REUTERS FILE PHOTO

As expected, Thailand’s government has confirmed that no water splashing is allowed during this year’s Songkran.

Speaking on Friday, Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said that water splashing is prohibited as are foam parties or any wet events that involve close contact with large numbers of people. 

The ban on water splashing has been put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

However, traditional Songkran celebrations and religious ceremonies can still take place provided social distancing and the so called ‘new normal’ measures are in place.

There are also no restrictions on inter provincial travel.

This year’s Songkran holiday will be held over six days between April 10-15.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-19

 

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So, Songkran is cancelled, who would have thought it ????

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

So, Songkran is cancelled, who would have thought it ????

 

Thailand has taken some bold steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The country deserves credit for that.

5 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

Thailand has taken some bold steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The country deserves credit for that.

True, however my comment was kind of pointed towards recent announcements stating that Songkran will proceed as normal this year.

Family can bathe each other and give Buddah a bath as well. Better give the car a bath as well as have a monk paint a Sak Yant on the vehicle for safety.  The thai population will need new amulets as well.  Good luck folks, my travels will be done on the 8th before the crazies start to bog up the roads and the bodies start to pile up all in the name of Sanuk.

9 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

Thailand has taken some bold steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The country deserves credit for that.

Credit for allowing ANYONE to travel ANYWHERE in crowded buses, trains etc, and to hold 'religious' ceremonies in public places? 

Thailand bars Songkran festival water fights again due to pandemic

FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a protective face mask counts money to paid worker fee at a market in Songkran holiday which marks the Thai New Year during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand, April 15, 2020. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's COVID-19 task force said on Friday it will ban for a second year the street water fights that usually take place during celebrations for the upcoming Thai New Year due to the pandemic.

The Songkran festival takes place from April 13 to 15 and in a normal year crowds pack the streets, spraying water guns or flinging water from pick-up trucks in what has been described as the world's biggest water fight.

"Water splashing will not happen this Songkran. We must ask you to cooperate with us," Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand's COVID-19 taskforce, told a briefing.

He said foam parties would also be banned, though a tradition of pouring water over the hands of older people, religious activities and travel between provinces to visit relatives would be allowed.

Thailand has been relatively successful in controlling coronavirus infections, with a new wave of infections in the first two months of the year now levelling off and after recording 88 deaths.

But the country's strict border controls have decimated its vital tourism industry, with revenues dropping over 80% as visitor numbers plunged from 40 million visitors in 2019 to 6.7 million last year.

A global vaccine rollout has given hope that tourism can be revived and Taweesin gave more details on Friday on a plan to relax strict quarantine rules starting April 1.

Mandatory quarantine would be cut from 14 to 10 days for general arrivals and halved for those who were vaccinated, he said.

Unvaccinated foreigners will still be required to show a negative COVID-19 test result, while Thai citizens will no longer need to do so.

To qualify for the vaccinated group, all visitors must get a shot within three months of travel and present a certificate as proof.

Taweesin added that those traveling from countries where there are COVID-19 mutations will still need to undergo quarantine for 14 days.

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat; Editing by Ed Davies)

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-19

 

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

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7 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Credit for allowing ANYONE to travel ANYWHERE in crowded buses, trains etc, and to hold 'religious' ceremonies in public places? 

Well there hasn't been a major outbreak due to this?  What would you prefer banning everything and locking the entire population down?

32 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

 

 

32 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Well there hasn't been a major outbreak due to this? 

YET !

Just now, KannikaP said:

 

YET !

True.  It could still happen.  But as Covid will be around for years to come it's something we're learning to live with.

33 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Well there hasn't been a major outbreak due to this?

....and there won't be one either. I believe they're doing the right thing here.

Previous articles about everything being normal this year were pure posturing.

Until the population is vaccinated nothing will be normal.

1 minute ago, brewsterbudgen said:

True.  It could still happen.  But as Covid will be around for years to come it's something we're learning to live with.

Or die from!

5 minutes ago, ukrules said:

....and there won't be one either. I believe they're doing the right thing here.

Previous articles about everything being normal this year were pure posturing.

Until the population is vaccinated nothing will be normal.

How can you say that there won't be a major outbreak when folk are allowed to mix freely when that has proved to be the case many times, not only in Thailand, and then say that nothing will be normal until the population is vaccinated. 

No comprendez!

4 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Or die from!

Unlikely.  Far more likely to die on the road. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Speaking on Friday, Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) CCSA spokesperson Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin said that water splashing is prohibited as our foam parties or any wet events that involve close contact with large numbers of people. 

Because Covid is water-transmissible? ????

1 hour ago, webfact said:

There are also no restrictions on inter provincial travel.

You can’t spread water but let see the
Carnage on the roads...

At 120k/h  ????

30 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

True.  It could still happen.  But as Covid will be around for years to come it's something we're learning to live with.

If we are truly learning to live with it then why not just open everything up and let the virus fly where it may.  Get the vaccinations rolling and stop the gamesmanship.

this religious occasion was exploited and sold to westerners as an excuse to get hammered. Hopefully it reverts back to its roots and in the future not bastardized like the money loving west did with Christmas.. 

Substitute 10% bleach for the water and everyone can have their fun.  For a short while anyway.....

 

4 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

this religious occasion was exploited and sold to westerners as an excuse to get hammered. Hopefully it reverts back to its roots and in the future not bastardized like the money loving west did with Christmas.. 

The locals. especially the youth, have treated it as an excuse to get hammered long before Westerners were invited to the party.

same rules would apply if 0 cases every day

So now that it's going to be a non-event, will it be a six-day non-event or will they see sense and shorten it to just a day or two?

Amazed they made decision before 12 April. 

 

Waiting on alcohol sales "restrictions".

 

 

9 minutes ago, Guderian said:

So now that it's going to be a non-event, will it be a six-day non-event or will they see sense and shorten it to just a day or two?

Non water but mass alcohol event me thinks

18 hours ago, webfact said:

As expected, Thailand’s government has confirmed that no water splashing is allowed during this year’s Songkran.

Khao San road will be a wash-out then... well figuratively speaking.

18 hours ago, ukrules said:

So, Songkran is cancelled, who would have thought it ????

2 years in a row... wow

18 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Well there hasn't been a major outbreak due to this?  What would you prefer banning everything and locking the entire population down?

Because there hasn't been any major testing! Duh

18 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Well there hasn't been a major outbreak due to this?  What would you prefer banning everything and locking the entire population down?

Except the one now in the Bang Khae area... the outbreak was in the local markets, next month they will be on public transport.. 

19 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Credit for allowing ANYONE to travel ANYWHERE in crowded buses, trains etc, and to hold 'religious' ceremonies in public places? 

Yes, try social distancing on crowded buses and for many hours at a time!

19 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Credit for allowing ANYONE to travel ANYWHERE in crowded buses, trains etc, and to hold 'religious' ceremonies in public places? 

Is that 'sarcasm'  ???