REUTERS FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

There are no plans to enforce a curfew in Thailand, despite a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, the National Security Council (NSC) said on Monday.

 

According to NSC secretary General Nattapol Nakpanit the authorities believe the current cluster of infections can be controlled and that a curfew is not necessary. 

 

The situation, however, is being closely monitored, with more preventive measures likely  to be announced later this week following the weekly Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meeting, ahead of the Songkran holidays, which for many will begin in earnest on April 10. 

 

One of the measures up for discussion at the meeting is a proposal which would see the closing hours of bars and pubs brought forward from 11pm to 9pm. The sale of alcoholic beverages could also be banned in areas which are experiencing spikes in COVID-19 cases. 

 

This proposal comes as the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) on Monday announced that Bangkok, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan and Nakhon Pathom should become so-called red zones, or a maximum control.

 

This would mean that restaurants and bars in those areas would only be allowed to open and the sale of alcohol would be banned.

 

This proposal is pending sign off from the CCSA on Wednesday.

 

The news comes as Bangkok governor Aswin Kwanmuang on Monday announced the closure of 196 entertainment venues throughout three districts in the capital. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-04-06

 

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10 minutes ago, webfact said:

a proposal which would see the closing hours of bars and pubs brought forward from 11pm to 9pm.

Obviously an expert in the N.S.C. has studied the science of Covid, and has come to the conclusion that it is more dangerous after 9.00pm ! 

Genius ! ????

25 minutes ago, webfact said:

This proposal is pending sign off from the CCSA on Wednesday.

Because we all know today they'll be too busy in panic mode and scratching their heads on why oh why they promoted travel over Songkran

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

a curfew is not necessary. 

 

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

a proposal which would see the closing hours of bars and pubs brought forward from 11pm to 9pm

Er sorry? The usual silo operations in government not talking to each other.

 

Ridiculous to have a curfew in Bangkok over Songkran when most of the population will drain out to the provinces anyway.  

 

 

10 minutes ago, Thaiophil said:

 

Er sorry? The usual silo operations in government not talking to each other.

 

Ridiculous to have a curfew in Bangkok over Songkran when most of the population will drain out to the provinces anyway.  

 

 

Ridiculous to have a curfew at any time.  Equally ridiculous to close a few bars, ban alcohol in restaurants and make them close at 9pm.   

33 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Because we all know today they'll be too busy in panic mode and scratching their heads on why oh why they promoted travel over Songkran

Never ever wanted anyone to be more wrong in my life. Still the best part of a week before Songkran. Do you think the Thai government is that inept? In so far as their covid response?  Do you think they would like an outbreak through the provinces?

If it was up to the scared this world will never come out of lockdown. You do realise at some point we have to live with this and the vaccine is no silver bullet right? Go hide in your bunker and let the rest of us get on with it.

2 minutes ago, starky said:

Never ever wanted anyone to be more wrong in my life. Still the best part of a week before Songkran. Do you think the Thai government is that inept? If it was up to the scared this world will never come out of lockdown. You do realise at some point we have to live with this and the vaccine is no silver bullet right? Go hide in your bunker and let the rest of us get on with it.

Exactly right.  Makes you wonder what would have happened if social media didn't exist.  

4 minutes ago, starky said:

Never ever wanted anyone to be more wrong in my life.

I have a follower!! ya!

17 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

I have a follower!! ya!

Haha true.  We got into a bit yesterday which was mostly my fault but what is end game for you? If we get through songkran with out your predicted peril does Thailand get a rap or were they just lucky?

 See initially we were told gotta not overwhelm the hospitals and emergency rooms, got through that.

  Then it was we gotta keep locking down till we learn how to deal with covid got past that. Then the narrative was well now we need to wait for the vaccine roll out. But for everyone outside the UK and the US thats at least another year away.

  We got locked down for a full year it did not much realistically looking at the case loads most countries are putting up. Now some people expect the whole world to wait another year whilst we wait for a vaccine roll out that even the experts agree may not be as effective as they thought. 

 See its great or your a politician or work for a government agency they have not missed a days work.

  Its commonly agreed by experts at this point that even with the low fatality rate still the majority of people who unfortunately die also have at least 2 and sometimes 3 or more co-morbidities.  If that's the case let's do all we can to protect the most vulnerable and those in the lowest risk categories at least have some semblance of a normal life. Cheers.

Interesting no mention of a travel ban. I am happy about that at least (before anyone jumps down my throat its OK to travel and do most things if one follows the recommended precautions). 

7 minutes ago, Whale said:

Interesting no mention of a travel ban. I am happy about that at least (before anyone jumps down my throat its OK to travel and do most things if one follows the recommended precautions). 

There won't be a travel ban.  People have already made their Songkran holiday plans, as encouraged to do so by the government.  

anyone please enlighten me how bars and alcohol spread covid? stupid people spread covid

2 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

anyone please enlighten me how bars and alcohol spread covid? stupid people spread covid

Not saying that I agree with how the situation is and has been handled. But alcohol has a tendency to make people acting stupid, to answer your question.

So Stupid to have Songkran  everybody traveling 

I would gather no travel ban but they might just lockdown retarding all sales of alcohol for the travel period. I for one am going to stock up for 10 days worth. Not taking any chances again.

4 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Ridiculous to have a curfew at any time.  Equally ridiculous to close a few bars, ban alcohol in restaurants and make them close at 9pm.   

Makes even less sense to ban alcohol in pubs/bars. ("I think I'll go down the pub for a coffee!")????

(I suppose there are a lot of 'food pubs' there, like the UK).

Is it a pub that sells food or a retaurant that sells booze?

4 hours ago, Thaiophil said:

 

 

 

Ridiculous to have a curfew in Bangkok over Songkran when most of the population will drain out to the provinces anyway.  

 

 

dont you be sprouting logic now

They have none of the nasty variants wreaking havoc in much of Europe, Brazil, South Africa and India, and yet they're still having considerable problems staying on top of the situation. It beggars belief that they're reducing the quarantine period for overseas arrivals significantly, and are still talking about doing away with it altogether. Fully vaccinated foreigners are unlikely to die or even fall seriously ill from Covid, but they can still transmit the virus and, until the government has vaccinated enough of its population to protect them properly (maybe in 2025 at the current rate, lol), it would not make any sense to simply throw the doors open and invite far worse problems to come in, and just for the sake of a few grubby tourist dollars.

2 minutes ago, Guderian said:

They have none of the nasty variants wreaking havoc in much of Europe, Brazil, South Africa and India, and yet they're still having considerable problems staying on top of the situation. It beggars belief that they're reducing the quarantine period for overseas arrivals significantly, and are still talking about doing away with it altogether. Fully vaccinated foreigners are unlikely to die or even fall seriously ill from Covid, but they can still transmit the virus and until the government has vaccinated enough of its population to protect them properly (maybe in 2025 at the current rate) it would not make any sense to simply throw the doors open and invite much worse problem to come in, just for the sake of a few dollars.

I would agree with the logic, but it is not just a few dollars in that matter... Millions of people are affected here by the lack of tourists and foreigners in general. Again, the sad part is that I have to agree with your logic since the vaccination is so slow.

10 minutes ago, Guderian said:

They have none of the nasty variants wreaking havoc in much of Europe, Brazil, South Africa and India, and yet they're still having considerable problems staying on top of the situation. It beggars belief that they're reducing the quarantine period for overseas arrivals significantly, and are still talking about doing away with it altogether. Fully vaccinated foreigners are unlikely to die or even fall seriously ill from Covid, but they can still transmit the virus and, until the government has vaccinated enough of its population to protect them properly (maybe in 2025 at the current rate, lol), it would not make any sense to simply throw the doors open and invite far worse problems to come in, and just for the sake of a few grubby tourist dollars.

Agree with your take on quarantine but regards vaccinated tourists coming. I think once vaccinated the chances of then having the virus and passing it on are minimal but to cut the risk even further those who arrive vaccinated also have to have a covid free test certificate. In the Phuket sandbox model at least 70% of the population should be vaccinated so I personally welcome the move to kick start opening up.

 

Edit: Of course unless Thailand gets this current outbreak eradicated soon then we can forget opening up to anyone.

37 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

Makes even less sense to ban alcohol in pubs/bars. ("I think I'll go down the pub for a coffee!")????

(I suppose there are a lot of 'food pubs' there, like the UK).

Is it a pub that sells food or a retaurant that sells booze?

Licensed premises in Thailand have always been a bit of both. 

1 hour ago, MasterBaker said:

anyone please enlighten me how bars and alcohol spread covid? stupid people spread covid

 

People are more likely to engage in careless, health risking behavior when consuming alcohol that tends to lessen inhibitions and caution.

 

Then add to that, bars and clubs tend to be physical places where people congregate in close quarters, without masks, often with little or inadequate ventilation and low ceilings -- making those kinds of places fertile ground for spreading the virus.

 

Tomorrow, from the sound of it, we may have a government decision on mandating earlier closing times for restaurants and bars/pubs for the coming two-week period, with the specific closing times varying by province. That may also include some restriction on their ability to serve alcohol.

 

But I haven't heard anything thus far that would extend any of those kind of restrictions to retail sales from supermarkets and such.

 

6 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Obviously an expert in the N.S.C. has studied the science of Covid, and has come to the conclusion that it is more dangerous after 9.00pm ! 

Genius ! ????

Any idiot could see the the spreading of the virus is  more  prevalent later in the evening as more people gather together . Doesn't want a scientists to figure that out.

5 hours ago, Whale said:

Interesting no mention of a travel ban. I am happy about that at least (before anyone jumps down my throat its OK to travel and do most things if one follows the recommended precautions). 

But it's essential that one wears a mask.

6 hours ago, webfact said:

This would mean that restaurants and bars in those areas would only be allowed to open and the sale of alcohol would be banned

Futile... banning alcohol achieves nothing... punters find alternative drinking arrangements.

7 minutes ago, Percy P said:

Any idiot could see the the spreading of the virus is  more  prevalent later in the evening as more people gather together . Doesn't want a scientists to figure that out.

Any idiot can see that closing these establishments early gives the possibility of late drinkers starting earlier in the evening, making them twice as packed as they would normally be at that time, making it a lot more dangerous.

Doesn't want a scientist to figure that out ! 

6 hours ago, starky said:

Never ever wanted anyone to be more wrong in my life. Still the best part of a week before Songkran. Do you think the Thai government is that inept? In so far as their covid response?  Do you think they would like an outbreak through the provinces?

If it was up to the scared this world will never come out of lockdown. You do realise at some point we have to live with this and the vaccine is no silver bullet right? Go hide in your bunker and let the rest of us get on with it.

Amen!

Am I the only one who is furious about this situation? The truly astonishing aspect of this, that few seem to be discussing, is that this could have been at least partly avoided, had Prayuth and Anutin, two stunningly incompetence men, taken action early, and decisively. The army should have been called in the day of the outbreak in Samut, and cordoned off a one km. zone around the market. Nobody comes and goes for 14 days. 

 

Instead, the whole country is made to suffer the consequences of inaction, of not locking down ground zero, the Samut market area, the first day of the second outbreak. It is beyond comprehension. It should have been locked down like a maximum security penitentiary. Cordoned off. Nobody comes in or out. And can anyone guess why it wasn't? It is one of the largest seafood distribution centers in Thailand, and it would have meant the loss of a small fortune, for some. So, it came down to sacrificing a large fortune, and the nations economy, for a relatively small out of money, coming from those seafood sales. Well, that might be the obvious reason. The more likely reason? Squash the protests. 

 

Nothing else makes sense. No other explanation means anything, or comes close to breaking down why this action as not decisively taken. Sure, the main market was closed. But, people were allowed to travel freely, and become super spreaders. Just incredibly dumb policy and a nearly unforgivable lack of action. 

Here's the deal they're looking at adopting tomorrow. Looks like only the 5 "red zone" provinces including BKK would have a total ban on alcohol sales at restaurants and bars/pubs, etc... along with an early 9 pm closing time, for the coming two-weeks.

 

 

 

 

 

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