Panic buying in Bangkok: Shopping frenzy before shutters come down

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Shopping frenzy before shutters come down

 

 

People in Bangkok rushed to department stores on Saturday (March 21) afternoon to buy instant and dried foods as well as other consumer products.

 

Earlier in the day, Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang announced a closure order for business venues for 22 days from March 22 to April 21 in an effort to prevent the spreading of the new coronavirus or Covid-19.

 

Under the order, all department stores will be closed from Sunday onwards, except the supermarket section, drug stores and food stalls that provide takeout menus. Eating-in at food courts will be prohibited while hotel restaurants can only accept orders from hotel guests.

 

Among business venues that will be affected are beauty salons, internet cafés, and markets (except fresh food vendors and food stalls).

 

 

Full story: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30384579

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-03-21

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

 

[NCC1701A]

everything OK in Thailand. Sure.

 

 

[jackdd]

24 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

April 21

April 12

[samsensam]

 

except the supermarket section, drug stores and food stalls that provide takeout menus.

 

so why the panic? all that panic buying will achieve is creating needless shortages. aint humanity great.

 

[darrendsd]

17 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

everything OK in Thailand. Sure.

 

 

How's Hua Hin these days? Still "Packed with Tourists" ? ????????

[rumak]

16 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

everything OK in Thailand. Sure.

 

 

is that you Yinn ??   hello?   helloooo?

[smedly]

Just a quick scan of the trollies - what on earth are people buying lol

 

Looks like some bed linen and a pile of junk

[Lacessit]

The fresh food vendors? Vegetables and fruit, or the precooked stuff that sits in the sun for a day and breeds up bacteria?

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Covid-19: New stringent measures trigger panic buying in Bangkok

 

Shoppers crowd the check-out counters of the Ramkhamhaeng branch of Makro store as Bangkokians rush to stock-pile foods and other essential items following a new set of stringent measures announced by Bangkok authorities to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Bangkok residents flocked to stock up on essential goods this afternoon after the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) ordered the closure of most retail businesses, bowling alleys, public swimming pools and golf courses, starting tomorrow to stem the spread of coronavirus infections.

 

Pubs, bars and cinemas in Bangkok have already been closed.

 

All department stores will also be closed, except for their supermarket and pharmacy sections while food-shops and restaurants will be allowed to serve only take-home orders.  Grocery and convenience stores will stay open except for their eatery sections.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/covid-19-new-stringent-measures-trigger-panic-buying-in-bangkok/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-03-21

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Orton Rd]

I thought supermarkets will still be open?

[Mattd]

40 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Shopping frenzy before shutters come down

 

40 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Under the order, all department stores will be closed from Sunday onwards, except the supermarket section

Strange reporting, the shutters ain't coming down on the supermarkets!

[GeorgeCross]

i've got this massive urge to go get a Dairy Queen..

 

[NCC1701A]

28 minutes ago, darrendsd said:

How's Hua Hin these days? Still "Packed with Tourists" ? ????????

the numbers have dropped off. Sure

 

we still have large groups of farangs in restaurants here. Sure.

 

Hua Hin snowbirds. Sure.

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by NCC1701A

[AlexRich]

Prayut has everything under control ... why the panic?

[Russell17au]

2 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

Prayut has everything under control ... why the panic?

You answered your own question.

[fusion58]

When are they going to shutter the immigration office at CW?

 

That place makes the local supermarket seem like a safe haven.

[Logosone]

while hotel restaurants can only accept orders from hotel guests.

 

Time to check into the Four Seasons at a heavily discounted rate.

[spinner2020]

 

 

Leave and go where? Unlike you, obviously, many TV users live here and have family here. You suggesting we should all just p3ss off and leave wife and children?

 

Did the operation hurt?

Edited March 21, 2020 by spinner2020

[balo]

34 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

I thought supermarkets will still be open?

Not if they are located inside a mall. 

[Mavideol]

they mus know something that us foreigners don't know.... should we follow or ignore

[homeseeker]

33 minutes ago, balo said:

Not if they are located inside a mall. 

the article says:

 

"under the order, all department stores will be closed from Sunday onwards, except the supermarket section, drug stores and food stalls that provide takeout menus. "

Edited March 21, 2020 by homeseeker

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, GeorgeCross said:

i've got this massive urge to go get a Dairy Queen..

 

Least ya got a Dairy Queen. I think there is a swensons here...somewhere

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post and the replies have been removed. 

[DrTuner]

Wife was angry a few weeks ago when we went to Makro and I bought a bunch of dry goods, "too mutt!". Today she opened the first pack of dry noodles from that batch and when I said "well?", she flipped me the bird. I think I have managed to farangize her a bit.

[DrTuner]

4 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

the numbers have dropped off. Sure

 

we still have large groups of farangs in restaurants here. Sure.

 

Hua Hin snowbirds. Sure.

 

Channeling your inner POTY. Sure.

[ukrules]

13 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Wife was angry a few weeks ago when we went to Makro and I bought a bunch of dry goods, "too mutt!". Today she opened the first pack of dry noodles from that batch and when I said "well?", she flipped me the bird. I think I have managed to farangize her a bit.

I forced mine to buy some extras, but she didn't get many and did so under protest muttering something like 'it won't happen in Thailand' - she hasn't started to use them yet.

 

I, on the other hand did a weekly shop multiple times a week starting back in mid February.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

5 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

except the supermarket section, drug stores and food stalls that provide takeout menus.

 

so why the panic? all that panic buying will achieve is creating needless shortages. aint humanity great.

 

 

I don't think most Thais are panic buying because they think the supermarkets will be closed.

 

I think most are panic buying because they've seen shortages of essentials in past times of crisis, and they've learned that government assurances of sufficient supplies aren't worth a darn.

 

When the government assures everything will be fine, they don't believe it. And nor should they...

 

 

[URMySunshine]

48 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Channeling your inner POTY. Sure.

I think we can confidently say (if there is a TVF next year) that POTY won't go native again. Farang no get tricked second time mahk mahk. 

[ThailandRyan]

Slowly started filling my pantry, cupboards and Freezer from the beginning of February. Girlfriend thought I was crazy until today when her facebook account blew up with all the photos of panicked buyers and empty shelves.  She looked at me and said I guess you knew what would happen.  I stayed silent instead of poking the bear, got up from the couch, grabbed myself a cold beer from the refrigerator, and sat back down while shaking my head.  Its sure sucks to be right once in a while, especially in situations like these.  I just hope we dont see sandbags, and the military on the streets like in 2014..... 

[Denim]

Ah those city folk. They embraced Suthep , they embraced the Bangkok shutdown , they embraced the end of democracy, they embraced the junta.

 

Now they are running around like headless chickens because their beloved leader and his lackies were busy sucking up to their Chinese financiers instead of acting whilst they had time.

 

So much for the superior educated urbanites. Not so elite or educated after all.