By Adam Judd

 

Pattaya, Thailand-  A total of twenty-one people were arrested tonight in Central Pattaya for allegedly breaking current laws and orders designed to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, according to officials with the Pattaya Police.

 

First, for those who prefer, a video version of this story can be seen here:

 

 

The incident took place just before 9:00 P.M. on Soi Buakhao in front of the Tree Town Market area, according to Pattaya Police.

 

Pattaya Police stated they had several calls from concerned citizens that were afraid that large groups of people gathering in the area could be spreading the Covid-19 coronavirus. Upon going to inspect the area they found eighteen foreigners and three Thai people who were according to police socializing, drinking alcohol, gathering, and breaking current rules around Covid-19.

 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/20/twenty-one-people-arrested-in-soi-buakhao-area-for-allegedly-gathering-drinking-alcohol-and-breaking-covid-19-rules/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-08-21

 

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

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Allegedly gathering…..another degenerate and habit-forming practice brought to Thailand by those rascally foreigners.

 

 

Edited August 20, 20214 yr by Hayduke

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

Pattaya Police stated they had several calls from concerned citizens that were afraid that large groups of people gathering in the area could be spreading the Covid-19 coronavirus

Wonder if these same people ring up every time 2000 turn up for a vaccine jab

"Put them all in one prison cell, PC Somchai. Can't have people gathering together willy-nilly."

Bury them all up to their necks in a sandbox ????

too bad if just walking past with a water in your hand not sure if drinking a beer on your own is strictly illegal either, this is pushing rules to abuse levels, then they pile them all into vehicles and soi 9 breaking the rules they were arrested for

 

nothing but a money grab

 

also - looking at the area along the footpath seems there are now market stalls along there for food etc - gathering is going to happen so who is breaking the rules ?????

Edited August 20, 20214 yr by smedly

Heavy fine first time, put them in jail for a month the second time, deport them and make them persona non grata the third time if they are foreigners please

Edited August 20, 20214 yr by MikeyIdea

12 minutes ago, MikeyIdea said:

Heavy fine first time, put them in jail for a month the second time, deport them and make them persona non grata the third time if they are foreigners please

if actaul rules are being broken then yes - fine them 

 

not clear to me what rules are being broken since there are market stalls right along that footpath - from the video it looks to me like people sitting alone on the footpath were arrested - for what exactly

 

lets not encourage this sort of police abuse 

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Wonder if these same people ring up every time 2000 turn up for a vaccine jab

nobody rang up, this is police abuse and money gouging, from the video I see a lot more than 20 people gathered around the area more like 40+

Dammit you are a guest in the country just follow  there rules

Putting healthy people in these corona infected holding cells how will that solve anything?

200 bht fine seems reasonably.

What a drama about nothing even makes it on tv so pathetic.

1 hour ago, smedly said:

too bad if just walking past with a water in your hand not sure if drinking a beer on your own is strictly illegal either, this is pushing rules to abuse levels, then they pile them all into vehicles and soi 9 breaking the rules they were arrested for

 

nothing but a money grab

 

also - looking at the area along the footpath seems there are now market stalls along there for food etc - gathering is going to happen so who is breaking the rules ?????

I am a little more anti these gatherings than you are, but mainly because I don't like foreigners here being such scofflaws, The reality is people would have been gathering in this area for some days and perhaps got used to the idea it was not a problem. If it was actually just before 9pm, the police could have waited a little while to see if they dispersed, and if not, detain them also for breaking curfew measures.

 

If they get fined it is a case of 'som nam nah'.... put them on a naughty boys list and perhaps they will behave until we are out of this lockdown situation.

Three weeks ago at the beginning of the lock down I see them drinking outside Tree Town in defiance. They made no attempt at being discreet. They were  loud and no social distancing.  It's difficult to be sympathetic as this is not a case of being in the wrong place, wrong time. Your typical uneducated cheap charlies who will not listen and only learn through hard knocks such as fines /imprisonment. 

Tar and feathered

1 hour ago, smedly said:

if actaul rules are being broken then yes - fine them 

 

not clear to me what rules are being broken since there are market stalls right along that footpath - from the video it looks to me like people sitting alone on the footpath were arrested - for what exactly

 

lets not encourage this sort of police abuse 

There's one thing I don't agree with here. What has what others do got to do with breaking rules? Why even mentioning it? 

3 hours ago, Hayduke said:

Allegedly gathering…..another degenerate and habit-forming practice brought to Thailand by those rascally foreigners.

 

 

Just pretend it’s a local market.  Set up some bogus tents and sip your libation through a straw and a hole in the mask.  Just make sure it’s not past curfew.  

Deport  Deport  Deport

This nightly gathering outside of TreeTown has been going on as long as the lockdown rules have been in place & no doubt splashed all over Social Media so it was only a matter of time before the BiB took some action... 

 

And no, it wasn't just farang's sat on the sidewalk drinking a beer by themselves... Here's a pic taken (Not by me) on 4th August...

 

 

 

 

As an aside, during the 1st Lockdown in Singapore 2 guys "Bumped into each other" whilst coming back from the store to buy beer so decided to enjoy the beers sat on a bench in the park.  Police caught them, cancelled their Work Permits & deported them...

 

 I know we're not in Singapore but something similar could happen to people here if these kind of things continue to make headline news. 

   

 

Edited August 21, 20214 yr by Mike Teavee

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Upon going to inspect the area they found eighteen foreigners and three Thai people who were according to police socializing, drinking alcohol, gathering, and breaking current rules around Covid-19

I know covid regulations might not suit all people, but law is the law where ever you might reside.

Any foreigner outside drinking in public after 9pm are as dumb as they come.

Plenty of legal options to do the same.

2 hours ago, smedly said:

too bad if just walking past with a water in your hand not sure if drinking a beer on your own is strictly illegal either, this is pushing rules to abuse levels, then they pile them all into vehicles and soi 9 breaking the rules they were arrested for

 

nothing but a money grab

 

also - looking at the area along the footpath seems there are now market stalls along there for food etc - gathering is going to happen so who is breaking the rules ?????

All of them.

57 minutes ago, Destiny1990 said:

Putting healthy people in these corona infected holding cells how will that solve anything?

200 bht fine seems reasonably.

What a drama about nothing even makes it on tv so pathetic.

Whats pathetic are the people present who think they don't have to conform... any nationality

as for the foreigners they are a guest in the country.... best not to push your luck too far.

it's those dirty farang cheap charlie's  out drinking in groups,  they know the rules,  fine them appropriately. 

 

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Putting healthy people in these corona infected holding cells how will that solve anything?

200 bht fine seems reasonably.

What a drama about nothing even makes it on tv so pathetic.

having groups of cheap charlies p_issing up will not solve anything, especially covid19 virus transmission to others.

10,000 baht fine seems reasonable.

would it be a drama if they infected a family member and he/she died.  

1 hour ago, Rocking Robert said:

Dammit you are a guest in the country just follow  there rules

Yes rules are rules I wonder if they were tourist?

I'm sort of a let it rip guy but that's just me. 

They have been there for weeks.

A bunch of losers.  Book em hope they enjoy some jail time.

8 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

They have been there for weeks.

A bunch of losers.  Book em hope they enjoy some jail time.

Seems a bit draconian for sitting outside with a beer.

20 minutes ago, LA8RAT said:

Seems a bit draconian for sitting outside with a beer.

I agree prison is too harsh but I don't think it will take too many of these kind of raids before people start being deported / black listed which is probably the only thing that some guys will take seriously. 

 

I mentioned Singapore in a post above, here's another example   https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/covid-19-robertson-quay-work-pass-holders-permanent-banned-660476

 

... As well as being fined approx 20-22,000 THB, these guys lost their livelihoods & were banned from ever working in Singapore again, all for the sake of a few beers outside. 

 

An illicit beer is not worth the risk of being one of the guys they choose to make an example of. 

 

 

Edited August 21, 20214 yr by Mike Teavee

Infections also can spread indirectly by the vaccinations, as when people gather in places like vaccination centers or PCR testing centers, where they have a high risk of getting infected.

reward their behaviour with the Pfizer vac which should go to more responsible people.  That will teach them!!!!