Koh Phangan: Foreigners continually breaking the Covid-19 rules test the patience of district chief

[Midwit]

The police should take drastic action for these terrible people. Anyone that sits outside on a beach with no mask should be shot, stabbed, hung and then water boarded to root out any wrong think. After they should be deported, tar and feathered and have their birthdays taken away. Only then will they learn that a piece of paper over your face will protect you from this delta variant of the China virus. 

[Midwit]

6 hours ago, Harry Black said:

 

7 hours ago, wombat said:

we are guests in this country. do as your asked.

Yep we are guests so when the police shake you down do as your asked. When you get to pay extra thanks to the dual pricing do as your asked. When you have to jump through hoop number 500 to get a visa just for as your asked and be happy because we are guests. 

[MrJ2U]

Koh Phangan seems to attract that well heeled hippie crowd.

[tomacht8]

5 hours ago, 55Jay said:

Cops can't ignore orders when they roll downhill from the District Chief.

I'd wager this RTP squad wasn't wearing masks before this photo, as they humped 1km on foot, up and over the rocks, probably muttering expletives to themselves the whole way. 

Most are not RTPs. They are simple helpers from the village who got a temporary job from the island administration office and a chic waistcoat. Most of them are ok and do good. A few behave like 4 star police officers, but are completely unsuitable for the post. Before completely insignificant people suddenly have a bit of power and enjoy to bully people. TiT.

[Nkpjed]

Easy fix, deport them

[spetersen]

10 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

wait a minute.. a difficult spot to reach, no access for vehicles, a group of 5/6 foreigners.... What is the problem? They are not sitting in a bar, but in open space, they can not infect someone , because no one will come there. In  other places like the hotels in Panggna or Phuket it seems more dangerous than on a desolated beach... But of course foreigners, not even tourists ..... not allowed.. but Thais sitting together under  a tree in or around a village ... no problem

They are doing the right thing , lockdown and restrictions won't help open up the country for everyones sake, just make it clear Covid is here to stay for decades... It's a Endemic like Influenza , just cope with it and get vaccinated . 

[paulikens]

good on em. you're only young once

[tomacht8]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

Koh Phangan seems to attract that well heeled hippie crowd.

Sure. Have all typs here. Bitcoin winners, Generation of heirs, Internet workers, Yoga teachers, Gurus and so on. Quite a happy foreign society with money. 

 

On the other hand, the economic situation has unfortunately deteriorated extremely for many Thai islanders. Money worries, loans running, business closed, no job. Of course, there are tensions. Small mistakes are then often taken as an opportunity to step on the feet of the Happy Happy Society.

 

What is being reported here? There are 5 friends sitting on an isolated, remote beach without a mask.

 

The media plot is clear, the few foreigners are often portrayed as bad and dirty. Right now, maybe hundreds of thousands of Thai friends sit together in groups and drink Hong Tong, nobody cares.

[cncltd1973]

10 hours ago, RafPinto said:

special task force who had to clamber over rocks 555555

 

Special task force lol: really?

Clamber over rocks lol: yes, sitting all day, staring at their mobile phones and no exercise, it must have been difficult to walk a few meters and climb a rock 555

STF:PD

Special Task Force: Paperwork Division

[Partenavia]

If they want REAL tourists to come, they need to start looking at what other countries do. People want beach holidays where you can actually go on the beach without wearing a mask or unable to drink. Its ridiculous.

 

[MrJ2U]

17 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

Sure. Have all typs here. Bitcoin winners, Generation of heirs, Internet workers, Yoga teachers, Gurus and so on. Quite a happy foreign society with money. 

 

On the other hand, the economic situation has unfortunately deteriorated extremely for many Thai islanders. Money worries, loans running, business closed, no job. Of course, there are tensions. Small mistakes are then often taken as an opportunity to step on the feet of the Happy Happy Society.

 

What is being reported here? There are 5 friends sitting on an isolated, remote beach without a mask.

 

The media plot is clear, the few foreigners are often portrayed as bad and dirty. Right now, maybe hundreds of thousands of Thai friends sit together in groups and drink Hong Tong, nobody cares.

Beautiful island.

 

Same here in Issan.  Parties everynight.

 

Can't blame anyone going there.  Nice bungalow on the beach for next to nothing, sign me up!

[whaleboneman]

9 hours ago, Phuketshrew said:

Looking more closely at the picture there were 4 Farangs sitting on the beach (likely all know each other or maybe even live together) and no sign of any alcohol. What exactly were they doing wrong?

No underwear?

[Pracha Duang]

12 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

It's a problem if it could lead to an increase in infections.  If they live together, then it's not really going to increase anything.  If they live separately then someone in the group could be infected, he/she could infect the other five members of the group, they could in turn infect multiple people each.  If this happens enough then you have incontrollable spread.  The members of the group could change also, so you have no idea how many people would actually be at risk.  And, of course, if this group was allowed to do it, then others would do it too.

 

Public gatherings are not allowed for this reason.

 ????‍♀️ you can’t actually believe this nonsense. Literally no one that is wealthy or educated is even remotely concerned about covid. We have massive yacht parties in Phuket every weekend. Many US billionaires and Thai officials are regulars. Nobody wears a mask. Nobody cares about covid. None of us are vaccinated. And guess what, there is not a single thing anyone can do about it…because all the most powerful people in Thailand are literally hanging out with us. Wake up folks.

[Pracha Duang]

Just now, Pracha Duang said:

 ????‍♀️ you can’t actually believe this nonsense. Literally no one that is wealthy or educated is even remotely concerned about covid. We have massive yacht parties in Phuket every weekend. Many US billionaires and Thai officials are regulars. Nobody wears a mask. Nobody cares about covid. None of us are vaccinated. And guess what, there is not a single thing anyone can do about it…because all the most powerful people in Thailand are literally hanging out with us. Wake up folks.

 

[Shocked farang]

1 hour ago, Pracha Duang said:

 ????‍♀️ you can’t actually believe this nonsense. Literally no one that is wealthy or educated is even remotely concerned about covid. We have massive yacht parties in Phuket every weekend. Many US billionaires and Thai officials are regulars. Nobody wears a mask. Nobody cares about covid. None of us are vaccinated. And guess what, there is not a single thing anyone can do about it…because all the most powerful people in Thailand are literally hanging out with us. Wake up folks.

I have a bad feeling about groups like this during a pandemic. Usually they all get infected at the same time, best of luck! 

[Joe Mama]

It's OK to use a "Big Stick" to control the wayward tourists...but only if you have a carrot on the end of it!

[impulse]

17 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

When will they learn? 

Who's that?  The people who write the stupid rules, the people they send to enforce the stupid rules, or the people who break the stupid rules?

 

Dollars to donuts they'll be stopping at a crowded market on their way home, where they'll mingle with dozens or hundreds of locals, touching and breathing all over everything, and each other.  It's not as if hanging out at the beach is any more super-spreader prone than a dozen other things they're permitted to do that day.

 

[Andycoops]

Revoke their visas, kick them all out and black list the lot of trash.

[AwwYesNice1]

i-farang !

[Phredd]

Silly you, they can't Deport them, there would be no Brown Envelopes available.

[stephenterry]

17 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

And where is written that if he/she goes shopping doesn't wear a mask???

The rationale is that Thai people have complained to the district chief that one or more have not worn masks, which is the rule imposed here. I would suggest that occurred when they go shopping, not when they're sitting at their remote beach.

 

As you are aware, Thai people are paranoid about catching Covid 19, and any laxity from farangs is like pouring petrol on a fire.  Apart from that, at least one of the group must have annoyed a Thai, for that extreme reaction by the district chief who cannot lose face if he ignores a complaint.

 

Best to double dose vaccinate everyone... 

[Tropicalevo]

10 hours ago, paulikens said:

good on em. you're only young once

And you only die from Covid once. ????

[FunkyDunky58]

If these are people that live there, they are no greater risk than any local Thai. They have taken the steps to isolate themselves from anybody else. Thais will sit down in large numbers without taking any such precautions. Rank hypocrisy on the part of the rat dobbers and the swat team that would never visit a group of Thais.

[brianthainess]

23 hours ago, webfact said:

 

After their 1 km trek they found groups of 5-6 foreigners flouting the rules with many not wearing masks

So what are the rules ? I thought a group of 5 was OK with social distancing and masks. Seems OK at wats and Chinese temples though init.

[toem]

What is the problem with people who self isolate ?!

when will cops start to feel idiots in this world ?! they are the puppets of stupid governments and should fight with who control them, not with the population.

 

[NoshowJones]

23 hours ago, Kaopad999 said:

Many western countries are open again. So, surely if they want to live this type of lifestyle, they can just go back home. But instead they decide to stay here and break the law? I don't get it! 

"they can just go back home". Can they? Speaking for the UK, first they have to get a plane ticket, the easiest part, then they have to get the Cvirus check, another easy part apart from getting ripped off with the cost, then there's the PLF which has to be done 48 hours or less before the plane lands in the UK, which takes it down to 36 hours, and less if you have to change planes before you get there, and what if the plane leaves Bangkok late which happens regularly? and it has to be done online, all done before the plane leaves. Easy, isn't it?

[Kaopad999]

42 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"they can just go back home". Can they? Speaking for the UK, first they have to get a plane ticket, the easiest part, then they have to get the Cvirus check, another easy part apart from getting ripped off with the cost, then there's the PLF which has to be done 48 hours or less before the plane lands in the UK, which takes it down to 36 hours, and less if you have to change planes before you get there, and what if the plane leaves Bangkok late which happens regularly? and it has to be done online, all done before the plane leaves. Easy, isn't it?

I've had a lot of UK friends go back to their country over the past couple of months and they have had no issues at all. 

[Kaopad999]

6 hours ago, impulse said:

Who's that?  The people who write the stupid rules, the people they send to enforce the stupid rules, or the people who break the stupid rules?

 

Dollars to donuts they'll be stopping at a crowded market on their way home, where they'll mingle with dozens or hundreds of locals, touching and breathing all over everything, and each other.  It's not as if hanging out at the beach is any more super-spreader prone than a dozen other things they're permitted to do that day.

 

I agree with you, it should all be banned until everyone is vaccinated. 

[Kaopad999]

16 hours ago, Jorgendk said:

 

But when people are  eating in groups they don't spread ????

Right , i certainly do not disagree with that.  The new covid laws should apply to both scenarios until they have a very high % of people vaccinated. 

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, Kaopad999 said:

I've had a lot of UK friends go back to their country over the past couple of months and they have had no issues at all. 

Not that you know of anyway, would you like to confirm that all these friends had no issues with the PLF? Have you spoken to them all about it?