Pattaya: Keep the lockdown! But when restrictions lift pubs and bars should be last to open, says expert

[cyril sneer]

he wants them closed for good, just doesn't want to say it

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, Gandtee said:

Strange? I haven't read of how the Pattaya blockade is working? Is it still in operation?

I should have made myself clearer. I was referring to the road blocks separating the Dark Side from Pattaya. If they are still working are there any traffic jams?

[Skallywag]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Yea I mean bars won't be able to handle social distancing.. i mean sound and people wanting to talk .. and much more with the girls. Social distancing just wont work in bars and many other venues. 

Social distancing is not working now.  Baht buses putting "x" so sitting areas separated 2', when the rule is 6' ?  6' likely won't help if someone coughs or sneezes or even yells into their cell phone in your direction anyway...why we must continue to wear masks 

Bars OK as you can drink through a straw and leave mask on while talking.

Restaurants OK as servers can stay safe with masks on.

Of course - 50% of people will not follow any sort of rules in my view, so until we all get it or there is a vaccine, it really doesn't matter in the long run likely. 

Just trying to keep the hospitals from being overrun is the only "plan" any government has at this point

[scubascuba3]

5 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

I should have made myself clearer. I was referring to the road blocks separating the Dark Side from Pattaya. If they are still working are there any traffic jams?

Strangely no mention, nothing posted on the News sites, Pattaya News etc and Facebook. Maybe it's not being manned and we would have heard about the fallout. I doubt it would be working smoothly

[Moonlover]

Anyone who has ever worked behind the bar and had to stay sober and clear headed, will be well aware that alcohol and 'social distancing' are mutually exclusive. I've seen it many times.

 

The booze starts to flow, the noise level goes up, folks start to shout to make themselves heard, inhibitions fall away and, inevitably, they get closer together. And of course there are no masks. We all saw in the press what happened when a group met up for a party in Bangkok. Only one of them was infected at the time, but it wasn't long before the virus spread out to infect hundreds.

 

Until it can be guaranteed that everyone on the premises, staff or customers are free of the virus or are immune to it, the bars will have to stay closed. In reality that means until Thailand has achieved herd immunity, which will quite some time yet.

 

If we want normality to return, we're all going to have to be patient.

 

 

[totally thaied up]

1 hour ago, kevin612 said:

I agree, entertainment are the last to open because everyone wants no social distance with the partner.

I have to agree. None of my friends would keep 2 meters away from a hooker girl when buying them a paid drink.

[smedly]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

I also don't see how restaurants would work.. I mean your on a table together and eating together. Not sure how those things would work. Same goes for gyms and the likes. I think it will be quite hard to keep social distance in many places. 

 

The beach should be open IMHO as you can keep enough room. 

you're not quite getting the reason for ending the lockdown

 

The Thai government doesn't want to pay out money to people out of work most of which work in the entertainment/hospitality business including bars etc 

 

If they end the lockdown they think that is a good enough reason not to pay people 5k a month - what they don't realise is that many of these establishments have gone to the wall already plus there is no customer base for those that manage to open - the country is shafted they just haven't realised yet

[Surelynot]

A long and effective lockdown could present a serious danger.

 

Once the infection/death rate is so low that lockdown is lifted, too few people will have been exposed to the virus and the virus could take off again.

 

I think all "at risk" people should have been given the chance to isolate/self quarantine and the rest of us left to take our chances (protecting the economy at the same time). That way immunity would have built up in the population and the "at risk" people could then re-emerge into society.

[fforest1]

My suggestion is to ban anymore hyped stories in the media about Covid....Or better yet ban any stories at at all about Covid in Thailand....Allow all travel in and out of Thailand......Ban the use of masks.....Ban temperature checks.......Ban social distancing Allow all business to reopen...

 

And with-in a few months people will be moving ahead with their lives and this unpleasent situation can be forgotten........And sick people can continue to go to the hospital for every diseases known to mankind like they always have.....   

Edited April 17, 2020 by fforest1

[Jingthing]

It's going to be a long time before they even let tourists in without a 2 week quarantine. 

 

People are in denial. 

 

This pain lasts 2 years easy. 

 

Then it won't be the same Thailand or the same world. 

 

Bars opening soon? 

Aside from the covid where are the customers? 

Absurd! 

[Zikomat]

39 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Anyone who has ever worked behind the bar and had to stay sober and clear headed, will be well aware that alcohol and 'social distancing' are mutually exclusive. I've seen it many times.

 

The bigger problem is that "social life" and "social distancing" are mutually exclusive. And you don't get social distancing only by prohibiting alcohol, smoking and prostitution. People will still interact and interact a lot even without all this "evil stuff".

 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Zikomat

[zeamonkey]

24 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

A long and effective lockdown could present a serious danger.

 

Once the infection/death rate is so low that lockdown is lifted, too few people will have been exposed to the virus and the virus could take off again.

 

I think all "at risk" people should have been given the chance to isolate/self quarantine and the rest of us left to take our chances (protecting the economy at the same time). That way immunity would have built up in the population and the "at risk" people could then re-emerge into society.

Someone on thaivisa GETS IT. Read this and skip the rest. Everybody seem to have their own motives for wanting to keep bars closed....

[scubascuba3]

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's going to be a long time before they even let tourists in without a 2 week quarantine. 

 

People are in denial. 

 

This pain lasts 2 years easy. 

 

Then it won't be the same Thailand or the same world. 

 

Bars opening soon? 

Aside from the covid where are the customers? 

Absurd! 

Macron suggested September is the earliest for visas in France and includes a covid test when applying for visa and another one just prior to travel. As countries copy each other this could be the same for Thailand

[twocatsmac]

20 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's going to be a long time before they even let tourists in without a 2 week quarantine. 

 

People are in denial. 

 

This pain lasts 2 years easy. 

 

Then it won't be the same Thailand or the same world. 

 

Bars opening soon? 

Aside from the covid where are the customers? 

Absurd! 

The customers for the foreseeable future are bored expats. 

On the bright side, when the bars do reopen the girls should have shed a few kilos.

[Moonlover]

25 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

A long and effective lockdown could present a serious danger.

 

Once the infection/death rate is so low that lockdown is lifted, too few people will have been exposed to the virus and the virus could take off again.

 

I think all "at risk" people should have been given the chance to isolate/self quarantine and the rest of us left to take our chances (protecting the economy at the same time). That way immunity would have built up in the population and the "at risk" people could then re-emerge into society.

ultimately this is what must happen, unless the whole country is prepared to sit on its hands until a vaccine comes along. I actually called for this approach about two months ago and was called an idiot.

 

Herd immunity is natures way of dealing with a threat like this and right now we're inhibiting nature.

 

The argument against a complete opening up is that the medical facilities will be overwhelmed. We've seen it happen in some countries already. So a gradual lifting is, probably the wiser approach.

 

I'm being realistic about this. I am one of those in the vulnerable group, but I'm prepared to take my chances with this virus. So the sooner the country starts to open up, the better.

[Matzzon]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

drinkers in places like Pattaya could be the last in the queue when it comes to reopening Thailand

That´s nothing out of the normal and a sensible choice. Actually there are many things they are last in line for in a regular society.

 

 

[TheAceFace]

This does not make sense, if there are no infections, why should all places be closed, all people will be free of the virus if we are to believe the media. The whole world is crazy

[Chivas]

People are dying left right and centre worldwide but for many bars still come first

Keep them closed for the rest of 2020

[Don Mega]

16 minutes ago, TheAceFace said:

This does not make sense, if there are no infections, why should all places be closed, all people will be free of the virus if we are to believe the media. The whole world is crazy

Currently there is still 964 active cases in Thailand, do you want to sit on a bar stool next to one of them ?

Edited April 17, 2020 by Don Mega

[Jingthing]

13 minutes ago, TheAceFace said:

This does not make sense, if there are no infections, why should all places be closed, all people will be free of the virus if we are to believe the media. The whole world is crazy

 Nobody said there are no infections. Generally countries are trying to get the infection rate well under R1 before graduating beginning to open up. 

[petermik]

Going out and having a social drink with your wife/girlfriend is a no no.....but standing shoulder to shoulder on the BTS at rush hour is OK?

[CGW]

5 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Currently there is still 964 active cases in Thailand, do you want to sit on a bar stool next to one of them ?

As the vast majority are 70 years old+++, most likely have a "pre existing condition" they are already sick with, diabetes being the most common! the odds are pretty low on that happening, but why let common sense prevail? 

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, CGW said:

As the vast majority are 70 years old+++, most likely have a "pre existing condition" they are already sick with, diabetes being the most common! the odds are pretty low on that happening, but why let common sense prevail? 

Don't be so sure. 

People of all ages get infected and even die. 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/the-coronavirus-is-killing-americans-under-age-50/

 

Also everyone should well understand that official case counts are always undercounts sometimes extreme undercounts. 

 

Why? 

About 25 to 50 percent have no symptoms. 

Never counted. 

Mild symptoms very common

Most of them never tested never counted. 

Limited testing resources. 

Strict screening criteria to be worthy of a test. 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Jingthing

[scotsdude]

Some expert.... Same should be said for shopping malls, cinemas etc etc etc etc. 

[Traubert]

9 minutes ago, CGW said:

As the vast majority are 70 years old+++, most likely have a "pre existing condition" they are already sick with, diabetes being the most common! the odds are pretty low on that happening, but why let common sense prevail? 

And they're 80% male.......????

[Don Mega]

8 minutes ago, CGW said:

As the vast majority are 70 years old+++, most likely have a "pre existing condition" they are already sick with, diabetes being the most common! the odds are pretty low on that happening, but why let common sense prevail? 

The other issue the stats for testing in Thailand is 1440 people per 1 million population... That there is the reason why the total cases (2700 total/964 active) is very low.

 

Of those 964 active, am sure Thai authorities believe they are all filthy Farangs !!

Edited April 17, 2020 by Don Mega

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Possibly some will congregate in the likes of Starbucks or Amazon for a coffee.

As far as I am concerned they are bars with coffee rather than beer.

Big no-no's are obviously sporting events......

If there are truly near zero cases within the country then what is the issue... letting people in is the problem Like the UK who just flew in a load of Romanians to pick fruit, we need the fruit, but do we need the contagion and high unemployment!

 

[CGW]

1 minute ago, Don Mega said:

The other issue the stats for testing in Thailand is 1440 people per 1 million population... That there is the reason why the total cases (2700 total/964 active) is very low.

If you have read what the test actually tests for and how hugely inaccurate it is for "19" specific testing, it pains me to say that Thailand probably had the correct testing criteria!

"The test cannot rule out diseases caused by other bacterial or viral pathogens."

https://www.fda.gov/media/136525/download

[CGW]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Like the UK who just flew in a load of Romanians to pick fruit, we need the fruit, but do we need the contagion and high unemployment!

Greed! Singapore has a problem now as they kept the "slave labour" working, living in camps, at best 12 to a room, perfect conditions for the spread of any disease! Its hitting them now.

[Traubert]

5 minutes ago, CGW said:

If you have read what the test actually tests for and how hugely inaccurate it is for "19" specific testing, it pains me to say that Thailand probably had the correct testing criteria!

"The test cannot rule out diseases caused by other bacterial or viral pathogens."

https://www.fda.gov/media/136525/download

That much has always been obvious.