Thailand reports over 500 new coronavirus cases

[simonphuket]

1 minute ago, ctxa said:

 

Either you live in a Thailand from a different world,... or you are just straight-out trolling by posting things which not even you believe! 

Not sure where you live, but for Phuket it is true. Sorry to burst your bubble.

As hotel manager it is not in my interest to share this info, as I need the business. I hence fear this outbreak, sorry no trolling here.

[asiacurious]

43 minutes ago, placeholder said:

The reason Thailand doesn't need a lockdown is because the huge majority of people in urban areas at least, are wearing masks in public spaces. As epidemiologists have observed this is the equivalent, in strength of a highly vaccinated population. It keeps the R(0) factor well below 1 so transmission is mostly limited to those inside the cohort of workers.

 

40 minutes ago, Maha Sarakham said:

 

Might be true when entering a venue, but the second people get inside the mask goes down around their chin and under their nose in most cases.

 

This happens quite a lot around Bangkok, especially places where people walk with something to drink or eat in their hands.  They finish eating/drinking and leave the mask down.

 

23 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Really? Do you live in Thailand? Because your allegation is at utter variance with what I have experienced in Chiang Mai. And given the low incidence of covid, reality  doesn't really support your contention.

 

Down here in Bangkok more and more people are getting more and more lax with masks.   That doesn't mean everyone isn't wearing masks, but a lot of people have gotten complacent. 

 

7 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

I've seen mostly foreigners doing that (in Bangkok shopping malls). Some Thais did, but few, in percentage terms. However outside, I see many walking around with masks over chin or only covering mouth... And then a bunch of westerners with no masks on at all.

 

Westerners not wearing masks tend to stand out more than Thais not wearing masks, but I'd say the numbers percentages are probably about the same.  

[tomazbodner]

1 minute ago, simonphuket said:

Not sure where you live, but for Phuket it is true. Sorry to burst your bubble.

As hotel manager it is not in my interest to share this info, as I need the business. I hence fear this outbreak, sorry no trolling here.

I believe that. With the long time with few or no infections in Thailand, people dropped their guard. Some completely. And I'm sure it's not only Phuket. People simply believe it's already over. Some sobering is coming very soon.

[mommysboy]

8 minutes ago, simonphuket said:

I manage a hotel here and we just had a conference with over 120 participants from all over Thailand, though mainly BKK area, with a big party, top-singers, and nobody was wearing a mask! Most of the hotel guests refuse to wear a mask here. I was in a club in town recently, it was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder and not a mask in sight. 

At the local market nearby, none of the locals wear masks nor gloves, not even in April with the lockdown we had. If lucky the mask is under the chin.

 

The colleague of my brother in law in Had Yai has been diagnosed with Covid 2 days ago. Waiting for it to appear in the news now. (Mods feel free to cut this if you wish, i cannot provide a link but have first-hand information)

 

Regarding mask wearing: I can't say most people aren't wearing masks but an awful lot aren't.  I went to the local pharmacy today, and the pharmacist wasn't wearing one- well you wouldn't would you. I guess, because we were informed Thailand was overwhelmingly covid free.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, placeholder said:

What I've got on my side is reality. If mask wearing were as lax as you claim, hospitals ICU's would be overflowing. Not happening.

What you’ve got on your side is just your observation. 
 

My observation is that people are wearing masks in schools, supermarkets, hospitals etc... When entering a work place then take it off at their desk. 
 

In the past few weeks I’ve been in numerous bars in Bkk (some targeting Westerners, others targeting Thai’s) not a mask in sight.

In so many Restaurants, people mingling, no masks. Weddings in ballrooms, no masks. 
Outdoor markets, half have masks. 
 

lots of sports, gyms, yoga, spinning, Pilates, Football etc etc no masks are worn.
 

I see foreigners and Thai’s not wearing masks in equal numbers... (not sure why sone posters want to pick out westerners, maybe they don’t like other westerners being here and want some form of confirmation bias - other westerners bad !).

 

Thus idea that all Thai’s are wearing masjs all the time is wrong - look around. 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thailand News forum topic running here:

 

 

[tomazbodner]

Just now, asiacurious said:

Westerners not wearing masks tend to stand out more than Thais not wearing masks, but I'd say the numbers percentages are probably about the same.  

Could be, maybe I just don't expect Win drivers and food vendors to wear masks anymore... So I only notice these walking around in the open, or people who pull their masks down inside shopping malls. Well, there goes the year-end sale. Given what happened in Samut Sakhorn... where markets were deserted immediately after the news, I'd imagine panic might set in and malls and restaurants starting to empty up, especially if cases spill over to other cities. Bangkok obviously being the closest.

[moobie]

One of Nana Plaza's finest(?) sent me a photo on Monday of her trip to see family in Samut Sakhon before her return to work on Tuesday. Be careful folks, it's highly unlikely her and her folk were infected but if you have underlying health conditions be a bit more mindful of the preventative actions available to you. (I say this knowing her mother also operates a food stall also - and visits markets for her supplies.)

[Maha Sarakham]

3 minutes ago, moobie said:

Be careful folks.

 

Best advice in the thread.  Be mindful of your own health and take the necessary precautions.  Happy Holidays everyone.

[Oldie]

After all the festivals the next days and weeks we will have more clarity in January... 

[ctxa]

Guys.... COVID is here in Bangkok. A 78 year old lady tested positive in Bangkok... She had been shopping at Samut Prakhan. 

 

Wear masks, wash hands often!

[asiacurious]

10 minutes ago, placeholder said:

What I've got on my side is reality. If mask wearing were as lax as you claim, hospitals ICU's would be overflowing. Not happening.

 

I think it's the exact opposite.  The government took the strong action to enact and enforce curfews and lock down the country back in April/May.  And people really did wear masks all the time... before.  So Covid was kept at bay.

 

As time passed, people have become a lot more lax about correctly and consistently wearing masks.  Complacency with social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing... this is how Covid will be able to spread and surge rapidly in Thailand.  And that's what we are seeing now.

 

If people go back to the basic guidance and wear their masks all the time when out in public, wear them correctly, maintain a safe distance from others, practice proper hygiene... then it might be possible to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control and without the need for more severe actions.

 

Unfortunately I don't think that will happen and I suspect we're headed for another curfew and the closure of schools, restaurants, entertainment venues....  At the very least, I would expect that new year celebrations will be canceled.

[mommysboy]

2 minutes ago, asiacurious said:

 

I think it's the exact opposite.  The government took the strong action to enact and enforce curfews and lock down the country back in April/May.  And people really did wear masks all the time... before.  So Covid was kept at bay.

 

As time passed, people have become a lot more lax about correctly and consistently wearing masks.  Complacency with social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing... this is how Covid will be able to spread and surge rapidly in Thailand.  And that's what we are seeing now.

 

If people go back to the basic guidance and wear their masks all the time when out in public, wear them correctly, maintain a safe distance from others, practice proper hygiene... then it might be possible to nip it in the bud before it gets out of control and without the need for more severe actions.

 

Unfortunately I don't think that will happen and I suspect we're headed for another curfew and the closure of schools, restaurants, entertainment venues....  At the very least, I would expect that new year celebrations will be canceled.

 

Well, it's the lockdowns and social distancing that does the job.  So, yes it would be the thing to do if this is more than a local outbreak.  I for one wouldn't want to place my faith in a mask to solve the problem, though it likely helps to some as yet unknown degree.

 

A 2 week national lockdown right now could be the thing to do.

[drenddy]

Let's see, now, the much praised thai mitigation strategy. 

Test, trace, isolate. 

 

Could be used a drill prior opening the country to more tourists.

 

If they manage to contain the outbreak, no more thai bashing from me.

[blackcab]

As the topic of this discussion has now been posted as a news item, please continue the conversation here: