The week that was in Thailand news: "Daddy, I want another Leo!" - Thailand in Phoney War as we hunker down for Songkran

[rooster59]

The week that was in Thailand news: "Daddy, I want another Leo!" - Thailand in Phoney War as we hunker down for Songkran

 

 

One of the dubious benefits of a lockdown situation is that many of us have much more time to spend in front of various screens. Thank heaven, Buddha, the sprites that live in banana trees, any deity that inhabits old logs....khop khun mark samrap Netflix.

 

Trouble is that at Rooster Central in leafy Ratchayotin, seven year old and four year old combined forces have commandeered the television along with all handheld devices fit to display media.

 

They occasionally have the audacity to say they are bored.  I call leaving them in front of screens, good home parenting.

 

As a consequence the remotes are in the hands of the little people aided and abetted by Mrs R. The bairns demand to watch the same movie again and again and again.

 

I don't mind. I loved Johnny Depp's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ever since I first saw it. Now I know the script verbatim because it was "delectable, so darned good".

 

It was a week that felt a bit like what was known as the Phoney War by my parent's generation. This was the quiet period from September, 1939 after the Allies declared war on the Nazis but before hostilities really kicked off in May 1940.

 

Using the term 'war' to describe the relationship of the human race to the pandemic was questioned in this column a fortnight ago. But it sure can feel like that with all the messages about staying home that exist here in Thailand and worldwide.

 

Yet, if we were expecting an explosion to spoil our day it didn't come. The Covid-19 figures were up a bit, up a bit less. Experts - of which I am certainly not one - jockeyed for position to put their spin on what it all meant.

 

Rooster tried to see the positives, perhaps I was the luckiest man alive, but I just didn't know it yet.

 

On Monday - overwhelmed by all the virus stories and determined to break free - I thought I had invented a great new term to describe the reaction to the crisis: PANICDEMIC.

 

I only got 56,500 links in 0.43 seconds when I keyed in the word. Rooster may like to consider himself some kind of Bard from Bangkok but I think comparing oneself to Willy (Shakespeare not Wonka) and his propensity for inventing new words might be a tad ambitious.

 

Alternative meanings were given for PANICDEMIC. I'll have to come up with something better to win the coveted prize of creating "Viral Vocab".

 

Normally, at this time of year I would be regaling my readers with how I intend to avoid Songkran. I'd be flying abroad to play Scrabble or hiding in my condo safe from the family miles away with up-country Gran, replete with enough Blue Cheese for the duration.

 

There is no Songkran this year, or at least that is what we have been told. The government and provincial authorities have been crafty - perhaps by design, perhaps as a result of circumstance - in incrementally locking us further away from our normal lives.

 

Little by little our liberty has been eroded and we are, mostly, doing it for the common good. The Thais started slowly in their tactics and enforcement, perhaps mindful of the ability of the Thai health service to cope with a pandemic, a circumstance that was readily admitted in the more politically open United Kingdom.

 

Advice and persuasion was used by the Thai police, who are past masters in such interpretation of the law, a device always used by them and those in the upper echelons of power who want to control others.

 

But now we are in a much more controlled, more draconian phase where so much is closed or sealed off that there is not much point in going out at all unless one has a trick or two up one's sleeve or considers that a trip to Makro is now a "Day Out!".

 

Pattaya denizens wanting to dip their toes in the waters at Jomtien were forbidden by signage and shooed away by Plod. In Germany one area fought themselves on the beaches. Locals took to the courts to overturn a beach ban and won.

 

Pattaya is now effectively what Bangkokians have always called it - a ghetto. The lock down of the city was confirmed this week followed by a story itemizing why it initially had been such a "Cock-Up". Checkpoints were swiftly adjusted lest QUOTES - the former Queen Of The Eastern Seaboard - came to a right regal standstill.

 

As fatalities in the US topped 2,000 a day and New York suffered as much as anywhere on the globe, PM Prayut told everyone to have a Virtual Songkran at home. To assist this the authorities have kindly introduced bans on the sale of alcohol. In Bangkok it was for ten days. Elsewhere it was to the end of the month. Nobody missed the "coincidence" that all this was now in place for Songkran.

 

I repeat my assertions of previous weeks that I feel that the Thais have probably made some bad calls and some good, just like the great majority of the nations on earth faced with similarly extraordinary conditions. The incremental shutting down of the country has been quite well done and I think that it will be quite well observed.

 

Yes, some Thais will be Thais at minor Songkran events but my guess is they will be a rarity. Plod will move them on. "Round up the Usual Suspects" as the Casablanca chief of police once said.

 

But there is a very real danger that should the ban be flouted sufficiently the spread of the virus will increase commensurately. As evidence of this the UK government was desperately urging people to stay home over the expected warm Easter weekend while the Thais were told that even a few buckets outside their homes could see them in clink. The similarities in approach between nations on different continents were stark.

 

But just as stark were the differences.

 

My seven year old came to see me proudly wearing a mask made from a strip of kitchen towel, two rubber bands and four staples. And what was most impressive was coming up with the idea herself rather than relying on the God of YT. She also presented me with a picture that looked like a part of the cosmos.

 

On further investigation it was revealed that the round things in the picture were floating "wai-rat" - a word that owes its place in my daughter's vocabulary thanks to the pronunciation of the word by mum rather than dad.

 

Immigration finally seemed to get their act together. I fear this is still Act 1 albeit scene three of a production that could play out for months in the Soap Opera Theater that is Thailand. Legislation to unilaterally extend some visas came into force. The terrible cattle herding scenes at some offices recently aided in pressing the issue.

 

Masks, or at least being in possession of one became a requirement of going out in many places. A Thai man faced a 20,000 baht fine for not wearing one. Others were made to do jumping jacks and press-ups by the phu yai ban like what happened to kids not wearing crash helmets on the way to school in a former Thai life.

 

More than 1,000 people faced prosecution for breaking the first three days of national curfew at night. You could have heard a pin-drop on my balcony at night after I fell asleep during the latest rerun of Augustus Gloop being sucked up a pipe.

 

Former DMP Dr Surapong went online to call on the Thai medical services to test, test, test. Satisfying this thirst for testing will result in "Spend, Spend, Spend!", a reference to a quote about the intentions of one of England's earliest big Pools' winners. The strains on the Thai economy are palpable and the downturn is not a matter for debate as to whether there will be one, but how severe it will be.

 

Everywhere businesses were closing or faced going under. Calls were made for more government help. They came up trumps with limiting the 24 million Thais who registered for 5,000 baht handouts to just 1.68 million successful applicants. It seemed as unfair as what happened to Mr Bucket at the factory. Those damn spies get everywhere.

 

It was a dagger through the heart, but an accepted intrusion, when the Thai schools were ordered shut until July, six weeks and more after the nippers should have returned for Term 1. We are in about week six of isolation. I told the missus "Only ten weeks more"  ("song deuan kwaa" (a bit over two months) in a futile attempt to soften the impact) of being cooped up together. Not like the Roosters walking free at Gran's - more like battery hens, laying eggs but having a poor quality of life.

 

And still the government led us to believe that a 24 hour lockdown was not on the cards, not yet in Plod's Pack if you like. This was presented as a concession to the people, we should be thankful for small mercies (not you Khun PM). We could keep our distance from each other in public as much as we liked! Whoopy Doo!

 

It was almost like a "Christmas Gift" to the nation but for Songkran. Now if we are all good children Uncle Too might be kind to us again and relax something formerly known as a civil liberty.

 

"Uncle Too, I want another Leo," the cry goes up in mockery from Rooster. That's just like Verruca Salt in Charlie says seven year old. Yes, except there's only one R in Veruca.....and don't mumble when speaking to your dad.

 

The accident stats continued, inevitably, to plummet. If the virus proves to be controllable and the death toll in Thailand is not according to worst case predictions, post-pandemic we could see a population explosion with this lack of stiffs. The former carnage on the roads has culled a lot of the population, especially the young. Now they will be free to procreate. This will doubtless mean an extra ten million Thais will be born. This should enable me to rent my empty condo out in twenty years, if I'm patient.

 

Meanwhile, the chicks are at each other's throats - Mrs R blames the elder one for excessive violence with a kick to the midriff of her 'nong'. She claims innocence. I mutter something in English along the lines of: "No good ever comes of spoiling a child".

 

The Thais are more likely to say "rak wua hay phuuk, rak luuk hay tee" - love a cow by tying it up, love a child by assaulting it, or words to that effect. Is this cabin fever setting in?

 

A rhetorical question.

 

Finally, the governor of Prajuab Khiri Khan thanked the people for their cooperation but denied that the jewel in his province's crown, Hua Hin, was in total lockdown.

 

I half expected him to say:

 

"It's always quiet like that here."

 

Rooster

 

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

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Samui Bodoh]

An interesting read as always...

 

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

 

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

 

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

 

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

 

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

 

 

[FarFlungFalang]

11 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

An interesting read as always...

 

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

 

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

 

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

 

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

 

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

 

 

I think it’s time for a ban on reformed smokers rabbiting on about how good they are and how bad it is.If your going to start that lets move on to next obvious ban because of how bad they are and lets just ban humans as we all know how bad they are for the planet.Your argument seems to stem from boredom which in turn stems from the effects of coronavirus overload but surely you could do as was often repeated on my school report cards and that is better.

Happy Easter!

[PaDavid]

What pandemic? What alcohol ban? Daily tots of lao kao before, after, or for breakfast continue unabated. Life in my village carries on much as it has for the past 5 years, which is as far back as I can vouch for. Most people here work on the land and keep themselves covered up better than a muslim lady in a niqab, so face masks are pretty much redundant And, one stands a greater chance of contacting Dengue Fever than Covid-19. 

[sambum]

21 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

An interesting read as always...

 

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

 

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

 

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

 

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

 

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

 

 

"Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays." 

 

I smoked for more than 50 years, and quit about 8 years ago, and yes, I feel that MANY reformed smokers "are the worst" (and I count the author of this post as one) Personally, I don't mind people smoking in my vicinity (as long as they don't blow it in my face to try to get a reaction!)  - after all, I indulged for over 50 years, so who am I to tell them they can't? 

 

Anyway, this subject has been done to death on various other threads, and whilst I appreciate that it has a tenuous link to Covid - 19, I feel that our efforts should be more concentrated on trying to defeat the virus than launching yet another campaign to "leperise" certain members of the community. 

[Jonathan Swift]

9 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I think it’s time for a ban on reformed smokers rabbiting on about how good they are and how bad it is.If your going to start that lets move on to next obvious ban because of how bad they are and lets just ban humans as we all know how bad they are for the planet.Your argument seems to stem from boredom which in turn stems from the effects of coronavirus overload but surely you could do as was often repeated on my school report cards and that is better.

Happy Easter!

You are undoubtedly one of the self centered "cigarette pigs" who behave as if they have the right to light up next to anyone who may be enjoying fresh air for however brief a period, especially when they are sitting and eating in a restaurant or cafe. Reformed smokers deserve 100 times the respect for having overcome a terrible addiction and recognizing and taking responsibility for the intrusions they have perpetrated on others. Vaping is available to anyone who cannot defeat their addiction, and of those addicts anyone who chooses to smoke around other human beings ESPECIALLY children is an absolutely disgusting self centered pig. 90% of the western civilized world has recognized this and as such banned smoking in enclosed and public places. The one good thing about smoking is that the smoker's addiction is not contagious like covid 19 is, but the smoke you give off and let blow into an innocent person's face is proven to be harmful to that person. Smokers, you are like heroin addicts who leave their used needles laying around for others to stick themselves with. If you keep your foul poisonous stench within the confines of your own personal space without polluting anyone else's clean air, great. But you don't, do you? You can get away with it in thailand so you run around happily indulging in your foul and reprehensible addiction. 

Edited April 12, 2020 by Jonathan Swift
Correct

[Mick501]

May I be so bold as to submit a new phrase for assessment by the learned panel of experts at TVF: "It's gone Coronal."

Edited April 12, 2020 by Mick501

[Odysseus123]

What an amazing derailment of a thread!

 

I seem to remember that Oliver Cromwell banned Maypoles-due to the fact,no doubt, that the Royalists were smoking them in secret....

 

A thoughtful and rather mellow post from Rooster this week.

[Em150]

10 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

I think it’s time for a ban on reformed smokers rabbiting on about how good they are and how bad it is.If your going to start that lets move on to next obvious ban because of how bad they are and lets just ban humans as we all know how bad they are for the planet.Your argument seems to stem from boredom which in turn stems from the effects of coronavirus overload but surely you could do as was often repeated on my school report cards and that is better.

Happy Easter!

Yes, I would tend to agree with the reformed smoker. I smoked for 40 years and quit, and find it quite repulsive that people in this day and age still smoke. Dont get me wrong, I have the odd cheeky one here and there but those who smoke more than me must be plain mad

[Andycoops]

1 hour ago, PaDavid said:

What pandemic? What alcohol ban? Daily tots of lao kao before, after, or for breakfast continue unabated. Life in my village carries on much as it has for the past 5 years, which is as far back as I can vouch for. Most people here work on the land and keep themselves covered up better than a muslim lady in a niqab, so face masks are pretty much redundant And, one stands a greater chance of contacting Dengue Fever than Covid-19. 

Same here.

[RedPill]

The week in review ...

 

One thing became very obvious: The last foreigners on here posting & drumming on forever: 'I don't wear a Mask' ... are all quite now!

 

Wow, did that go fast and took off like a rocket over the past 1.5 weeks. Exceptional.

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by RedPill

[Dap]

2 hours ago, PaDavid said:

What pandemic? What alcohol ban? Daily tots of lao kao before, after, or for breakfast continue unabated. Life in my village carries on much as it has for the past 5 years, which is as far back as I can vouch for. Most people here work on the land and keep themselves covered up better than a muslim lady in a niqab, so face masks are pretty much redundant And, one stands a greater chance of contacting Dengue Fever than Covid-19. 

Yeah!!

[Mac98]

Ban smokers? Let's ban drinkers. I'd rather have a wiff of smoke drift my way than have a speeding vehicle driven by a drunk drift head on into my lane. Or off the road into a group of school kids. 

[RedPill]

7 minutes ago, Mac98 said:

Ban smokers? Let's ban drinkers. I'd rather have a wiff of smoke drift my way than have a speeding vehicle driven by a drunk drift head on into my lane. Or off the road into a group of school kids. 

On the flip side, they do this a lot ... ban drinkers.

 

Have you ever seen a country (other than a muslim country) banning alcohol so often, throughout the years?

 

Full moon here, big day that ... no alcohol

7-11, and all other official supermarkets, from 14-17pm ... 12am-11am ... nope ... etc. etc. etc.

 

Must be a nation of alcoholics, how else you can explain all those 'ban alcohol' rules, non-stop?

 

Does it help? Maybe not ... another topic. But 'official' banning's are in place, all the time, a lot.

 

I never saw these frequent alcohol sales ban's anywhere else. Did you?

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by RedPill

[yankyoakum]

Yes Bogart that joint my friend, don't pass it to me...

[jmccarty]

Thank you Rooster! Good read!

[digger70]

3 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You are undoubtedly one of the self centered "cigarette pigs" who behave as if they have the right to light up next to anyone who may be enjoying fresh air for however brief a period, especially when they are sitting and eating in a restaurant or cafe. Reformed smokers deserve 100 times the respect for having overcome a terrible addiction and recognizing and taking responsibility for the intrusions they have perpetrated on others. Vaping is available to anyone who cannot defeat their addiction, and of those addicts anyone who chooses to smoke around other human beings ESPECIALLY children is an absolutely disgusting self centered pig. 90% of the western civilized world has recognized this and as such banned smoking in enclosed and public places. The one good thing about smoking is that the smoker's addiction is not contagious like covid 19 is, but the smoke you give off and let blow into an innocent person's face is proven to be harmful to that person. Smokers, you are like heroin addicts who leave their used needles laying around for others to stick themselves with. If you keep your foul poisonous stench within the confines of your own personal space without polluting anyone else's clean air, great. But you don't, do you? You can get away with it in thailand so you run around happily indulging in your foul and reprehensible addiction. 

It sounds that you have a Big Problem with Smokers . Are you just as Bad for people that Drink? Or people that drive a motor vehicle ( at least 55/60 Kills a day ) ? Get your Head out of the Clouds and Simmer down, the way you carry on you might be in for a failure of your Precious Heart.  

[Expat Tom]

Come one everyone, "brevity is close godliness"  and that certainly includes the "Rooster"

if you can't make your point in 70% less verbiage then kindly don't write anything at all.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

13 minutes ago, Expat Tom said:

Come one everyone, "brevity is close godliness"  and that certainly includes the "Rooster"

if you can't make your point in 70% less verbiage then kindly don't write anything at all.

 

 

That's like saying: Don't read the classics, they're full of unnecessary prose, just google the synopsis to get to the point of the story.

Not that I'm comparing Rooster to the Bard or Mark Twain.

Personally, I look forward to these weekly round-ups, especially with the fairly recent addition of links to other threads which I may have missed. I'm sure a lot of other members do too.

If you don't want to read the whole TWTWIT (as is your choice) you could just glance at the headline and move on.

 

[Stargeezr]

Another great article Rooster.  I just wished the red neck crowds in Canada and the USA would start wearing masks when out in public, not to protect themselves, but to protect those around

them. Just because someone feels healthy, are you, really? Do you want to be one of those

carriers that have infected someone in one of the thousands of senior residents that are

scattered across North America, and where today, hundreds of seniors are now sick and

dying? My wife and I both wear masks and gloves to try protect ourselves

and the people around us. Good luck to all of you there in hot

Thailand, and may you all get lots of rain this rainy season.

Geezer

[kiwikeith]

11 hours ago, RedPill said:

On the flip side, they do this a lot ... ban drinkers.

 

Have you ever seen a country (other than a muslim country) banning alcohol so often, throughout the years?

 

Full moon here, big day that ... no alcohol

7-11, and all other official supermarkets, from 14-17pm ... 12am-11am ... nope ... etc. etc. etc.

 

Must be a nation of alcoholics, how else you can explain all those 'ban alcohol' rules, non-stop?

 

Does it help? Maybe not ... another topic. But 'official' banning's are in place, all the time, a lot.

 

I never saw these frequent alcohol sales ban's anywhere else. Did you?

 

Nz has banned everything except essential services, alcohol soldi supermarkets OK, but not sold in liquor stores big money rules 

[car720]

On 4/11/2020 at 9:33 PM, Samui Bodoh said:

An interesting read as always...

 

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

 

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

 

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

 

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

 

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

 

 

Not right to advocate one policy for all.  We are not robots.  Would you like to live forever?  I wouldn't.  I have had a great life and I have been a smoker for most of it.  When I think of all the great things that we used to be able to do but we can no longer because of the vocal minorities, I am saddened.

[rumak]

Let's ban banners !!   or am i being banal ?  

[RedPill]

50 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

Nz has banned everything except essential services, alcohol soldi supermarkets OK, but not sold in liquor stores big money rules 

Interesting ... as you say, doesn't make any sense, other than $

 

 

[BlueT84]

The wife and i last night slept peacefully. Unlike every other year for Songkran. Where our house shakes for two weeks non stop. From the music from the competitive neighbors. 

[FarFlungFalang]

16 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You are undoubtedly one of the self centered "cigarette pigs" who behave as if they have the right to light up next to anyone who may be enjoying fresh air for however brief a period, especially when they are sitting and eating in a restaurant or cafe. Reformed smokers deserve 100 times the respect for having overcome a terrible addiction and recognizing and taking responsibility for the intrusions they have perpetrated on others. Vaping is available to anyone who cannot defeat their addiction, and of those addicts anyone who chooses to smoke around other human beings ESPECIALLY children is an absolutely disgusting self centered pig. 90% of the western civilized world has recognized this and as such banned smoking in enclosed and public places. The one good thing about smoking is that the smoker's addiction is not contagious like covid 19 is, but the smoke you give off and let blow into an innocent person's face is proven to be harmful to that person. Smokers, you are like heroin addicts who leave their used needles laying around for others to stick themselves with. If you keep your foul poisonous stench within the confines of your own personal space without polluting anyone else's clean air, great. But you don't, do you? You can get away with it in thailand so you run around happily indulging in your foul and reprehensible addiction. 

Funnily enough I absolutely agree with most of what you say except the first bit as I'm a closet smoker and smoke about six a day locked away upstairs out the back away from all and sundry but you seem pretty sure that you're undoubtedly right and a bit self righteous to boot so get your nickers in a knot if you like but please keep an eye on the blood pressure as it seems alarmingly high.  

[jomtienisgood]

16 hours ago, Em150 said:

Yes, I would tend to agree with the reformed smoker. I smoked for 40 years and quit, and find it quite repulsive that people in this day and age still smoke. Dont get me wrong, I have the odd cheeky one here and there but those who smoke more than me must be plain mad

Just being Cheap Charlie555555

[tifino]

15 hours ago, Mac98 said:

Ban smokers? Let's ban drinkers. I'd rather have a wiff of smoke drift my way than have a speeding vehicle driven by a drunk drift head on into my lane. Or off the road into a group of school kids. 

ban the lighting up bit...     en masse the unlit ones could well filter better than a flimsy mask ????  

 

[RocketDog]

On 4/11/2020 at 6:33 PM, Samui Bodoh said:

An interesting read as always...

 

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

 

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

 

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

 

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

 

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

 

 

So you are proposing yet another War on Drugs? As always, this must be done for "people's good". This deserves serious consideration. 

 

So much has been done for that reason the last few decades I'm mildly surprised that people are not yet 'better'. 

 

The Final Solution already has a template for action, written by a fella named Orwell several years ago. Check it out, it's titled "1984“ and is nothing if not inspirational. 

 

The sooner we get on with it the 'better' all of us will be. 

[johnarth]

On 4/11/2020 at 6:33 PM, Samui Bodoh said:

An interesting read as always...

 

I have truly given up on keeping track of all the minutia of the virus, but I am starting to wonder about the 'big picture' between binge-watching Netflix. 

 

The virus is going to have some fascinating effects on the planet and our societies; it is inevitable that humanity will need to make some changes and those changes will have huge implications and consequences. One change; as soon as there is an effective and cheap anti-bodies test (coming soon) to see who has some immunity becomes widely available, people will go back to work quickly as they simply have to. Those who do not get a pass from the test (and let's face it, many of TVF's retiree population won't get it soon) will have to continue to stay home/isolated and this will lead to two different classes of people. How are we as a species going to deal with that? Badly, if history is anything to go by. In time, a vaccine will (hopefully) solve that issue, but... Others will arise. However, that and other issues are for another day.

 

One measure that we should consider now is banning smoking (globally) to help in the fight against current and future contagious respiratory disease(s). Full disclosure: I was a smoker for 35 years and quit about three years ago. To those who feel that 'Reformed smokers are the worst' or that because I was a smoker I shouldn't comment on the subject, I say (respectfully) please place your objections inside your body's orifice which isn't normally impacted by the sun's rays. I was dumb as <deleted> for years, but I finally wised up, dealt with my addiction, and I hope others will as well.

 

As a species, we have been hit by three lethal, contagious, respiratory illnesses in the last twenty years (SARS, MERS, Covid-19) and it would be foolish to think we won't be hit by several more in the next twenty years. And, let's face it; the weaker among us, the ones who need or will need a lot of medical care/medical resources due to damaged lungs and/or their side-effects, are smokers. And, that does not even get into the ways that smokers can and will be vectors of transmission; anyone remember that one of the initial disease vectors/clusters in Bangkok was through sharing cigarettes (honestly, I strongly suspect it was weed; who shares cigarettes these days?)? Now, if there were some kind of benefit associated with smoking (with all the bad stuff, even booze has some benefits) we could continue on, but there are NO benefits to smoking. None. Zip. Nil. Nada. None. Should we penalize smokers now? At the risk of sounding self-serving, I would say 'No'; there are many (such as myself) who began smoking out of ignorance and I am too much of a Humanist to want to see people penalized for that. However, for people who start smoking now? Or, for people who do not quit? A different story...

 

I would be happy to see a global effort to systematically raise taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products every six (?) months, something like is occurring in Oz (I think), and the tax increases would continue until everyone just stopped for good. One idea on using the tax monies would be to fund global research into dealing with future respiratory disease outbreaks/pandemics, but off the top of my head I think only the UN could manage that kind of program and there would be the loony, right-wing Americans (and others) who believe in 'Black Helicopters' to deal with. I do not have all the answers, but... it is time to start asking the questions.

 

It is time to scrub the planet of the smoking scourge for the benefit of all; we are all going to need healthy/healthier lungs to fight what is here now and what is surely going to come in the future.

 

 

everybody is hiding away from the fact that China started this and they are free of the virus, with factories at full speed, surely that suggests they were not affected other than wuhan they at the very least must have a very good anti virus I would love to speak the full truth but it would be banded