Mass exodus from Bangkok after closure of construction sites

[webfact]

 

Thai media was full of stories about the mass exodus from Bangkok to beat the authorities after they closed construction camps in the Thai capital.

 

Channel 7 said it was so busy on the roads and at bus stations that it was like a standard long Thai holiday.

 

Like Songkran, when the Thai government's plan to allow people to travel home for the holidays badly backfired.

 

The media cited several popular sites that were sharing stories about workers at construction camps beating the order not to leave the camps on Saturday.

 

Many on sites like Mor Panda and E-Saw Kayee Khao 2 featured workers hurriedly packing up their belongings onto the back of pick-ups and heading off. 

 

Netizens and sites suggested this was going to be disastrous for the spread of Covid. 

 

News sites featured videos of main arteries heading out of Bangkok jammed with traffic. Many of the vehicles were heavily laden pick-ups with workers clubbing together resources to beat the 30 day no-movement ban.

 

Channel 7 said that reports suggested there were large numbers of people at inter-provincial bus stations heading back to the provinces. 

 

It appears that many anticipated and preempted the ban on travel and took off before the authorities surrounded the camps.

 

A very Thai version of "fleeing the scene" notes Thaivisa. But a potential for the spread of Covid-19 that continues to be at its worst in the Thai capital especially in clusters at crowded worker camps. 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-06-28

 

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[Chris.B]

When was this? Last weekend?

[jvs]

I posted on Friday that the roads North east were packed,now you know,.....

the rest of the story.

[bipper]

Well now that's a surprise ????

[Susco]

We played the same game as the government when I was a kid.

 

With the face to the wall we would call out 1-2-3 ..... 10 Who is not gone will be seen

[khunPer]

Isn't this like shooting yourself in the foot,, actually worsen the situation just like the Songkran-holiday, it might have been better just to keep construction business running as usual, if you can't prevent an exodus...????

[Surelynot]

The paper that dare not speak its name claims the workers are being offered half pay and free food if they remain.

 

I imagine they will then end up with the worst of both worlds...... wives and kids will go home to their villages risking spreading the virus and the paid workers will stay for their half pay and free food..

[samtam]

1 hour ago, Chris.B said:

When was this? Last weekend?

Saturday, & Sunday (yesterday), I imagine.

Edited June 28, 2021 by samtam

[KhunBENQ]

Covid now with multiple cases in the district.

Schools closed shortly after the announced reopening.

Some in close vicinity.

But can you point fingers on the people fleeing the misery?

At least up here basic medicare still available.

While I hear that in Bangkok people with advanced symptoms hang around the hospitals.

A breakdown of the health system is due.

Symptom free people should be locked in at home.

Edited June 28, 2021 by KhunBENQ

[ourmanflint]

This will be looked back upon as one of those key events that Thailand screwed up on. Probably quite a big list thinking about it

[Surelynot]

Six road blocks to be set up around BKK.....guess when?........4pm this afternoon....give them a chance to get away.

[asiacurious]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It appears that many anticipated and preempted the ban on travel and took off before the authorities surrounded the camps.

 

More likely the big construction companies were tipped off in advance so they could empty the camps and avoid having to pay ฿฿฿ to feed and house their workers.

[smedly]

sounds to me like many of these so called "foregn Migrant workers" are in fact Thai

 

they are also turning down free sticky rice and water

Edited June 28, 2021 by smedly

[rupert the bear]

10 outta 10 half wits,go to the top of the class. lets doubledown on the songkran debacle,how are they gonna make money out of this is what im trying to figure out as thats gotta be the bottom line,no ones that stupid??

[mogandave]

“Live and let live.”

[BusyB]

This is really dreadful, beyond words.

 

Songkran redux, with the Delta variant floating around somewhere ...

 

And hardly anyone vaccinated.

Edited June 28, 2021 by BusyB

[MasterBaker]

can you blame them? what else they can do? sleep on a dorm for 30 days?

[Guderian]

5,400 new cases today, 54,000 new cases a day in two weeks time.

[BusyB]

1 minute ago, MasterBaker said:

can you blame them? what else they can do? sleep on a dorm for 30 days?

 

The answer as to what was preferable  will be evident in 2 - 4 weeks time.

 

It is dreadful which ever way you look at it. My comment is not a verdict - it's a statement of fact.

[BusyB]

1 minute ago, Guderian said:

5,400 new cases today, 54,000 new cases a day in two weeks time.

 

We could be looking at a second India ... hardly anyone vaccinated, and no prospect of the kind of rollout we're seeing in western countries.

 

Cambodia apparently has 46% vaccinated - 1 jab or 2 I don't know.

[richard_smith237]

The government really needs to start looking at its decision making.

 

 

The announcement to close factories had only one highly predicable result - exodus. 

 

Utterly, utterly idiotic - I’ve no idea how any human of any intellect can be so myopic. 

 

 

Instead Vaccinate - offer a bonus for any factory worker who vaccinated.

Ask everyone associated with ‘breakout pockets' to isolate, police the isolation, curfews etc.

 

 

Keep businesses working, keep the poor working. Keep a handle on the situation instead of taking a broom handle to a hornets nest. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Almer]

This is all a part of the plan, get people out of Bangers before the health system crashes, so to say dilute the Bkk problem, why else would they leak the report.

[ExpatOne]

They gave them a heads up so they can leave, which is good for them. However, all of those workers are now driving to different places in the country, stopping for gas, going into 711, stopping to eat, etc. it will be interesting to see if this move ends up causing a bigger national spread.

[Almer]

23 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

can you blame them? what else they can do? sleep on a dorm for 30 days?

The government help them to leave with the early reporting and using the words "Lock down, a government plan to prevent tha Bkk hospitals from being over whelmed, Covid is not the problem its the inept way its being handled

[4MyEgo]

30 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

can you blame them? what else they can do? sleep on a dorm for 30 days?

 

Um, loads of empty hotels around, government could have easily made a plan with them to provide the hotels with a small fee per room to keep people in quarantine for at least 14 days ?

[khunpeer]

4 hours ago, Chris.B said:

When was this? Last weekend?

yesterday(Sunday) mostly!

[geistfunke]

46 minutes ago, Guderian said:

5,400 new cases today, 54,000 new cases a day in two weeks time.

Cases? What kind of cases? Death, serious illness or flu symptoms? Or just an expensive test that says nothing?

[ChipButty]

No doubt they tested all these workers before they left..........?

[tandor]

...i hope they all had their RAT or PCR tests, logged onto their Contact Tracing app and notified the relevant provincial authorities at their destinations to check them into their respective quarantine facilities.

[Jimbo2014]

How to create mass hysteria and spread covid - 101 playbook