People told to avoid travelling to other provincess unless essential

By THE NATION

 

 

The government has urged people to refrain from inter-provincial travel except for necessary cases, according to a notification in the Royal Gazette published on May 1 but effective from May 3.

 

 

In essential cases, they have to show evidence of the need and be screened for Covid-19.

 

The gazette also bans mass gathering such as seminars, meetings and food giving. It has also authorised governors to close risky venues, such as pubs, bars, movie theatres, playgrounds, water theme parks, zoos, skate rinks as well as department stores.

 

The moves are in line with the government extension of the state emergency to May 31 from April 30.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30387179?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-05-03

 

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One could say its a tad late with this notice. 

The escape is well and truly underway 

Horse stable door bolted etc.

i truly hope where will not be another spike. 

good luck everyone. 

They were stupid to allow this long weekend hoiday in the first place, just what did they expect !

They seem to be constantly one step behind.

 

In all fairness, I can understand people wanting to get back home. Cramped inside a flat for weeks unend isn't normal. I'm sure being back with family and friends, bigger open spaces will do a lot of people the world of good. 

2 minutes ago, JoePai said:

They were stupid to allow this long weekend hoiday in the first place, just what did they expect !

 

Thai  logic

So the governors are looking after things?

I don't live in Phuket, so correct my misunderstanding regarding Phuket.

Think they had 40,000 folk wanting off the island. Also governor encouraging "non residents" to nick off. Then next talk about in future to enter Phuket  will require proof that you live there.

So of course the stampede at the bridge causing it to be closed was somehow not thought about in advance. 

Surely I just imagined that stuff or perhaps a dream.

Don't you think it a little bit to late to say this.  You can not sent out your military to stop them now.  Thais will not listen anyway.

open all the roads remove lockdowns then tell people not to travel 

 

This really is Thailand - the HUB of organised confusion

I dont know, maybe this is the plan. The numbers are low as is the spread, allow people home as many will stay there due to being out of work, Its easier and cheaper to have them at home. Maybe there will be increased spread in the provinces and they are expecting it but at manageable numbers. This virus cannot be cured yet, just managed, cant keep out of work people locked up in cities forever. Overall they have not done a bad job so far, take a look at some of the more 'developed' countries.

 

This thing is going to be a roller coaster for a while, get used to good and bad news.

Coming out of the lockdown as shown in other parts of the world involves some very careful planning and discipline to not risk a second spike. 
 

Thailand has neither. 
 

On the 30 km of Highway 11 between my village and Lamphun on May 1st, the traffic coming from the south was heavy and about 1/2 had BKK license plates. 
Given that the normal police checkpoints on Highway 11 were not checking traffic, I can only assume this to be 'typically Thai' as, "We'll tell you not to travel, but we won't stop you if you do."  TIT.

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So the governors are looking after things?

I don't live in Phuket, so correct my misunderstanding regarding Phuket.

Think they had 40,000 folk wanting off the island. Also governor encouraging "non residents" to nick off. Then next talk about in future to enter Phuket  will require proof that you live there.

So of course the stampede at the bridge causing it to be closed was somehow not thought about in advance. 

Surely I just imagined that stuff or perhaps a dream.

The authoritarian governors can't get out of their own way in their quest to destroy both tourism and their local economies for a long, long time.
Unintended consequences aside, they seem to be on track to succeed in their quest.  Kudos! 

4 hours ago, JoePai said:

They were stupid to allow this long weekend hoiday in the first place, just what did they expect !

The government understands the consequences of not 'allowing this long weekend' as well as other holidays and long weekends to come. Especially considering that Songkran was monkey-hammered by said ruling elite. 
I'd suggest that most Westerners don't have a handle on either Thai history in general nor Thai cultural history, and as such don't understand the implicit "social contracts" that govern the ebb and flow of power between ruling elites and the commoners, and vice versa, in this highly nationalistic country.
Don't be mistaken by thinking the Thai plebs have no power - they do.

From the Thai National Anthem
"Thais love peace but are not afraid to fight."
"We are ready to die for freedom, security, and prosperity!"

For anyone living here for any length of time, we all know that Thais will keep that calm, cool smile on - until they don't - and then look out. 
Those who are attempting to lock-down their citizen and have destroyed the Thai economy in the process also understand that if they don't allow the social pressure to bleed off, then "Look Out!"  Same, same. No difference.  It's a trade off. 
 

12 minutes ago, connda said:

Unintended consequences aside, they seem to be on track to succeed in their quest.  Kudos

This thai news forum has 3+ threads where governors are showing flop out mentality. One is domestic flights where 5 regional governors have declared 14 day isolation for arrivals. All the others do not.

Then there is the end of booze ban. Bangkok along with vast majority ended ban. Couple of areas next to Bangkok have continued ban. 

The Phuket governor is making Anutin look clever, which is no easy feat.

I'm not missing Faulty towers living in los the same. 

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

This thai news forum has 3+ threads where governors are showing flop out mentality. One is domestic flights where 5 regional governors have declared 14 day isolation for arrivals. All the others do not.

Then there is the end of booze ban. Bangkok along with vast majority ended ban. Couple of areas next to Bangkok have continued ban. 

The Phuket governor is making Anutin look clever, which is no easy feat.

I'm not missing Faulty towers living in los the same. 

 

People who live in provinces that have extended the booze ban will simply drive across the border to one that hasn't and bring their booty back. Really well thought out!

 

At times like this, their needs to be strong central leadership, well thought out and well coordinated plans, with everyone implementing the same plan, in the same way, at the same time. Have you ever seen that happen here? Everyone and anyone with a little bit of authority will become a self appointed expert and implement it as they see fit - and will never loose face and change their mind!

 

Come on, they can't even enforce rules on taxis not refusing fares and using their meters; or even the price of lottery tickets!

Maybe people driving to their local supermarkets to stock up on "booze" today, before the ban starts again tomorrow until May 31st!!

 

Essential = Because I want to.

8 hours ago, JoePai said:

They were stupid to allow this long weekend hoiday in the first place, just what did they expect !

no foresight in thailand.....all these big bosses !!!!

Don't you just love the Thai government? 

 

Thailand has a population that is statistically under-intelligent, and by any measure under-educated. Nevertheless, great reliance appears to be being placed on their opinion of what is essential or not. 

 

I can't make up my mind whether that position is ridiculous or just naive.

19 hours ago, JoePai said:

They were stupid to allow this long weekend hoiday in the first place, just what did they expect !

The holiday was allowed because a high number of people have continued employment as normal and having Songkran cancelled felt they needed a break.

What was stupid was not adding the caveat that no non essential inter provincial travel would be allowed!

No stops or checkpoints at all coming in from upcountry, through Saraburi and Ayutthaya on Highway 1 into BKK yesterday. Traffic was pretty smooth. We were on motorbike so kept mostly to the frontage roads. It was there we encountered the only slowdown, a Thai Rath crew handing out free drinks. ????

13 hours ago, ParkerN said:

Thailand has a population that is statistically under-intelligent, and by any measure under-educated. Nevertheless, great reliance appears to be being placed on their opinion of what is essential or not. 

There you have it in a nut-shell

Non-essential is "subjective" and will be read differently by every Thai person.

17 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

People who live in provinces that have extended the booze ban will simply drive across the border to one that hasn't and bring their booty back. Really well thought out!

 

At times like this, their needs to be strong central leadership, well thought out and well coordinated plans, with everyone implementing the same plan, in the same way, at the same time. Have you ever seen that happen here? Everyone and anyone with a little bit of authority will become a self appointed expert and implement it as they see fit - and will never loose face and change their mind!

 

Come on, they can't even enforce rules on taxis not refusing fares and using their meters; or even the price of lottery tickets!

 

 

 

I don't agree with your one-size fits all approach. 

 

There needs to be different requirements for different provinces. I find it hard to argue with the government having central, minimal, strategic requirements and provincial governors having the ability to INCREASE measures if they feel it is warranted in their province.

 

 

The issue then becomes the Thai inability to be reasoned, consistent - and as you stated actually enforce the decisions that have been made.

 

I had a couple of examples yesterday... in the morning I traveled by motorbike into Pattaya; I showed a copy of my passport and said that I lived in Sattahip (I had a copy of my PEA bill but did not need to show it)  and was promptly waved through. I decided to go back into Pattaya later, prior to setting off for Buriram. I was in my car this time and encountered a young army guy who would not accept the same paperwork and insisted that he could not let in without a completed access form. The slight irony is that I understand the checkpoints are being removed tomorrow. I aborted my plans and headed to Buriram.

 

 

I had previously acquired my Buriram Healthy sticker and as I had previously traveled out of the province before 1st May it was not removed from my passport. I wasn't sure what to expect when crossing the border into Buriram (there is a normal army checkpoint as you enter the province on the 348 road. I wanted to try and keep my 'Healthy' sticker so I prepared copies of my passport, immigration stamps, address and contact details for the missus. The rules spoke of 'quarantine' and wanted to ensure that the worst thing I faced was home isolation for 14 days.

 

I needn't have worried. As on an earlier occasion I was simply taken to one side at the checkpoint and my name, passport, address and contact details were entered on a schedule. I was the third Farang yesterday by the looks of it. I was then waved on. 

 

Will I be contacted by the local Poo Yai Ban/local health officials to be checked over and then checked that I self-isolate? I very much doubt it, which simply makes a mockery of the system and is further evidence that the Thais can implement whatever rules they wish, but is likely they will be incapable of enforcing them.

If you think for one moment that the workers have not been coming home since the beginning of April. You must be living on cloud Cuckoo land.

If I was placed out of work then told I could get 5K but a month. Then told oops sorry seems we do t have enough money now to do that but stay put! Not a hope in Hell I would have been traveling however I could to get home.

So please all the hollier than thou and the well Thais are underclass preachers out there time you sat back and realized Thailand is and will be for sometime to come a third world country. They are a proud people and one plus they were never colonized.