Thailand imposes entertainment curbs in capital to thwart virus spread

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Orathai Sriring

 

FILE PHOTO: A healthcare worker takes a nasal swab sample of a child for a COVID-19 test at a migrant community, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Samut Sakhon province, in Thailand, December 20, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand announced its first coronavirus death in nearly two months and tightened restrictions on entertainment businesses in its capital on Monday, in a bid to contain an outbreak that has reached more than half of the country's provinces.

 

Authorities confirmed 144 new infections on Monday as new clusters emerged stemming from its biggest outbreak yet, prompting a ban in Bangkok on betting businesses and midnight closures for its bars, nightclubs and music venues until Jan. 4.

 

Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he was undergoing two weeks of quarantine after exposure to an infected provincial governor, while house speaker Chuan Leekpai asked 29 parliamentary staffers to seek tests after meeting a person who contracted the virus.

 

The baht eased 0.3% on Monday while the stock market fell 2.3%, amid concerns about new curbs.

 

Thailand, the first country outside China to report a coronavirus infection, has recorded just 6,285 cases and 61 COVID-19 deaths, having brought earlier outbreaks under control.

 

Its success has been attributed to tight restrictions on inbound travel and swift testing and contact-tracing.

 

Bangkok's tighter measures follow similar regulations in some of the 43 provinces with cases since a big outbreak was discovered 11 days ago among migrant workers at a seafood market in Samut Sakhon, a province near the capital.

 

A cluster has been found in the eastern province of Rayong linked to a gambling den, with 92 infections in three days and one death, a 45-year-old man.

 

Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesman for the Bangkok authorities, said a field hospital would also be set up in the capital and the restrictions reviewed next week.

 

The outbreak could hamper efforts to revive a crucial tourist industry devastated by the pandemic, as authorities ease some restrictions on foreigners and offer incentives to boost domestic travel.

 

(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat and Orathai Sriring; Editing by Martin Petty)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-29

 

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The bar nearest to us was packed over the weekend. People standing out on the road as you drive by, typical outdoor venue, zero masks. 

 

New Years travel has the potential to wreck Thailand to the point of no return. Once it gets away from them, and it’s looking like that’s happening already, they will be in the same situation as the rest of the world. 
 

I just can’t tell if they are allowing this to happen so they can finally put an end to the protests and dissidents, or if they are so greedy that they are willing the risk it all for whatever money can be made over the next few days. It’s pure ignorance either way. 
 

The health minister is isolating due to Covid exposure. What else do you need to know about how they are handling it? 

If they want to shut down a select type of business, shut down all 7-11s. Every Thai goes to the confined stores at least once every other hour.

 

Its success has been attributed to tight restrictions on inbound travel and swift testing and contact-tracing.

 

Also lying covering up and propaganda played a huge part ????

Time will tell, but its not looking like it will ease.

They should announce today a 10 day country lockdown covering the entire New Year weekend.

With the travel that has already occurred for voting, and now the travel for the holidays still being allowed,  this just seems to me to be a exponential disaster.  They said they had it under control. Praised themselves daily, but then do 180 degrees the opposite as before.  Why you ask yourself, well its all about money.  Just unbelievable.  We have stocked up and will be staying in for the next few weeks, and only doing our runs in Lumpini Park.  Be safe folks.  

Many businesses in Thailand I suspect are on their last legs, another lockdown will be catastrophic for them and many others. I'm guessing that is why govt seem so reluctant to impose one

3 hours ago, worldexpress said:

If they want to shut down a select type of business, shut down all 7-11s. Every Thai goes to the confined stores at least once every other hour.

But probably spends less than 10 mins inside and 7-11 seems to be a masked up zone?

1 hour ago, ourmanflint said:

Many businesses in Thailand I suspect are on their last legs, another lockdown will be catastrophic for them and many others. I'm guessing that is why govt seem so reluctant to impose one

You are probably right but subs, moon, corruption etc means the govt will not monetarilly support it's citizens. They will only support the elite.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Its success has been attributed to tight restrictions on inbound travel and swift testing and contact-tracing.

Swift testing maybe, mass testing certainly not. Surely it's obvious to even the most stupid that the more you test the higher ther numbers will be. This is evidenced globally.

Edited December 29, 20205 yr by dinsdale

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Authorities confirmed 144 new infections on Monday as new clusters emerged stemming from its biggest outbreak yet, prompting a ban in Bangkok on betting businesses and midnight closures for its bars

Wait a second....aren't "betting businesses" banned in Thailand for half a century already?! ????

1 hour ago, ourmanflint said:

Many businesses in Thailand I suspect are on their last legs, another lockdown will be catastrophic for them and many others. I'm guessing that is why govt seem so reluctant to impose one

I think that also, hanging on bye the skin of their teeth hoping it will get better, I saw the other day on FB a girl asking why is it so quiet who works in one of the busier bars where I live, anyway next I see she has gone home to sticky rice land

"Authorities confirmed 144 new infections on Monday as new clusters emerged stemming from its biggest outbreak yet, prompting a ban in Bangkok on betting businesses...................."

 

What are "Betting Businesses" ?

23 minutes ago, jackinthebox said:

Wait a second....aren't "betting businesses" banned in Thailand for half a century already?! ????

Great catch that is what I was thinking betting ????= gambling. 

37 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Swift testing maybe, mass testing certainly not. Surely it's obvious to even the most stupid that the more you test the higher ther numbers will be. This is evidenced globally.

That's the thing. Everyone says how bad the uk is, and there is a lot of cases there. But yesterday they tested 500,000 to find 41,000 positive at just over 8% positivity rate. 

Guide points. Number 1: Stay away from the maskless wise guys still shouting its only the flu.

Edited December 29, 20205 yr by SheungWan

51 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Swift testing maybe, mass testing certainly not. Surely it's obvious to even the most stupid that the more you test the higher ther numbers will be. This is evidenced globally.

It's the positivity rate that is the most meaningful number. If you test 100,000 people and get only 1 case you probably won't do music more testing unless someone shows up with serious symptoms. If you test 100,000 people and get 1000 cases then you'll probably do a lot more testing not least because you'll have a lot more people showing up with symptoms.

 

True, you'll find more cases if you do more testing, but you'll also do more testing is there are a lot of cases.

17 minutes ago, bermondburi said:

That's the thing. Everyone says how bad the uk is, and there is a lot of cases there. But yesterday they tested 500,000 to find 41,000 positive at just over 8% positivity rate. 

That would be a bad figure. Very bad.

1 hour ago, wensiensheng said:

But probably spends less than 10 mins inside and 7-11 seems to be a masked up zone?

And has Air Conditioning running.

58 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

You are probably right but subs, moon, corruption etc means the govt will not monetarilly support it's citizens. They will only support the elite.

This is what happens when people support a military administration into power to depose elected administrations. There's no checks and balances at all and they answer to no-one.

 

In addition, totalitarian, military governments are notoriously bad at controlling the economy of the country they are in charge of.

 

A poorly handled COVID crisis will mean deep, deep economic and political problems ahead for Thailand.

all the 'Thailand handled the pandemic brilliantly'  have all of a sudden gone very quiet. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

betting businesses and midnight closures for its bars, nightclubs and music venues until Jan. 4.

 

casinos are police controlled, boxing stadiums are controlled by the army and betting there is legal. 

Authorities can temporary close stadiums, but casinos are illegal and might just scale down their operations, move to smaller venues (above coffee shops, at the back of restaurants, at private sport clubs, small hotels with function rooms).

In rayong a large casino was operating as a sports club and for protection has a police booth next to it.

 

As to entertainment venues, they just cut their operating hours from 2am to midnight - those 2h don't make a change for spread of virus.

Punters start partying from 9pm, so venues should be closing before that time.

 

Edited December 29, 20205 yr by internationalism

1 hour ago, cracker1 said:

"Authorities confirmed 144 new infections on Monday as new clusters emerged stemming from its biggest outbreak yet, prompting a ban in Bangkok on betting businesses...................."

 

What are "Betting Businesses" ?

Those naughty gambling places where no-one goes because they don't really exist... 

HOpefully it means that people can go out to their pub or bar on NYE until the clang of midnight, at which point its lights out and home James!

Many people I know are relying on NYE to make money....

25 minutes ago, paulikens said:

all the 'Thailand handled the pandemic brilliantly'  have all of a sudden gone very quiet. 

They had done. 

 

Absolutely baffling why they did not repeat the good work though. 

The rules regarding the lockdown of entertainment venues are so inconsistent, so poorly thought out, so feeble and lacking in scientific foundation, that all they are really doing is imposing more hardship, on those who have been hit the hardest. Yet, many of the so called rules pertaining to restaurants, holiday travel, etc. are the complete opposite. Bizarre to say the least. Children doing the work of men. 

Stop testing, and they'll soon be back to zero cases ????

there are gambling dens and gambling places (no money used just card games) all over Thailand, many are family only, and of course cock fighting, banded but a fevered sport of many people, I see it as a torcher sport but that is just the way I am, the losing cock is just tired out

4 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

They should announce today a 10 day country lockdown covering the entire New Year weekend.

You're right, but they should have done that  few days ago, unfortunately i think it's too late now. most people would have already traveled back to the home provinces and for their vacation