Picture: Manager

 

The authorities in Koh Phangan in southern Thailand have come down hard on a group of Europeans who were shamed on social media not wearing masks at a port.

 

Manager reported that a post on Facebook by Thanaphon Kaetkaew on the Koh Phangan site had pictures of the mostly young people at Hua Thian port.

 

This promoted a flurry of negative comments about the group not caring about Thai society or the fact that the island is in the grip of the pandemic that is sweeping Thailand. 

 

It emerged that they are people working on the island teaching yoga.

 

District chief Phoonsak Sophonpathumrak acted swiftly to call in the group and the owner of the speedboat they boarded who faced the scrutiny of local health officials, an inquiry into what they were doing on the island and prosecution. 

 

The bad press came as two more people on Saturday were confirmed as having Covid-19 on the island bringing the total to 42 with 20 still in hospital on Phangan. 

 

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They did not look shamed.

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

Sadly, those arrogant idiots make all foreigners look bad. ????

13 minutes ago, Thailand said:

They did not look shamed.

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

Yoga ?

I thought that would have been a Thai only occupation and no chance of a Work Permit.

Big Yoga School, there is about a Dozen of these Muppets.

10 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

A very flexible one!

9 minutes ago, Thailand said:

They did not look shamed.

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

It will be the " I came here on a tourist visa, can't go home because of Covid but have got a brilliant group of friends and we work in a yoga workshop" visa.

Nice bum

1 minute ago, Pravda said:

Nice bum

And the girl in the denim shorts.

22 minutes ago, Thailand said:

They did not look shamed.

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

It's called the "BegPackers MultiEntry"

7 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Nice bum

The press seem to think they are all bums!

23 minutes ago, Thailand said:

They did not look shamed.

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

The teaching Yoga thing is one of the latest visa scam angles people are trying.  Or some just start teaching and making money on the side.  I would not shame the maskless, that does little.  Fine them.

12 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Sadly, those arrogant idiots make all foreigners look bad. ????

THANK YOU! I ride a pushbike around Pattaya/Jomtien most mornings, wearing my mask like a dutiful farang. It doesn't block the flow of oxygen even when I'm huffing and puffing up that hill to Lake Mabprachan. I seethe when I see someone not wearing a mask. There's even one joker at the lake who wears no shirt as well. And they're ALWAYS foreigners. Fer cryin' out loud, what makes them think they're special?

Morons! Who in their right mind is travelling around as tourists in Thailand during a widespread pandemic.

 

Seems to me like they have greatly overestimated the benefits of yoga. Looks like it alters the brain function in a very negative and embarrassing way.

4 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

THANK YOU! I ride a pushbike around Pattaya/Jomtien most mornings, wearing my mask like a dutiful farang. It doesn't block the flow of oxygen even when I'm huffing and puffing up that hill to Lake Mabprachan. I seethe when I see someone not wearing a mask. There's even one joker at the lake who wears no shirt as well. And they're ALWAYS foreigners. Fer cryin' out loud, what makes them think they're special?

I get more smiles from pretty girls when I wear the mask as they don't realize how hideous I really am...but i do have nice eyes

I'm changing to a yoga visa   !!

45 minutes ago, Thailand said:

"Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?"

It's fairly difficult to accuse someone of working when all they do is teach foreigners to sit around, and think of nothing. However, if they did that with Thai students, they would be taking away the jobs of Thai teachers. 

 

Silly people. Don't they realize that wearing it as a chin strap is the go to position for anyone in Thailand who can't be bothered to wear it.

 

That way, at least it looks like you're trying to be a good person which let's face it, is the main reason a lot of people wear it.

34 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Nice bum

Which one?

59 minutes ago, webfact said:

It emerged that they are people working on the island teaching yoga

teaching yoga my  ####  555

 

Hit them with a large fine - they should know better 

 

Just stupid

40 minutes ago, Pravda said:

Nice bum

 

Had to scroll back up to check.

 

Agree!

37 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

THANK YOU! I ride a pushbike around Pattaya/Jomtien most mornings, wearing my mask like a dutiful farang. It doesn't block the flow of oxygen even when I'm huffing and puffing up that hill to Lake Mabprachan. I seethe when I see someone not wearing a mask. There's even one joker at the lake who wears no shirt as well. And they're ALWAYS foreigners. Fer cryin' out loud, what makes them think they're special?

Them, and most of the population in Issarn unfortunately.

 

From the article

District chief Phoonsak Sophonpathumrak acted swiftly to call in the group and the owner of the speedboat they boarded who faced the scrutiny of local health officials, an inquiry into what they were doing on the island and prosecution. 

Were the local health officials not aware of the Yoga school on their island.

Is the school not accredited or recognized by the local health officials?

Surely if the school is currently operating (during the semi-lockdown)  then they must have gotten permission from the local health authority.

 

How many in that picture are Yoga teachers?

Is there a big demand for Yoga classes on a small island devoid of tourists and currently enjoying a semi lockdown.

What qualifications (certifications, experience, education, etc.) are needed for a Yoga teaching visa?

Are Yoga schools allowed to open as normal, while other businesses are forced to close?

Is Yoga instruction a reserved occupation for people with strange haircuts & jack b'stard attitudes (a jellied eel)?

Can this occupation be covered by a standard work permit or do they get one of those invisible work permits that the digital pikeys use?

How are people still able to travel to and from the island so freely, is their no restriction on travel?

Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near?

 

So many unanswered questions.

 

1 hour ago, HappyExpat57 said:

I seethe when I see someone not wearing a mask.

Seethe? You are filled with intense anger?....

 

Doesn't sound like you're that happy after all.

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

They did not look shamed.

Teaching yoga?

What visa is that then?

Was thinking the same. Probably teaching a special health benefit of the Yoga 69 position which lowers infections.

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

I'm changing to a yoga visa   !!

I tried the Yoghurt one. Didn't work.

I wear the mask everywhere, but we might as well just do away with the mask mandate, because other contradictory, self defeating policies are in place that nobody seems to question, undoubtedly doing more harm than a group of idiots not wearing masks. 

 

What do I mean by this? Stuff like the tiny 7/11s packed like cans of sardines with people nearly shoulder to shoulder, especially around the curfew 8pm closing time deadline. Other shops and restaurants have to close, so a lot more people than usual are going to get food and essentials at a tiny, cramped 7/11 now. These 7/11’s that are often the size of a large garden shed continue to operate with zero capacity restrictions and zero other restrictions, except for the government order that they all must close early, which ensures it’s packed solid about 30 minutes before, and up until closing time. People scramble to get stuff at the few last minutes before curfew starts. The 7/11 near me almost has a line out the door near closing time, it becomes that crowded.

 

Construction sites are allowed to go on, despite the fact, that repeatedly these construction worker camps have been the source of new infection clusters. Building high rise buildings is apparently essential work.
 

Other nonsensical things like, a deliveryman who interacts with dozens of more people than the average person who goes to a restaurant to get takeaway, and go home immediately after, is qualified to handle your food. Your food needs to have a middle man who puts hands all over your food’s packaging; an extra person unnecessarily touching your stuff, after interacting with the public all day, needs to bring your food to you. 

 

These things don’t matter, they aren’t spreading COVID, but a group of idiots, foreigners or not, that aren’t wearing their masks, outdoors, does matter. Not only does it matter, it’s news worthy.
 

You really cannot make this stuff up, it’s almost satire at this point.

 

 

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

And the girl in the denim shorts.

I don't like your taste in bums. It's a white one.

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Sadly, those arrogant idiots make all foreigners look bad. ????

Are they worse than all the sexpat retirees in Pattaya?

 

I was a hippy on KPN when they started the full moon parties and what a great bunch of people! 

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

Morons! Who in their right mind is travelling around as tourists in Thailand during a widespread pandemic.

A bunch of Marxists and an African

Not everywhere in the world they are wearing masks now... So these people fully vaccinated and out of quarantine are probably happy they act as they can in their home country.. However in THailand you have wear masks all the time, in the car, at home, in bed and during sex, and everywhere else. So the smart police see ha... foereigners no masks  .. fine them good for the sandbox to attract more tourists.. and good for our pockets