Bangkok reopens with stylists in scrubs, plastic screens between diners

By Jorge Silva and Matthew Tostevin

 

People have lunch in a Taiwanese hot pot style restaurant that reopened after the easing of restrictions with the implementation of a plastic barrier and social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Businesses reopening in Bangkok on Monday after weeks of near lockdown were taking intense precautions to prevent new outbreaks of the coronavirus.

 

One restaurant placed home-made plastic barriers between tables to ensure customers maintained distance.

 

A hair salon could be mistaken for a medical ward, with stylists wearing goggles and plastic face shields and scrubs-style protective gowns.

 

For the foreseeable future, such scenes will be normal in the city where business is just getting going again now that new coronavirus cases have sharply reduced.

 

At the Hanji restaurant, which serves Taiwanese-style hot pot dishes, plastic screens had been set up between tables in line with government orders to keep customers two metres apart.

 

"It's kind of weird walking in and there's plastic everywhere," said Soranan, 30, an office worker.

 

But he understood the importance of safety.

 

"So, it might be weird in the beginning but take some time, I think people will get used to it and it will feel normal one day," he said.

 

The restaurant's Thai co-owner, Ittinun Trairatanobhas, said he and the staff built the barriers from plastic sheets and tubing.

 

"We follow all the rules that the government handed out and the Bangkok city gave out ... Whether it could prevent COVID-19, we cannot really tell," Ittinun said.

 

Hair stylist Ponpimon Meantaggi poses in a face mask and goggles to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Zahara Salon in Bangkok, Thailand May 4, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Tostevin

 

Elsewhere in Bangkok, a hair stylist at the Zahara Salon worked in protective goggles, a cloth mask and a plastic face shield as well as a gown and plastic hair cap.

 

"It's so nice being back at work, but now we feel as though we are doctors with what we have to wear," said stylist Ponpimon Meantaggi, 34.

 

Thailand in January was the first country outside China to report a case of the new coronavirus that since swept the globe, infecting 3.5 million and killing 460,000.

 

The Southeast Asian country has so far managed to hold its own cases down to 2,987, with a total of 54 deaths, but officials warn that reopening should be done carefully to avoid a new outbreak.

 

(Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Giles Elgood)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-05

 

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19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand in January was the first country outside China to report a case of the new coronavirus

Cough cough

 

I hope it's not sars-cov-2.

 

Anyway, they will be dropping these face shields shortly, I see the auntie in the back only has a face mask.

 

A soapy massage wrapped in clingfilm sounds interesting.  

Well, in the restaurant photo the guy is leaning over to the other side to get some food, so defeats the purpose of the screen. If two friends or a couple turn up together it makes no sense having a screen between them as they would have been in each others company before arriving at the restaurant. If it's two strangers sitting at one table, then I see the point of it.

 

I do think we are moving into a time of silly ideas and rules being implemented, mostly not thought out very well, but the intention is good.

12 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Well, in the restaurant photo the guy is leaning over to the other side to get some food, so defeats the purpose of the screen.

He's the go-between.  Makes sense.  

Gets  more stupid  by the day. Once again it's  the land of  show.

Edited May 4, 20206 yr by bodga

The restaurant is a fail for me.....they didn't use blue pvc pipe!

Sometimes the insanity of Thailand affects many farang....but going to a restaurant with this nonsense, wont!

Numpties

Lack of enforcement ,boredom,realization of the real risk and lastly Thainess will end all the new protocols quick smart.

With the odd police MSM raid for show..

3 hours ago, bodga said:

Gets  more stupid  by the day. Once again it's  the land of  show.

Children always want more.

You would rather "the land of show me more deaths."

I really wonder about the future. I was out yesterday enquiring about building materials - I just gave up and walked out, I couldn’t hear the woman speak Just some muffled garbage, It wasn’t a language thing, the wife couldn’t understand her either. 

 

 

Quote

Thailand in January was the first country outside China to report a case of the new coronavirus that since swept the globe, infecting 3.5 million and killing 460,000.

Just read today on BBC News that France had the first case in December 2019!

 

Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52526554

Edited May 5, 20206 yr by petedk
Added Link

And still the glasses, cups, dishes, spoons, forks and sometimes knives aren't washed in steaming hot water.... Hygiene in Thailand... It is a 3rd world country and it always will be.

5 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

If two friends or a couple turn up together it makes no sense having a screen between them as they would have been in each others company before arriving at the restaurant. If it's two strangers sitting at one table, then I see the point of it.

So does that mean the proprietor should ask every customer if they journeyed together or are strangers?

Therefore leaving or removing the screen?

Screen stays, friends or not.. why make life more tedious than it already is?

 

This is beyond ridiculous. 555555555555

Lol....Referring to the pic of a "Taiwanese-style hot pot restaurant", I am in Taiwan right now and walk by many hot pot restaurants each day......in fact one right in front of my home......and other than distancing the tables and staff with masks, there is nothing else different and definitely no screens here!!  p.s. They are way better at preventing it here so they must know something 

7 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So does that mean the proprietor should ask every customer if they journeyed together or are strangers?

Therefore leaving or removing the screen?

Screen stays, friends or not.. why make life more tedious than it already is?

 

Restaurants normally ask how many many is in your party anyway. It looks like the screen is permanent so they can seat more at a table.. ie 2 different couples.

There's no point is there, we've already adapted to eating more often at home ( and better food) most restaurants are just mediocre at best anyway and questionable sanitation.  I can text the barber and they come straight away ( for now )  and now we're treated like inmates in a service business...The death of business by government strangling...

 

What'll they think of next ? 

The new normal?

 

48 minutes ago, recom273 said:

I really wonder about the future. I was out yesterday enquiring about building materials - I just gave up and walked out, I couldn’t hear the woman speak Just some muffled garbage, It wasn’t a language thing, the wife couldn’t understand her either. 

This is the new “normal.” Bitch and whine all you want. You will not get any service.

18 minutes ago, hioctane said:

This is the new “normal.” Bitch and whine all you want. You will not get any service.

Yes, it could be the new normal, or people could adapt like they have done throughout evolution.

 

All I asked her to do was speak louder and clearer through her mask. Is that bitching and moaning? 

So there will be more plastic then.

6 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

I do think we are moving into a time of silly ideas and rules being implemented, mostly not thought out very well, but the intention is good.

You write as if that's something new in Thailand, when in fact it's the norm ????

So much for death of the planet by plastic....more rubbish on the roads from the litter Kings. Thailand the land of clutter ...

6 hours ago, torturedsole said:

A soapy massage wrapped in clingfilm sounds interesting.  

 and a happyender massager cops copyright infringement, for offering a glad wrap

https://off-guardian.org/2020/04/29/watch-dr-erickson-covid19-briefing-censored-by-youtube/

Now they try to put all deaths on covid.. time to wake up.. 

These guys were censored.

What they say makes sense. The virus lives on plastic for up to 3 days... we will all be exposed at some stage. Sheltering at home is NOT the answer.

1 hour ago, Tops said:

And still the glasses, cups, dishes, spoons, forks and sometimes knives aren't washed in steaming hot water.... Hygiene in Thailand... It is a 3rd world country and it always will be.

I always say cold water never cleans anything

25 minutes ago, recom273 said:

Yes, it could be the new normal, or people could adapt like they have done throughout evolution.

 

All I asked her to do was speak louder and clearer through her mask. Is that bitching and moaning? 

I had the same problem the other week at the builders merchants and I speak Thai dont need my wife

if someone is in this enclosed space and is infected then these screens are absolutely pointless - it is in the air 

 

Ventilation is very important and a good flow of air to the outside otherwise you are creating the cruise ship scenario 

 

You can't fault them for trying