Police speak with German expats accused of demolishing coronavirus barrier in Chiang Mai

 

Image: Chiang Mai News

 

A group of 20 people made of German expats and their Thai wives have been accused of removing a barrier in Chiang Mai set up to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

The group said the barrier, which was erected at a housing development near Wat Thung Rang Raeng in Nam Phrae, was preventing them from accessing their homes. 

 

However, locals said it was essential to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and reported the ‘demolition’ of the barrier to Hang Dong police.
 

 

The group were interviewed by police, while immigration officers were ordered to investigate the status of the foreigners involved, Chiang Mai News reported.

 

It wasn’t immediately clear if any further action was taken against those accused of removing the barrier.  Nor was it clear if the barrier genuinely prevented the groups from accessing their homes.

 

Source: Chiang Mai News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-04-11

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Not enough explanation to know what is going on . The barricade seems to have been set up by the locals . It tells people to "use the road past the school" instead. So basically if people can still get to their destinations by taking a detour, how does this barricade stop Covid?

4 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

It wasn’t immediately clear if any further action was taken against those accused of removing the barrier.  Nor was it clear if the barrier genuinely prevented the groups from accessing their homes.

Well..that is what a good reporter (or even just a mediocre one) would have wanted to know...

 

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

I would hope that there is another way to get into the housing estate, and this was just a shortcut used.  However, if this was the only way in and out, something just does not smell right about blocking the road.  If they were only Foreigners who lived inside the estate, and no Thai's except their spouses and significant others, I see this as possibly being racially motivated.  But, if there was another way in, then I think they are trying to control the ingress and egress through a possible checkpoint.  The story leaves out some important details. 

4 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

not only in Thailand....

This road block does not look official. Who did erect it?

9 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

……..at a time when there is an acute worldwide shortage of ventilators! ????

The headline says demolished.

How do you demolish 4 concrete pipes and 6 bamboo poles plus a bit of cardboard ?

what are the odds this barrier was set up by residents of a nearby housing area to prevent foreigners passing through their safe zone?

 

who is making the accusation?  if it were an official barrier, they would have been "charged."

Juvenile humor and derogatory remarks removed.

 

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
 

 

 

Whether bad journalism or not, this has all the vital elements to attract 1000's of posts of a single flavour!

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Well..that is what a good reporter (or even just a mediocre one) would have wanted to know...

 

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

 

Much like Covid-19 does, in the final stages...

Saw this on the news yesterday. Basically it is none of the normal Thai's right to block a through way in a housing development and there should be zero issue. Essential to stop the spread would be to stay home 99.8% and maybe wear a proper mask other than a cloth one. I was at a local Thai food market yesterday and saw danger in every corner. Don't blame the foreigners, blame the inadequacy of the Thai to truly educate themselves on true safety, and blame a certain group for allowing the Chinese to keep traveling here..

2 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

Saw this on the news yesterday. Basically it is none of the normal Thai's right to block a through way in a housing development and there should be zero issue. Essential to stop the spread would be to stay home 99.8% and maybe wear a proper mask other than a cloth one. I was at a local Thai food market yesterday and saw danger in every corner. Don't blame the foreigners, blame the inadequacy of the Thai to truly educate themselves on true safety, and blame a certain group for allowing the Chinese to keep traveling here..

Blame, blame, blame, of course it will never stop and will be justified by the majority.

Cannot imagine the state of some super developed countries today, with all their super developed resources - sad that the top advisers for Thailand are not helping those countries that are in such a bad situation today.

15 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

 

Much like Covid-19 does, in the final stages...

You're on a roll..but to exactly where surpasseth all human understanding..

 

I would be more interested in who erected the barrier?

What were the concerns of the local residents?

What were the concerns of the foreigners and their wives?

What was the the outcome?

 

Please note: The only "fact" presented is that the "foreigners" are all German-or are they? 

 

Mind you, the blockade looks official, though short of a few leafy branches..........????

Road block location

 

This is streetview of where road block is now (temple seems to now have built a wall on left side).

On a map it is here:

Map

So ... it seems they have blocked off a road leading from the canal road, telling you to take another access road to the north past the school. For what reason , we do not know. The fact that the barricade is not at the entrance of that road (where it would cause less confusion and trouble) and also that it is signed as "the people of Thung Rang Raeng village" would seem to indicate it is not an official road block.

1 hour ago, ChouDoufu said:

what are the odds this barrier was set up by residents of a nearby housing area to prevent foreigners passing through their safe zone?

 

who is making the accusation?  if it were an official barrier, they would have been "charged."

but, if it had been? wouldn't one of the local have tried some tinglish addition to the sign... blatantly pointing their silent slingshot fingers at the germans?

33 minutes ago, ravip said:

Blame, blame, blame, of course it will never stop and will be justified by the majority.

Cannot imagine the state of some super developed countries today, with all their super developed resources - sad that the top advisers for Thailand are not helping those countries that are in such a bad situation today.

Yeah for the USA they would have to bring in the National Guard to make everyone adhere to rational thinking. 

A local issue probably blown out of proportion.

Normally it is illegal to block a public road. Or deny easement.

Who put it up? Is it a private road? Anyway if people think passersby or a few cars will give them covid-19 proof the fear is worse than the disease. Or maybe they just want to cut down traffic and force people to go long way around.

 

Never let a crisis go to waste.

Whether the road block was legal or not, NO ONE has the right to take the law onto their own hands. That is as bad as putting up an illegal road block.

Don't mention ze wirus.

We can agree it was an erectile dysfunction.

It looks like that area the people got jai-noi. Compare the picture from streetview and the one in the OP.

Me like the old situation with the beautiful low-walled Wat, which is now surrounded by an ugly white wall.

 

The game was on, long before the virus came.

 

This is not far up the road from me and the Road Block is not legal at all, just set up by paranoid Villagers who think that it will keep the Virus out and save lives, something they never care about when riding without Helmets and carrying two kids on their Motorbikes, also Helmetless and riding the wrong way up Canal Road !   Anyway; the German Bloke has a shop selling freshly Baked Bread and Frozen Foods and this is the road that everyone uses to get to his shop, so customers were prevented from getting in and assumed he was closed.  Of course; this wouldn't have happened if it were a business run by a Thai as they would have 'demolished' the whole thing a lot earlier and threatened anyone that tried to rebuild it.   Basically; it's another example of how welcome we Farang are in The Land of False Smiles !

2 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

This is not far up the road from me and the Road Block is not legal at all, just set up by paranoid Villagers who think that it will keep the Virus out and save lives, something they never care about when riding without Helmets and carrying two kids on their Motorbikes, also Helmetless and riding the wrong way up Canal Road !   Anyway; the German Bloke has a shop selling freshly Baked Bread and Frozen Foods and this is the road that everyone uses to get to his shop, so customers were prevented from getting in and assumed he was closed.  Of course; this wouldn't have happened if it were a business run by a Thai as they would have 'demolished' the whole thing a lot earlier and threatened anyone that tried to rebuild it.   Basically; it's another example of how welcome we Farang are in The Land of False Smiles !

With this type of behaviour, The Land of False Smiles will develop worst methods to keep out such persons! So, who is to blame? Rambo style is not effective...

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

while immigration officers were ordered to investigate the status of the foreigners involved

Ah, the old check out the foreigners rather than the issue 

Foreigners take matters into their own hands. Now just imagine if this was the UK and a group of foreigners did this. The right wing press would be having a field day. The comments section would be calling for blood and demanding that all foreigners be removed from the UK because they do not care about the health of the locals. I am not saying that this is right but people need to remember that hatred against immigrants happens all over the world. Looking at what happens in other parts of the world us white immigrants who live here have it pretty easy.

Surprised the Germans didn't wake up at 6am, hang their towels from the barrier and go to breakfast.....

2 hours ago, Odysseus123 said:

Well..that is what a good reporter (or even just a mediocre one) would have wanted to know...

 

The sheer "badness" of news reporting in Thailand takes one's breath away.

Many countries have that problem.