COVID-19 in Samut Sakhon: Hunt on for two Myanmar workers - people not wearing masks face 20k THB fines

 

Picture: Daily News

 

The governor of Samut Sakhon province south west of the Thai capital of Bangkok said that authorities were hunting for two Myanmar workers after a 67 year old owner of a shrimp and fish business at the local market tested positive for Covid-19.

 

Eighteen close contacts of the woman have been determined. Sixteen have been tested - ten negative, six pending. But the Myanmar pair had yet to be found by yesterday evening, said Wirasak Wijitsaengsri. 

 

The infected woman is in hospital in the province after showing symptoms on 13th December and testing positive yesterday.

 

Daily News posted timelines and movements of close contacts who are mostly family members. 

 

An investigation is underway as to how the woman contacted the virus. People such as customers and fellow traders at the market in Mahachai are being contacted. 

 

Deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Phatpakorn Chanprasert ordered all people in the province to wear masks when out of doors or face fines of 20,000 baht under regulations to cover the spread of the virus. 

 

The governor implored people to just get their news from official sources and not listen to rumors. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-12-18

 

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Deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Phatpakorn Chanprasert ordered all people in the province to wear masks when out of doors or face fines of 20,000 baht under regulations to cover the spread of the virus. 
_______________________________________________

 

Will never happen to Thais.  What a ridiculous comment to make.

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

Deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Phatpakorn Chanprasert ordered all people in the province to wear masks when out of doors or face fines of 20,000 baht under regulations to cover the spread of the virus. 

 

But when people are eating in the overcrowded foodmalls, the masks come off. Is it 20.000b fine if you sitt on an X marked chair too? 

Sounds like a right racket.

just yesterday in the big smog i counted about 50 thais on one road without masks. 50x20,000 is a million baht on one street alone out of how many???

 

the government are definitely on to a winner here ????

Linked article is in Thai, so am asking here...is there some law, or rule, regarding the mandatory wearing of masks and associated fines?

 

I honestly do not recall such a thing.

 

Various poo-yai of Thailand routinely appear in public without masks.

 

 

Maybe this is in the Emergency Decree?

 

 

8 minutes ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Sounds like a right racket.

just yesterday in the big smog i counted about 50 thais on one road without masks. 50x20,000 is a million baht on one street alone out of how many???

 

the government are definitely on to a winner here ????

Not really...unless they somehow tie it to car tax renewals or some other service denial....nobody is going to pay that fine.

13 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Phatpakorn Chanprasert ordered all people in the province to wear masks when out of doors or face fines of 20,000 baht under regulations to cover the spread of the virus. 

 

13 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Deputy provincial police chief Pol Col Phatpakorn Chanprasert ordered all people in the province to wear masks when out of doors or face fines of 20,000 baht under regulations to cover the spread of the virus. 
_______________________________________________

 

Will never happen to Thais.  What a ridiculous comment to make.

Many hundreds of kilometers away, in Sakon Nakhon, where the risk of contracting Covid 19 is negligible, and always has been, most people are still wearing masks in public. The Thai population have been very cooperative in this regard, so if anyone has made a ridiculous comment, it's you.

The ridiculous comment was referring to the so called hefty fines for not wearing a mask outdoors

12 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

 

Many hundreds of kilometers away, in Sakon Nakhon, where the risk of contracting Covid 19 is negligible, and always has been, most people are still wearing masks in public. The Thai population have been very cooperative in this regard, so if anyone has made a ridiculous comment, it's you.

Think before you type.

Samut Sakhon is hub for seafood industry, some 250 000 work here (including those on fishing boats). Majority of them are burmese. As many of them are slaves, working for food and shelter, they might be crossing borders illegally (no quarantine), without working visa, with expired visas. So tracing them is difficult.

They are crossing borders each way unchecked, there are less than 150km to birma. Their "employers" and mafia are smuggling new workers for $100 - point to point, or the old are doing it by themselves. 

 

Wearing masks is mandatory in confined and crowded places and should be signed, posted fine is usually 2000b.

 

In theory those bluewish face masks are also PM2.5, but because they are flimsy there are always some holes. So would partially protect from viruses, bacteria, but not smog. There was no smog on Thursday, because of earlier rainfall. There was smog for several days before Wednesday.

Edited December 18, 20205 yr by internationalism

Not too far from there, here in Prachuap  very few people wearing masks here !

55 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Linked article is in Thai, so am asking here...is there some law, or rule, regarding the mandatory wearing of masks and associated fines?

 

I honestly do not recall such a thing.

 

Various poo-yai of Thailand routinely appear in public without masks.

 

 

Maybe this is in the Emergency Decree?

 

 

I suspect that you will find it is a Police Colonel getting his five minutes..

 

Before he appeared to announce this he no doubt nipped home to put on his newest tightest uniform, then round to the barbers for a really razor sharp buzzcut.

Burmese always make handy scapegoats...not a very pretty side of Thailand. 

Edited December 18, 20205 yr by Pattaya Spotter

4 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

I suspect that you will find it is a Police Colonel getting his five minutes..

 

So he's spreading fake news?

 

I've searched a bit, can't find anything re: laws/rules/punishments/fines for mandatory masks.

 

Yes, certain places can require masks for entry/use.

 

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

An investigation is underway as to how the woman contacted the virus. People such as customers and fellow traders at the market in Mahachai are being contacted. 

That could be from a few hindered to several thousand if her stall was popular.  better check the other traders in the same building or Talad.

Samut Sakhon tightens control measures after woman tests positive for Covid-19

By THE NATION

 

 

A 67-year-old woman who runs a seafood shop has been confirmed positive for Covid-19 in Samut Sakhon province.

 

Provincial Governor Weerasak Wijitsaengsri told a press conference on Thursday evening that the Department of Disease Control had confirmed a Covid-19 case in the province.

 

“The patient is a 67-year-old woman who runs a seafood shop in Samut Sakhon Prawn Market in Mahachai subdistrict,” he said.

 

“She showed symptoms of muscle ache and loss of her ability to smell on December 13. She was tested at a private hospital. The test came back positive and she was sent to Samut Sakhon Hospital for treatment until Thursday, when she took the test again and was confirmed to be infected with the Covid-19 virus.”

 

 

The governor added that the patient’s travel history and close contacts had been tracked and tested. He said 16 out of 18 persons who were in close contact with her had been tested and placed in quarantine. Ten of the results already received were all negative.

 

“Officials are tracking two persons who have not been tested yet. They are Myanmar workers who had visited the patient’s shop,” he added.

 

“We are still tracking the origin of the infection in this case. People should stay tuned for updates from the province authorities and refrain from believing rumours or news from unconfirmed sources.

 

“The province has ordered the Samut Sakhon Prawn Market to shut down for one day on Thursday for cleaning and disinfection, while the patient’s seafood shop has been closed for three days,” Weerasak added.

 

 

“We urge people to wear face masks, wash their hands regularly, maintain social distancing and avoid going to crowded areas.”

 

Samut Sakhon police chief Pol Colonep Phatpakorn Chanprasert added that police would strictly enforce the rules that had been used in the province during the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year to control the outbreak.

 

“This includes fining up to Bt20,000 anyone who does not wear a face mask in public,” he said.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30399796

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-12-18

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

11 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Burmese always make handy scapegoats...not a very pretty side of Thailand. 

Given the huge Burmese migrant population in Samut Sakhon, the  dire Covid 19 situation in Myanmar and the fact that there are many illegal crossings I think its a fair one in this case.

2 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

So he's spreading fake news?

 

I've searched a bit, can't find anything re: laws/rules/punishments/fines for mandatory masks.

 

Yes, certain places can require masks for entry/use.

 

 

He wouldn't see it like that - the exact content of what he said is the least important part of the process. I doubt if any thought went in to exactly how it was to be enforced, and what, if any, legislation existed to allow it to be enforced. By contrast I should imagine that lots of time , energy (and budget) went into ensuring that the right media representatives were there, that the podium was properly lit, the backdrop sufficiently dramatic and the obligatory bouquet of white and yellow flowers, with accompanying ribbons in place.

 

That is what is important.

10 minutes ago, sungod said:

Given the huge Burmese migrant population in Samut Sakhon, the  dire Covid 19 situation in Myanmar and the fact that there are many illegal crossings I think its a fair one in this case.

The Thais have had 10 months to send them packing or provide them with PPE (don't make me laugh)...their employers are more than happy to profit off of slave labour and then throw a hissy-fit when a Thai boss gets infected. 

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

Linked article is in Thai, so am asking here...is there some law, or rule, regarding the mandatory wearing of masks and associated fines?

 

I honestly do not recall such a thing.

 

Various poo-yai of Thailand routinely appear in public without masks.

 

 

Maybe this is in the Emergency Decree?

Just the usual, 'it's not a crime until someone important decides it is'.

 

No Thai will ever pay a 20,000thb fine for not wearing a mask, but they might be able to extort a few foreigners, if there are any here left to extort that is.

Wear a mask "when out of doors" or face a 20K fine??? <deleted>?????

 

I don't believe that's the law.

1 hour ago, brucegoniners said:

Wear a mask "when out of doors" or face a 20K fine??? <deleted>?????

 

I don't believe that's the law.

That's it! Put  everyone in jail for not wearing a mask so we don't have to worry about tourism.

Sounds like paranoid xenophobia to me. There us absolutely no evidence in this story that these devious Myanmar deviants eve actually have the virus !

The School Fees and "Mia Noi's" ... Have to be paid for somehow.

 

Can Never rely on Tourism Income eh???

8 hours ago, anchadian said:

The ridiculous comment was referring to the so called hefty fines for not wearing a mask outdoors

Yes, apologies. I did misinterpret you post. ????

3 hours ago, brucegoniners said:

Wear a mask "when out of doors" or face a 20K fine??? <deleted>?????

 

I don't believe that's the law.

I doubt that would be a valid defence if it went to court

perhaps they should add the word 'correctly' to the statement......

9 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

Many hundreds of kilometers away, in Sakon Nakhon, where the risk of contracting Covid 19 is negligible, and always has been, most people are still wearing masks in public. The Thai population have been very cooperative in this regard, so if anyone has made a ridiculous comment, it's you.

Nice to hear some people are wearing masks.  Up my way if they fined everybody 20,000 baht the place would be bankrupt.  NO-ONE wears a must.......NO-ONE!!  And whats worse is my wife and I are laughed at for wearing one, followed by a RIDICULOUS question like "Oh, youre not finished with Covid19?"  as though we each have a choice??

 

Below is a  pic for example, taken the two days ago, following a motor cycle accident in our soi. Two 10 year old children (more thais being cooperative with the law) ran off the bridge.  Not one person in the crowd of 20 people was wearing a mask.

 

I think you need to get out more.

 

 

10 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

Nice to hear some people are wearing masks.  Up my way if they fined everybody 20,000 baht the place would be bankrupt.  NO-ONE wears a must.......NO-ONE!!  And whats worse is my wife and I are laughed at for wearing one, followed by a RIDICULOUS question like "Oh, youre not finished with Covid19?"  as though we each have a choice??

 

Below is a  pic for example, taken the two days ago, following a motor cycle accident in our soi. Two 10 year old children (more thais being cooperative with the law) ran off the bridge.  Not one person in the crowd of 20 people was wearing a mask.

 

I think you need to get out more.

 

 

Oops! Hope the kids are ok.

 

My comments only apply to the town. Out in the sticks where we live no one's worn a mask for many months. I was at a large gathering last Friday of at least 300 plus catering and entertainment staff. Not a mask anywhere.

Another talking head trying to appear relevant by issuing such statements. For a country unable to enforce simple helmet laws, this latest edict is equally ludicrous.