Thailand imposes entertainment curbs in capital to thwart virus spread

[Enzian]

2 hours 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" ?

The newspaper that cannot be linked cites horse racing tracks and cockfighting arenas among others to be closed till Jan. 4. That's a new one to me too, as I would have assumed that cockfighting was illegal--as it ought to be. But that explains why I see those wicker cages with cocks in them even in Bangkok, right out in the open.

[Almer]

5 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

Agreed

[cracker1]

8 minutes ago, Enzian said:

The newspaper that cannot be linked cites horse racing tracks and cockfighting arenas among others to be closed till Jan. 4. That's a new one to me too, as I would have assumed that cockfighting was illegal--as it ought to be. But that explains why I see those wicker cages with cocks in them even in Bangkok, right out in the open.

Of course Buffalo fighting is also well known here in Thailand but of course Gambling associated with it and Cock fighting is definitely not permitted ?

[Almer]

1 hour ago, eeworldwide said:

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....

Covid is relying on NYE to make some ground.

[findlay13]

It's all ok folks .They're going to close the bars at midnight .That'll fix it.You can't catch it at a bar before midnight so everyone will be saved.????Praise the Lord !

[Caldera]

Drinking at bars or clubs just isn't compatible with any social distancing efforts, simple as that. There's no way to make it "safe" or do it in a safer way.

 

[doctormann]

2 hours ago, paulikens said:

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

Yes, it is very quiet but if you listen very carefully you can hear the faint clucking sound of chickens coming home to roost - and it's getting louder all the time!

[ChipButty]

Is the powers that be just hedging their bets? make your minds up is it open or is it shut, some clear guidelines would help people and their business's 

[ThailandRyan]

25 minutes ago, findlay13 said:

It's all ok folks .They're going to close the bars at midnight .That'll fix it.You can't catch it at a bar before midnight so everyone will be saved.????Praise the Lord !

Problem I believe is that many, many, many people have already pre-paid for the venues for New Years eve, with only canceling the live concerts here in Bangkok the rooftop bars and restaurants are already 100% booked.  To refund that money back to where it came from would be a major issue of: We spent it to prepare the venue and buy food, We can not give it back because we used it to pay past due bills, or better yet we may have to give you a voucher for a few meals.....So IMHO, they will keep them open even though thousands upo Thousands will be in attendance on New Years, then as soon as the fireworks are done, its off to the races to return home or back down to your hotel room.

[davidmann]

6 hours 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

Same. as the rest world. ,but in Europe  ,Bars /Resturant ,and more are all closed ,UK. lock down ,Hospitals  full ,not just Businesses failing world wide ,people dying  world wide ,WHY. due to the CHINESE eating wild animals ,its about time they where made to clear up there own mess and pay for it ,

[paulikens]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

They had done. 

 

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

what im saying is why are the 'thailand done so well' not so confident now? like yaself, what is making you think they wont this time?  why is there doubt all of a sudden? if anything they should be able to deal with even better.

its still very small numbers so what has changed? is it because you and the rest are actually questioning if they did do so well last time and  really you know deep down they didn't, but because thailand was the first country outside of china to report a case and so could they get away with manipulating the figures and not having to really test anyone that early on in the pandemic.

 not like now when everyone is under scrutiny to reveal true figures. and a lot more testing is done and maybe they didn't even have the capacity to test many back then(which is no fault of their admitly) 

 

cuz lets be honest they didn't lockdown till after the horse had bolted, it had been in thailand since january but didnt lockdown till mid march. 

 

   in actual fact they was way slower than most countries even slower than the uk and they was slow!    one difference is they closed the airport completely down but again that was  after millions of chinese had already been there for new year so i cant see that would have made much difference.

 

so please explain why are you having so much doubt now?  and it cant be because they haven't had a  lockdown as i explained above 

[paulikens]

2 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

They had done. 

 

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

what im saying is why are the 'thailand done so well' not so confident now? like yaself, what is making you think they wont this time?  why is there doubt all of a sudden? if anything they should be able to deal with even better.

its still very small numbers so what has changed? is it because you and the rest are actually questioning if they did do so well last time and  really you know deep down they didn't, but because thailand was the first country outside of china to report a case and so could they get away with manipulating the figures and not having to really test anyone that early on in the pandemic.

 not like now when everyone is under scrutiny to reveal true figures. and a lot more testing is done and maybe they didn't even have the capacity to test many back then(which is no fault of their admitly) 

 

cuz lets be honest they didn't lockdown till after the horse had bolted, it had been in thailand since january but didnt lockdown till mid march. 

 

   in actual fact they was way slower than most countries even slower than the uk and they was slow!    one difference is they closed the airport completely down but again that was  after millions of chinese had already been there for new year so i cant see that would have made much difference.

 

so please explain why are you having so much doubt now?  and it cant be because they haven't had a  lockdown as i explained above 

[Sunderland]

8 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

And then what???

[Harry Fingerling]

[Sametboy2019]

Bet all the local markets will be open.

[RR2020]

3 hours ago, Almer said:

Agreed

 

Minimum 28 day lock down.

 

2 quarantine periods.......... 14+14..........

[Scot123]

So one death against how many road deaths? Maybe if they put this much effort into policing the roads!!!! Priorities please....

[Sunderland]

4 hours ago, dogfish180 said:

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

True. So very, very true. Magic.

[stretch5163]

8 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

Not really going to be a lockdown when regional governors still have the say so to new year parties and bars / clubs still able to open to midnight...so its going to be kind of a lockdown but not really a lockdown in the sense of the words used.

[stretch5163]

5 hours ago, thailand49 said:

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

From Google...

 

Gambling, other than betting on horse races or the government-sponsored Thai lottery, is prohibited in Thailand. ... The Playing Cards Act prohibits private ownership of more than 120 playing cards without approval of the government.

[samtam]

8 hours 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

It seems odd to me that an authoritarian government which has wide and unchecked powers at its disposal is happy to use draconian measures for some things, but clearly not for health and safety reasons, (Covid-19, pm2.5 pollution & road accidents).

[dbrenn]

8 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

I'll bet that your livelihood doesn't depend on freedom of movement. 

[khunPer]

The Covid-situation came under control with strict entry-rules and quarantine. Unfortunately the borders were not strictly controlled so apparently, from what the news stories tell us, migrant workers brought the Covid back in, perhaps even by help for with illegal border crossing. 

 

The virus spreads primary widely from people travelling, that's a fact, which has been shown both here in Thailand, and around the World.

 

So the first, and probably best cure, would be travel restrictions, especially around New Year, where normally huge number of people with be moving around. Secondly to isolate the areas, and people, that has already been infected.

 

A lot of, especially small, business might not survive a second lockdown.

[foreverlomsak]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

prompting a ban in Bangkok on betting businesses

Ah, so gambling is illegal but running the business that supports it isn't, so the Rayong top cop was right there is no illegal casinos, his problem was that his statement contradicted some one higher up, not that he told a truth or an untruth.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Sametboy2019 said:

Bet all the local markets will be open.

What's wrong with that. 

The ones around here you have to do the  hands, face and temperature to get in. Tables are socially distant and the stalls bring the food to your table. You can remove the mask to eat but walk about and you will soon be pulled up. Markets are the least of the problem areas.

I flew up to CM the week before Christmas, masks are mandatory in the airport, but unbelievable the number walking about with mask down and a bottle of water in their hand.

It is about how people respond to the requirements, rather than what requirements are laid down, after 9 months nobody can say they don't know.

 

[sandyf]

7 hours 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" ?

It is a misnomer, they are not businesses.

It is a situation where a large group will gather round a TV, or a live event, get legless and bet all they have on whatever is taking place.

Every one is a cluster in the making, just like the gay bar in S Korea, they will be reluctant to admit to being there.

[sandyf]

17 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said:

Ah, so gambling is illegal but running the business that supports it isn't,

Every sporting event in the world leads to betting somewhere or other, are you suggesting all sport in Thailand should be stopped?

Gambling is rife among the Thais, why do you think it is banned. The issue in Rayong was referred to as a "gambling den", which are very common.

Where I lived in the UK there was a fairly large Thai community through marriage. The Thai wives regularly got together to gamble on cards. A friend of mine's wife got into serious debt before he found out.

[thailand49]

2 hours ago, stretch5163 said:

From Google...

 

Gambling, other than betting on horse races or the government-sponsored Thai lottery, is prohibited in Thailand. ... The Playing Cards Act prohibits private ownership of more than 120 playing cards without approval of the government.

What is your point!  Tell that to the BIB who own and run a number of places.  Who I got it since BIB suppose to be the government it is then O.K.????????

[paulikens]

9 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

They had done. 

 

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

but its still very small numbers now so why cant they do it again and in actual fact it should be easier as they are more prepared for it this time,.

is it cuz you and the 'thailand handled it well' people actual know deep down they just dodged a bullet by luck, if not why are you not so confident now they will handle it?     is it because when it first appeared in thailand it was very early on and it hadnt even touched the rest of the world and so there was hardly any testing or capacity to(not thailands fault admitly) 

and they could also manipulated figures so early on, as now everyone is under scrutiny to reveal true figures, cuz lets not forget thailand was the first country outside china to report a case in dec/jan  yet didnt lockdown till mid march so dont tell me it was cuz of lockdown, as in relation to their first cases they was actually very slow to lockdown and by then the horse had bolted as the chinese had been in their hordes by then.

 

so why do you have so much doubt now that they cant handle it?   cuz deep down you know it was more luck than judgement last time.    

[WuhanVagabond]

19 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

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

There's a fair amount of data from a pretty large European (Dutch, IIRC) study showing masks are pretty ineffective. There's also a LOT of anecdotal evidence to back that up (most stringent and compliant masked up areas in US/Europe seeing massive surges). It's also rather comical how masks are being worn in 7 by all, and how often masks are down amongst employees until someone enters- as if the air expelled prior to me walking in was somehow ok!

 

IMHO masks create a false sense of security. For those in a risk category, this is doing them no favours. My (elderly with underlying conditions) mom is in a bad area right now and, masks or not, I don't want her anywhere near anybody right now.