Virus dries up Songkran for beach town

[billd766]

13 hours ago, ianezy0 said:

May the water flow and the whole of Thailand enjoy their annual festival without the old codgers from foreign lands moaning and whinging as though they are important enough to have a say in Thai tradition. Now.....where is my water pistol ????????????

What a sad little person you are. Do you think that YOU are important enough to have a say in Thai tradition?

 

I used to play at Songkran when ever I was in Thailand from 1994 onwards but I have grown up since then. It used to be fun in BKK and out here in Khampaeng Phet but I haven't bothered in the last few years because it went too far and a waste of water,

 

Of course Songkran can be cancelled but rather than cancel it I would rather do it the old fashioned or traditional.

 

If you want to play it the modern way in Pattaya, then go ahead but don't whinge and moan when you turn the tap on one day and you have no water.

[Thingamabob]

17 hours ago, DannyCarlton said:

Not really true. It used to be 3 days of gentle splashing before "us lot" arrived, not a week of water cannons and iced water

As you rightly say, not true at all. It was once a charming and gentle celebration. 

[Eindhoven]

7 hours ago, Kerryd said:

But, but, but - the Tourism Minister said the virus would be wiped out by Songkran because it (the virus) didn't like hot weather !

"Thailand's tourism minister: Everything will be fine after Songkran - the hot weather will blow the virus away!"
https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1149863-thailands-tourism-minister-everything-will-be-fine-after-songkran-the-hot-weather-will-blow-the-virus-away/

Of course, this is the same Minister who just yesterday issued an order that arrivals from 11 different countries would be required to "self-quarantine" for 14 days after arriving in Thailand !! (https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/coronavirus/thai-health-minister-laughs-at-media-when-asked-about-his-travel-restrictions-document)

"Tuesday evening’s post said travellers from affected countries would be subjected to a 14 day quarantine “without exceptions”

He quickly deleted the post (after it caused an uproar), then he closed his Facebook account altogether (then announced that he "has many Facebook accounts to communicate with the public").

He also denied knowing about the order, despite it clearly having his signature on it !
"When Thai media reached out for comments from the Minister at Government House, Anutin denied any knowledge about the matter.

“I’m also wondering how the document ended up there, since I haven’t signed it. It’s still in my room. (That’s HIS signature on the bottom of the official letters)." 

(The 11 countries listed include: China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, France, Singapore, Italy, Iran, Taiwan, and the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau. The Public Health Ministry has said the list of countries would be reviewed.)

 

 

You have quoted the Tourism Minister and the Health Minister. There are not one and the same.

Unless we are thinking about categories of people and things.

[ronnie round head]

best thing that will happen to pattaya if Songkran is cancelled might book a holiday for that week

[Kerryd]

16 hours ago, Eindhoven said:

 

 

You have quoted the Tourism Minister and the Health Minister. There are not one and the same.

Unless we are thinking about categories of people and things.

Lol - I screwed up. For some reason I thought the Tourism Minister's name was Anutin.

Although the Health Minister is indeed quite similar.
After all, he is the one behind the push to force Non-O(A) Visa holders to buy health insurance, after he claimed that "35 million Non-O visa holders arrived every year" and they were responsible for the 300 million (baht) in unpaid hospital bills (racked up by foreigners). 

He was basically trying to claim that almost every foreign "arrival" was on a Non-O Visa (which is easily proven wrong using Immigration's own spreadsheets) instead of differentiating between Visa Exempt arrivals, Tourist Visas and Non-(Whatever) Visas. 

He was basically trying to blame all foreigners in general and it worked (sort of). Amazed me how quickly those insurance companies were able to come up with overpriced policies that exactly matched the requirements. Double the price of the policy I currently have - for half the coverage.
Almost like it was planned that way........... 

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, ronnie round head said:

best thing that will happen to pattaya if Songkran is cancelled might book a holiday for that week

I just wonder how successful would such a ban be. If not 100% one could still get an unwanted drenching with dirty water. I look at how the helmet requirement and attempt to get songtaews to use bus stops went......

[essox essox]

On 3/5/2020 at 5:18 PM, darksidedog said:

All we need now is for Pattaya to follow suit, where it isn't one or two days, but about ten.

8  actually 12 th to the 20th ....

[DannyCarlton]

Songkran goes ahead in Pattaya but my son's summer school is cancelled by order of the government. You really couldn't make it up.

[johng]

4 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Songkran goes ahead in Pattaya

cancelled

 

[Skallywag]

On 3/5/2020 at 5:12 PM, snoop1130 said:

Finally, he said, no trucks laden with water for revellers will be allowed

Since enforcement is non-existent, believe these statements are moot

[supdog]

Do people bring their own water guns? Will vendors carry them if there is a worry of not selling them? I know there are still the big 45 gallon barrels and buckets, but if there are no water guns to buy I think it will significantly reduce songkran.

[DannyCarlton]

6 minutes ago, supdog said:

Do people bring their own water guns? Will vendors carry them if there is a worry of not selling them? I know there are still the big 45 gallon barrels and buckets, but if there are no water guns to buy I think it will significantly reduce songkran.

Would also be very advantageous if police/local authorities patrolled the hotspots (Soi's 6,7,8, Soi Buakhao, Diana and Lengkee) confiscating any offending items and tipping over the blue barrels.

 

Will be interesting to see if Mr. Flowers' brown envelopes are effective on this occasion.

[supdog]

I never understood why they could never restrict it to certain zones every year, only beach road for example. Maybe a nightmare to enforce. They should give out 10k baht fines for anyone doing it. I hate it fyi.