their home country. 

Edited March 2, 2020 by Tayaout

[Just1Voice]

1 minute ago, Tayaout said:

My guess is that too many racers canceled by themselves by fear of being strangled in Thailand or quarantined when coming to their home country. 

Ditto

[darksidedog]

Just now, smedly said:

They can now ban political gatherings lol

 

you couldn't make this stuff up

 

next announcement - all political gatherings banned because of COVID 19 risk

Indeed. I was just thinking the timing for this was a little coincidental considering his announcement that while he would NEVER (), stop people meeting for political reasons, he would stop them on health grounds. If the GP goes, nothing remains sacred and I can see us going back to the no more than 5 people may get together rule.

[FarFlungFalang]

27 minutes ago, webfact said:

“This decision will prove that Thailand is taking serious measures against the spread of the disease among Thais and foreigners coming to the event,” said Anutin, who is also deputy prime minister.

I think it says more about the participants weren't coming than his concern for people's well being.Nice double back flip with pike!

Edited March 2, 2020 by FarFlungFalang

[mfd101]

What is fascinating is to see how even senior political figures here are unable to take the most elementary & obvious 'political' approach to save their own face - a few days ago when he said everything was AOK for the GP. You would think he would have enough nous to at least hedge his bets a bit.

 

The 'PM' no different, with his "100% under control" of a month ago.

[spiekerjozef]

Too many Italians on the grid.

[sherwood]

The truth is that Dorna has cancelled the Thailand MotoGP not the Thai Government.

This fella is in face saving mode, as usual.

[taninthai]

Why hasn’t he got his mask on in picture.

[wensiensheng]

33 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

My guess is that too many racers canceled by themselves by fear of being stranded in Thailand or quarantined when coming back to their home country. 

The decision wasn’t Thailand’s to make in the first place! Moto gp will have cancelled it.

[Assurancetourix]

55 minutes ago, webfact said:

The tournament was originally scheduled for March 21-22

So it's not " next month " as written in the article ;

we are already in march 

[Bkk Brian]

Spectators at Thai Football matches - banned

Moto GP - banned

Political gatherings - Next

Schools closed - Next

Songkran - ?? Thats the real test to see if this government is serious and wants to show the world it is doing what it can to stem the increase and spread. Songkran will be  a virus heaven

Edited March 2, 2020 by Bkk Brian
typo

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, tlandtday said:

Didn't he just say a week ago this would never be cancelled and the hot weather would kill it?  When will this guy be replaced?  Not soon enough you can be sure.

No, he didn't say that.

[Just Weird]

1 hour ago, ozz1 said:

I thought that he said that everything  was ok no virus...

No, he didn't say that, either.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Just Weird

[DannyCarlton]

Ironic as WSB was cancelled partly due to Moto GP rearranging it's schedule to clash with WSB race. Moto GP normally in September.

 

With the Chinese F1 cancelled in mid April , there must now be doubts about FI GP in Vietnam on 5th April.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2020 by DannyCarlton

[Just Weird]

52 minutes ago, sherwood said:

The truth is that Dorna has cancelled the Thailand MotoGP not the Thai Government.

This fella is in face saving mode, as usual.

Where did you get that "truth" from?  As of right now there's no mention of that on it's website whereas yesterday it commented on cancelling the Qatar event due to restrictions put on incoming passengers from Italy.  If Dorna had cancelled the Thai race that would be mentioned also.

 

[Just Weird]

44 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

The decision wasn’t Thailand’s to make in the first place! Moto gp will have cancelled it.

So why is it not mentioned on it's website?  They're still advertising tickets being available also.

Edited March 2, 2020 by Just Weird

[Pravda]

Serious question.

 

Is it possible that event was canceled because very few wanted to participate?

[beachbuggy]

Here in Chiang Mai with serious air pollution and the virus threat, thinking, ah well, at least I have the motogp and F1 to look forward too. It all sucks and I had to fork out zillions for Thai health insurance.....

[DrTuner]

Would have been a tad difficult for the drivers to drive while in 14 day quarantine.

[White Christmas13]

48 minutes ago, taninthai said:

Why hasn’t he got his mask on in picture.

Because he is not a farang

[Just Weird]

46 minutes ago, Assurancetourix said:

So it's not " next month " as written in the article ;

we are already in march 

The Nation has to take the blame for that, that's where the information came from.

[inactiveposter]

Just move it to the pristine Walking Street which has just been disinfected. One million laps to Bali Hai and back!

[webfact]

Thai MotoGP race postponed indefinitely on coronavirus fears

 

REUTERS File photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - The second MotoGP race of the season, which was scheduled to be held in Thailand this month, has been postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Thai Deputy Prime Minister said on Monday.

 

The decision to postpone the March 22 Thailand Grand Prix in the northeastern province of Buriram comes a day after this weekend's season-opening race in Qatar was cancelled due to travel restrictions on passengers from Italy and elsewhere.

 

Six riders in the 22-strong grid of the championship are Italians, while there are a number of engineers and mechanics that hail from the country which has seen a surge of cases.

 

"The MotoGP (race)... has to be cancelled and postponed to another day and another month depending on the situation," Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the country's health minister and chairman of the event's organising committee, told reporters.

 

The race is the latest in a long line of international sporting events affected by the flu-like virus that originated in China late last year and has killed nearly 3,000 people and infected over 86,500 globally.

 

Thailand has reported 43 cases since January and recorded its first fatality on Sunday.

 

The MotoGP championship now moves to the United States with next month's Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Formula One, whose season starts in Australia on March 15, has already cancelled its Chinese Grand Prix scheduled for Shanghai on April 19.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat in Bangkok; Writing by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Richard Pullin)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-02

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