Inter-provincial border checkpoints to be deployed from midnight of March 25

[Lacessit]

Let me try to get my head around this. There were thousands of Thais exiting the Moh Chit petri dish a few days ago for the provinces, and now they are going to check temperatures BETWEEN the provinces? I must look up the Thai word for futile.

[TheFishman1]

Yeah I wish they would do checkpoints and these people that keep doing these fires I live in Chiang Mai and the air here is just terrible TIT

[KhunBENQ]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Ridiculous to think police or army at checkpoints, with no test kits or medical training, can effectively do this.

 

 

And if they measure a temperature of 30.5 C (as a member reported) they won't call the rescue van but waive you through

Dead man driving.

[kekalot]

I was told today by a friend that "on TV" they said that "In the period of adjustment, do not go outside. If violated, will be fined 100000 baht"

this comes from a friend of mine who has very low English skills so mostly translated Engrish if you will, I wanted her to come from BKK to Phetchaburi to spend some time with me near the beach but she is acting like it's very seriously enforced.

 

I turned around and asked the taxi people I usually use from BKK Airport to here and she said that people just needed to wear a mask (otherwise fined for 200 baht) and they check temperature at checkpoints that's it.

 

not sure which one is true but I think probably the professional taxi guys. unless any of you experienced differently?

seems to be not happening much by what i read on this thread to be honest.

[Saltire]

I live about an hour from the 3 Pagodas Pass border into Myanmar, and so subsequently around 70% here are migrant workers. Many have been here a very long time, are 100% legal (by the way annual renewal of long stay for them is bordering on 10k). They have kids born here long enough ago to be Thai, own land and many have built homes and have no plans to return home. The temporary ones all left weeks ago.

 

Anyway one neightbour, as he does often decided to head for Sangkhlaburi 3 days ago. His daughter came over a few hours later and said he was 'stuck' and asked if my BiL would take her to fetch him back. He did, and discovered he had been stopped at a checkpoint, but depite having the requisite papers was detained 'for 14 days quarantine, in a tent, food and water provided'. Clearly they mistook him for a temporary migrant worker headiing for the border, why I have no idea, but it took his family 2 more days to extricate him from the camp.

 

These checkpoints could just cause more problems. He was clear on the infrared temp scan too but now he is worried he may have picked it up in the camp.

[davehowden]

Dynamite all minor inter provincial roads to stop unregulated traffic movements.

 

Make setting fires an executable offence.

 

Get serious before the virus gets serious with you !

 

[drbeach]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I drove BKK to Samut Prakan and back again today, didn't see any police.

Samut Prakan is basically an extension of Bangkok. There really shouldn't be any checkpoints between Bangkok and the 4 surrounding provinces that are considered part of the BMA BUT I have read that Bangkok has 7 internal checkpoints today and that number will be increased to 12 tomorrow.

 

There was a checkpoint being set-up on Bang Na-Trad outbound after the Srinakarin road overpass earlier today. Luckily I spotted it and made a detour away from my usual route on my way back from shopping. However, if the number of checkpoints is expanded over the coming weeks, it may become difficult to avoid them unless you stick very close to home.

[drbeach]

14 minutes ago, Saltire said:

I live about an hour from the 3 Pagodas Pass border into Myanmar, and so subsequently around 70% here are migrant workers. Many have been here a very long time, are 100% legal (by the way annual renewal of long stay for them is bordering on 10k). They have kids born here long enough ago to be Thai, own land and many have built homes and have no plans to return home. The temporary ones all left weeks ago.

 

Anyway one neightbour, as he does often decided to head for Sangkhlaburi 3 days ago. His daughter came over a few hours later and said he was 'stuck' and asked if my BiL would take her to fetch him back. He did, and discovered he had been stopped at a checkpoint, but depite having the requisite papers was detained 'for 14 days quarantine, in a tent, food and water provided'. Clearly they mistook him for a temporary migrant worker headiing for the border, why I have no idea, but it took his family 2 more days to extricate him from the camp.

 

These checkpoints could just cause more problems. He was clear on the infrared temp scan too but now he is worried he may have picked it up in the camp.

They can't own land if they're not Thai. Unless you mean they 'own' land as in putting it in a Thai person's name which could be their children if they hold Thai citizenship.

 

You raise good points about these checkpoints. Definitely very troubling and a violation of human rights. I can imagine a good place to live right now would be somewhere north of the highway between Sangklaburi and the Three Pagodas Pass, which can only be reached through a series of unpaved roads through the jungle. Unlikely to be any checkpoints there...but you wouldn't be able to leave the area to head into Sangkhlaburi for instance, and would thus have to be self-sufficient, which I think a lot of people around there are anyway.

[Deli]

Sarasin bridge checks temperature of travellers. Long traffic jam

[gamesgplayemail]

anybody is going to Pattaya from BKK today or tomorrow ?

[Saltire]

19 minutes ago, drbeach said:

They can't own land if they're not Thai. Unless you mean they 'own' land as in putting it in a Thai person's name which could be their children if they hold Thai citizenship.

 

You raise good points about these checkpoints. Definitely very troubling and a violation of human rights. I can imagine a good place to live right now would be somewhere north of the highway between Sangklaburi and the Three Pagodas Pass, which can only be reached through a series of unpaved roads through the jungle. Unlikely to be any checkpoints there...but you wouldn't be able to leave the area to head into Sangkhlaburi for instance, and would thus have to be self-sufficient, which I think a lot of people around there are anyway.

His children are Thai, born here have ID, blue books and bought the land.

 

Where I live is very good for me, I rarely go to Sangkhlaburi (nothing there) but need to go to Kanchanaburi city regularly so I can assume checkpoints there too. Living here we are used to checkpoints but the wave through for me may change to a passport please.

[JAG]

22 minutes ago, gamesgplayemail said:

anybody is going to Pattaya from BKK today or tomorrow ?

????

Edited March 26, 2020 by JAG

[Caldera]

If those checkpoints work as well as the special Songkran alcohol checkpoints, they will be pretty much useless. But I'm genuinely hoping for the best.

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, legend49 said:

Too hot and polluted outside.

Well I left BKK at about 5:30am and drove back to BKK about 9:30am so I don't think heat was an excuse. 

 

I think it's just a case of it being easy to say it, not so easy to implement it. There will be some token check points for photo opportunities but not much more IMO.

 

[lvr181]

6 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Wonder if that will be major roads only ?? Do they have enough resources to monitor all roads across borders, 24/7 ???

Just where we live, there are 5 or 6 small road options within a 30km distance to move between Suratthani and NST !!

And do they have the will to police it? ????

[NanLaew]

5 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I suppose just generally harass people so that fewer people travel?

Result!

 

We know that Thai's don't like things to be too hard so the simple prospect of their being harassed at traffic checkpoints will be a quite effective deterrent.

[DrTuner]

The problem with waiting to declare lockdown until you have all of these checkpoints in place is this:

https://medium.com/@tomaspueyo/coronavirus-act-today-or-people-will-die-f4d3d9cd99ca

 

 

The likely source, although not mentioned in the article, is from the SEIR model: http://gabgoh.github.io/COVID/index.html , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compartmental_models_in_epidemiology

 

It's extremely frustrating seeing them fumble with something that an army is supposed to be able to do, as described here: https://www.thaienquirer.com/9948/opinion-you-would-expect-a-government-led-by-soldiers-to-be-decisive-they-cant-even-get-that-part-right/

 

In the words used pre-pandemic, man the <deleted> up and do what needs to be done.

Edited March 26, 2020 by DrTuner

[Moonlover]

4 hours ago, taytee said:

I feel like im getting mixed information, girlfriend is saying you cant travel to other provinces without medical papers... But this makes it sound like their just screening. GF's mom is with us and wants to go back home to Buriram so whats the deal with the inter province travelling is it restricted to just essential people or what? 

You're actually alluding to a very relevant point here. It's not the effectiveness of the road blocks that are the important issue, it's the deterrence affect that they may have on the community as a whole.

 

I wonder how many other people think as your girlfriend does? That you must have medical papers to travel and how quickly would such a rumour spread through the community?

 

People can be very gullible If that rumour spreads far and wide enough it may well deter many people from travelling. And that's exactly what the country needs to happen.

 

Never underestimate the power of kidology!

 

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2020 by Moonlover

[thecyclist]

8 hours ago, cornishcarlos said:

Wonder if that will be major roads only ?? Do they have enough resources to monitor all roads across borders, 24/7 ???

Just where we live, there are 5 or 6 small road options within a 30km distance to move between Suratthani and NST !!

Only 5 or 6.Between Chonburi and Rayong probably dozens. For a biker, who knows the area, more like a hundred. 

[Chazar]

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

And what exactly will these checkpoints do?

 

"monitor and facilitate traffic" ....? Other than the usual shakedowns what is that?

 

"screen travellers for any sign of infections" - ridiculous..

 

I suppose just generally harass people so that fewer people travel?

just cause  massive frikking tailbacks

[bluedoc]

I travelled up from Koh Chang to Bangkok this late afternoon, did not see any live check points. Throughout my journey I saw lots of markets and food markets with many stall holders serving many people, so social distancing, joke 1. Curfew? What curfew, I arrived in Bangkok 7.30pm, so many people walking around, 7/11 full to the brim, people drinking beer outside. Social distancing, joke 2.

[Yorkshire Tea]

Checkpoints in Chiang Mai province.

 

https://chiangmaione.com/traffic-delays-as-motorists-are-scanned-for-coronavirus-on-major-chiang-mai-roads-6493?fbclid=IwAR0rE-FDNLAS_QKwhEb45ZccbtoQysX1E6R1GJGvZSMRSMB6K5RWv7d1KaA

[ParkerN]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Governors of all provinces have been ordered to strictly comply with the government’s declaration of a state of emergency throughout the Kingdom with effect from Thursday due to the escalating new coronavirus (Covid-19) situation.

 

Is that the new Coronavirus situation that Prayuth and his band of brigands are 100% in control of? That one?

 

Oh dear. Someone didn't ensure that Mr Brain was engaged before starting up Mr Mouth...

[Chazar]

35 minutes ago, bluedoc said:

I travelled up from Koh Chang to Bangkok this late afternoon, did not see any live check points. Throughout my journey I saw lots of markets and food markets with many stall holders serving many people, so social distancing, joke 1. Curfew? What curfew, I arrived in Bangkok 7.30pm, so many people walking around, 7/11 full to the brim, people drinking beer outside. Social distancing, joke 2.

Wife  just travelled from Bangkok to Pranburi arrived  at 8pm,  not a  single  checkpoint on the way  and thats the main road  South. 250km

She  is  now  locked in my second house and I cant touch her for 2  weeks???? although Im only 30 metres  away in our other  house, she  thought I was  joking when I told her.

[tingtong]

thai army experienced in coups and corruption....overqualifed for simple tasks like setting up and running checkpoints.

 

[thequietman]

4 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Result!

 

We know that Thai's don't like things to be too hard so the simple prospect of their being harassed at traffic checkpoints will be a quite effective deterrent.

True, people from Phitsanoluk won't travel to my province Uttaradit, even though they can.

 

It's the added attention that they don't like, so this seems to be working. ????

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

The checkpoints must be staffed at all times to monitor and facilitate traffic, as well as screen travellers for any sign of infections.

That means en-route for private travelers, which is ok for spot checks but will not check a high percentage.

surely all mini-van and bus/coach terminals should be manned and people checked before boarding? 

[CLW]

15 hours ago, Yorkshire Tea said:

Checkpoints in Chiang Mai province.

 

https://chiangmaione.com/traffic-delays-as-motorists-are-scanned-for-coronavirus-on-major-chiang-mai-roads-6493?fbclid=IwAR0rE-FDNLAS_QKwhEb45ZccbtoQysX1E6R1GJGvZSMRSMB6K5RWv7d1KaA

The wording is quite misleading.

They are not scanned for the Coronavirus, just taken their temperature which is a huge difference.

[Kwasaki]

On 3/26/2020 at 11:53 AM, Sheryl said:

Ridiculous to think police or army at checkpoints, with no test kits or medical training, can effectively do this.

 

Anything is good to restrict travel because of the 14 days incubation period, in our village they have ask is to do just that,  and if there is casing after that they will enforce a curfew. 

[Thingamabob]

See later post.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Thingamabob
Post doubled up for some reason