15 minutes ago, Pinot said:

The girls speak English

Yes they do, Tagalog is also a pretty easy language to learn if you so desire.

 

I learnt enough to get by in, in just under a year.

17 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Let her rip and then the whole country will be infected.  How can one party like it is the new year and still maintain health and safety precautions, wear a body suit with a hood and mask.  Bring on Songkran I will be ready

Ryan, please remind me, in Bangkok is the water throwing restricted to certain areas, and daytime only.? Also does it still only happen on the 3 official days.? 

6 minutes ago, rott said:

Ryan, please remind me, in Bangkok is the water throwing restricted to certain areas, and daytime only.? Also does it still only happen on the 3 official days.? 

The last time we attended was in 2019, and it was restricted at least for the large numbers crowds to the three main Areas, yet the side soi's always had some minor water wars.  Silom (Lumpini Park Area), Around Central World and I can not remember where the third was but I think it was Kao San Road, as they can lock that down.

17 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

With a month to go till Songkran, how can the government be so sure of itself? The infection rate could explode in that time, and lets not forget that Putin could destroy the whole world in the coming month

@prakhonchai nickyou're a cheery old soul!

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The prime minister has strongly advised anyone attending water-throwing celebrations to get their booster vaccinations and take an ATK test both before and after traveling.

Aka a variation of the Thailand Pass known as the Songkran Pass???

3 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Gotta love their colorful 3D printed pizza. The red and yellow paint makes it look almost real.

I actually like the thincrust.

 

It would be more popular if they had a BBQ rat pizza up here in Issan though.

23 minutes ago, paulikens said:

@prakhonchai nickyou're a cheery old soul!

It's being so cheerful that keeps us going. 

So they are allowing Songkran to take place, that's no problem, their country!

 

However, doesn't this make a mockery of the test and Go programme? You have thousands of travellers who must take a PCR test before arrival, they must be vaccinated and have proof, a further night in a hotel and another PCR test when it has already been proved that it is not the tourists spreading this virus in Thailand.

 

It is the locals who are scared by old wives tales and won't get vaccinated through ignorance, too lazy, uninformed or just cant be bothered.

 

Add back the illegals sneaking in over the porous borders and there you have it for the high rates of infection , which are going way under reported.

 

So we can look forward to mayhem and deaths on the roads in huge numbers, a spike in infection rates as loads in Isaarn are not vaccinated, and no improvement in tourist numbers to speak of, because the rules are still way too cumbersome.

 

Of course PM Prayut, they will all observe social distancing, wash their hands and get tested whilst walking around in a drunken stupor in Isaarn with a bottle of Lao Khao under each arm!

 

Well done Thailand!

 

 

 

 

 

 

How many are driving back to the villages?

Are they able to fill their cars with petrol? I bet a few won't bother, seeing the price at the petrol station or they borrow some money somewhere. I pay you back, for sure....

I will be in Bangkok during Songkran.  Will I be able to walk around the Sukhumvit area without getting wet?  Does this start in the morning, and go on through the evening?  I travel to Thailand almost every year.  I am interested in seeing Songkran, but I really don't want to be dosed with water every time I go to a restaurant etc.

Great news that the Thai's, especially the kids, will have one of their most famous celebrations back on the map again. 

23 minutes ago, RafPinto said:

How many are driving back to the villages?

Are they able to fill their cars with petrol? I bet a few won't bother, seeing the price at the petrol station or they borrow some money somewhere. I pay you back, for sure....

Thanks to the UAE fuel prices dropped by 17% this morning.

7 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Great news that the Thai's, especially the kids, will have one of their most famous celebrations back on the map again. 

The water parties and water fights are not an original part of what Songkran initially started out as.  The way it is now enacted is a sham and far from tradition, so where you come up with "Great news that the Thai's, especially the kids, will have one of their most famous celebrations back on the map again." is far from the truth.

 

The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual, representing purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck.^[4] As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Paying reverence to ancestors is an important part of Songkran tradition.

4 hours ago, PJ71 said:

Restrictions will not return here as you suggest, no chance of that happening.

 

People predicted ( you may have been one of them ) that after the NY travelling that Thailand would not be able to cope, has it? Was is total doom like many on here predicted? 

 

The world is opening up, Thailand will too, why would n't it?

Thailand will never completely open up, too much money to be made for the greedy soldiers government.

9 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

The water parties and water fights are not an original part of what Songkran initially started out as.  The way it is now enacted is a sham and far from tradition, so where you come up with "Great news that the Thai's, especially the kids, will have one of their most famous celebrations back on the map again." is far from the truth.

 

The Songkran celebration is rich with symbolic traditions. Mornings begin with merit-making. Visiting local temples and offering food to the Buddhist monks is commonly practiced. On this specific occasion, performing water pouring on Buddha statues and the young and elderly is a traditional ritual, representing purification and the washing away of one's sins and bad luck.^[4] As a festival of unity, people who have moved away usually return home to their loved ones and elders. Paying reverence to ancestors is an important part of Songkran tradition.

Great news that the Thai's, especially the kids, will have one of their most famous celebrations back on the map again.

4 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

Do you have to wear a mask while throwing water and getting wet ?

The ridiculous thing is, the answer's probably "yes"! ????

16 minutes ago, Thailand said:

Thanks to the UAE fuel prices dropped by 17% this morning.

where

1 minute ago, RafPinto said:

where

Planet earth

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

The number of cases in Thailand and the UK are very similar right now (60-70k per day). Everyone who wants a vaccine in Thailand has had the chance to have one. Omicron is the dominant variant in both countries. So what exactly is so different?

Err... check again... UK 67,000, Thailand 22,000 yesterday, so what on earth are you talking about? Why post fake news?

 

One is on the way up, the other on the way down... that is important you know. I should not need to tell you this. My hope actually is Thailand has peaked and will fall now.... then restrictions will be eased. 

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Err... check again... UK 67,000, Thailand 22,000 yesterday, so what on earth are you talking about? Why post fake news?

 

One is on the way up, the other on the way down... that is important you know. I should not need to tell you this. My hope actually is Thailand has peaked and will fall now.... then restrictions will be eased. 

Wrong on both counts.

 

Firstly. Thailand was 72,479 today.

 

 

Secondly, both are on their way up. In fact, UK is also rising since Feb 24.

 

 

Please check your facts before wasting my time. Thanks.

15 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

I hate Songkran, so booooo to this idea.

and that makes 2 of us ....

16 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Please check your facts before wasting my time. Thanks.

You are being pedantic and you know it......

You added ATK and PCR tests together...... to get your Thai number. 

Duh! 

UK numbers are rising very slightly in the recent term due to relaxation and removal of restrictions, as to be expected.....UK numbers were 200,000/day 2 months ago and a 7 day average of 50000 today.... that is falling on the long wave.

The point still stands, Thailand and UK are in differing phases of omicron.... be disingenuous as much as you like, but that is where we are. 

Check your facts before you twist them.

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You are being pedantic and you know it......

You added ATK and PCR tests together...... to get your Thai number. 

Duh! 

UK numbers are rising very slightly in the recent term due to relaxation and removal of restrictions, as to be expected.....UK numbers were 200,000/day 2 months ago and a 7 day average of 50000 today.... that is falling on the long wave.

The point still stands, Thailand and UK are in differing phases of omicron.... be disingenuous as much as you like, but that is where we are. 

Check your facts before you twist them.

So having Covid doesn't count if you tested positive with ATK? Good to know.

 

And cases rising in the UK for the past 2 weeks doesn't really mean cases are rising? Also good to know.

 

It would appear that it is not I who is twisting the facts ????.

8 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

So having Covid doesn't count if you tested positive with ATK? Good to know.

 

And cases rising in the UK for the past 2 weeks doesn't really mean cases are rising? Also good to know.

 

It would appear that it is not I who is twisting the facts ????.

No, it just doesn't count as 2 cases if you have a ATK positive followed by a PCR positive. 

I cannot explain it to you but over a longer time base, cases are falling in the UK......or are you advocating reintroduction of UK restrictions due to this recent spike....?

Anyhow, you go on ignore as I believe you are simply trolling. 

Yes it is.... you will get doused whether you want to or not!

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Thailand will never completely open up, too much money to be made for the greedy soldiers government.

It has to at some point, when that is - who knows?

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

No, it just doesn't count as 2 cases if you have a ATK positive followed by a PCR positive. 

I cannot explain it to you but over a longer time base, cases are falling in the UK......or are you advocating reintroduction of UK restrictions due to this recent spike....?

Anyhow, you go on ignore as I believe you are simply trolling. 

Yes, it must be incredibly irritating for you having your nonsense debunked with actual facts, links, graphs etc. ????.

 

You ignore the ATK tests in Thailand, you ignore the last 2 weeks of cases rising in the UK so you may as well ignore the other facts I have provided you as well. 

 

Ignorance is bliss. Keep enjoying it.

Big spike in numbers after Songkran then

"The government has assured that Songkran celebrations next month will be allowed to take place, while noting that health and safety precautions will still need to be taken."

 

I wonder how "Social Distancing" will fit into the "safety precautions"?

7 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

Do you have to wear a mask while throwing water and getting wet ?

Yes you do and every person who gets wet must pay nearest official a 300 THB fine … Only 50 THB if Thai