Pokemon Go now spreads like epidemic

[webfact]

Pokemon Go now spreads like epidemic

 

 

BANGKOK: -- As Pokemon Go fever is now spreading like epidemic with people either youths or adults taking to the streets, public parks, shopping centres, local government offices, temples, tourist locations scouting for rare Pokemon characters, now the military is unhappy with the game playing.

 

At least a military barrack in Khon Kaen has banned any player to catch Pokemon in its compound.

 

A sign was posted in front of an Army barrack warning of a three day detention for catching a Pokeman in the area.

 

Meanwhile the SRT Electrified Train Company which operates Airport Rail Link service today posted on its Twitter warning commuters of catching Pokemon at the train stations, particularly at train platforms, for their own safety.

 

At the same time, metropolitan traffic police warns motorcyclists and motorists of playing the game while driving, saying it is a blatant violation of traffic law.

 

A fine from 400-1,000 baht will be imposed on violator, said Pol Col Ekarak Limsangkat, deputy commander of metropolitan traffic police division.

 

He said the police understood the players of the game but they should also not to cause traffic problem and abide by the traffic law.

Elsewhere in the capital and cities in the provinces, students were seen gathering at public parks, temples, to catch Pokemon after classes in the afternoon.

 

Teen street racers who normally would gather at midnight to start bike racing on streets were seen to gather at some public parks instead, scouting for Pokemon soon after the launch of the game four days ago in Thailand.

 

One teenager said now the game attracted so many bike racers from racing on streets to meet together at public places instead to join in the hunt for the rare Pokemon.

 

The game seemed to help ease the problem of street racing by teenagers as now they gather to hunt for Pokemon, citing past weekend when there was no report of street racing in either the capital or other big cities in the provinces, he said.

 

Meanwhile office workers were also seen at public places, transportation, holding and staring at their mobile phones scouting for the rare Pokemon.

 

Some motorcyclists were also seen stopping by the side of roads instantly searching for the cartoon characters.

So far there was no report yet of accidents from Pokemon Go playing.

 

But the national telecom regulator and mobile phone operators have met with agreement that they issued manuals for their customers advising safe playing of the game.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pokemon-go-now-spreads-like-epidemic/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-10

[dru2]

What a complete waste of time.

[Franky Bear]

#PokemonPlayersLivesMatter 

[Squeegee]

The Government doesn't like Pokemon Go! because their game is Foreigner Go!

 

Catch 'em with a phone and nice name too.

[Brer Fox]

Next to come will be the Pokemon Go Police. A new division set up to guard public institutions, railway stations, shopping malls, parks and streets and footpaths so as to protect people from themselves.

 

I doubt the government or the PM will be much impressed with all this carry on and will ultimately lose patience and invoke Section 44 to ban it altogether before it becomes embedded as part of traditional Thai culture. You think I am joking?

[ourmanflint]

Wow! 40% of all news stories in Thailand Pokemon Go related

[daveAustin]

1 hour ago, dru2 said:

What a complete waste of time.

 

Tempted to agree, but if it keeps the airhead racers from killing people on the streets...

[balo]

I'm tempted to download it on my phone , but then again , life is good so why should I even consider it ? 

[harada]

This should bump up the road toll significantly.

[ukrules]

The phone companies will make plenty of money from this as it constantly uses bandwidth.

 

I suspect what we've seen so far is nothing, usage will explode in the coming weeks and months.

[Kabula]

1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

It is an epidemic but do not fear, it only affects stupid people. 

 

Normal people with normal lives have absolutely nothing to worry about. 

 

1 hour ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

It is an epidemic but do not fear, it only affects stupid people. 

 

Normal people with normal lives have absolutely nothing to worry about. 

 

4 minutes ago, ukrules said:

The phone companies will make plenty of money from this as it constantly uses bandwidth.

 

I suspect what we've seen so far is nothing, usage will explode in the coming weeks and months.

Everyone will be affected especially your children in time with Zombie congestion on stairs, in malls, in traffic, on your property, your business and worse. If your driving and hit a Player who runs in front of your vehicle and that person dies or is injured with no witnesses, you are looking at  1 to 10 years in prison. Search UTube for videos of past injuries and deaths.  Good luck!

[williamgeorgeallen]

2 hours ago, Squeegee said:

The Government doesn't like Pokemon Go! because their game is Foreigner Go!

 

Catch 'em with a phone and nice name too.

great idea. they can set up thailand with overstaying ferang, gold silver and bronze,  then sent the public out to catch them.

[williamgeorgeallen]

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

 

Tempted to agree, but if it keeps the airhead racers from killing people on the streets...

pretty sure the army government will come out saying they have reduce street racers by 80% and expect full credit for it. has been along time since the good news about the lottery ticket prices and the juanta needs some good press.

[djjamie]

Tracking westerners through there phone and now pokemon go taking off. I wonder if they are linked and the Thai's will start hunting westerners. 

[Squeegee]

This fad opens a wonderful opportunity to use old bicycle horns for Pokemon Go! Player Baiting.

 

And soon we'll see copy-cat apps like:

 

Falang ATM Go!

 

Love In A Beer Bar Go!

 

and

 

Underage Cambodian Boy Go!

 

[CALSinCM]

The government should start a Farangemon Go (Home) game where over-stayers are lured to police as they attempt to track and catch an elusive visa extension. 

Edited August 10, 2016 by CALSinCM

[JHolmesJr]

A clear sign, if you ever need one, of the utter and total zombification of the human race.

 

I wonder if governments actually fund such games…it seems to be the perfect drug to keep the people dumb and occupied while they do whatever they please.

[CALSinCM]

2 hours ago, Squeegee said:

This fad opens a wonderful opportunity to use old bicycle horns for Pokemon Go! Player Baiting.

 

And soon we'll see copy-cat apps like:

 

Falang ATM Go!

 

Love In A Beer Bar Go!

 

and

 

Underage Cambodian Boy Go!

 

And for all the social ladder climbing albeit somewhat unsophisticated gals in the LOS,
Catchy Rich (Nigerian) Doctor Go!   Just send 200,000 THB and the 'Rich Doctor' will appear on your Smart Phone screen in a jiff!    Once you catch him, he'll give you 10M THB!!!

 

[Enoon]

 

It is most regrettable that this "game" causes people to gather in groups that ignore the rules and boundaries that the happy people of Thailand usually adhere to so diligently.

 

Thank goodness that it is not being used (and couldn't be used) as a tool by "ill intentioned" people.

 

 

 

[Squeegee]

And of course, for the Bandits In Brown:

 

 

Tea Money Go!

 

 

 

Having said all that, Thunderbirds were Go! at least two centuries ago, according to ancient history.

 

 

[ChoakMyDee]

What a bunch of angry old tossers you are., looking down your noses at people having fun doing something that you couldn't possibly understand. As if sitting on your arse in a beer bar, leering at uneducated hookers and watching football is a better way to spend your time.

[Franky Bear]

14 hours ago, ChoakMyDee said:

What a bunch of angry old tossers you are., looking down your noses at people having fun doing something that you couldn't possibly understand. As if sitting on your arse in a beer bar, leering at uneducated hookers and watching football is a better way to spend your time.

Exactly. It's harmless. I have had a go at it but got very bored quickly.

[ukrules]

Around these parts they seem to be playing it in pairs, one person drives the motorbike and the passenger operates the phone looking for the pokemon.

 

I had a few beers last night and saw various people on bikes and one or two walking around on foot playing the game.

 

 

 

[manfredtillmann]

just posting something that i have already done so on a related one...:

 

'my little wife actually thought it was called 'poker - man' and had something to do with sex. cutesy!

got the 12 year old step son out of his 'being glued to the laptop screen' for the first time in the last 5 years, he accompanied us to 'Lotus' and caught one in the car park and this afternoon he ventured off ON FOOT !!! to the river to chase a few more. i could not have achieved that with a cattle whip!''

 

it will come and go - like everything else that only exists in cyberspace.

 

[seajae]

with the way thiais are with their phones and their driving I wonder how long it will be before we start seeing multiple pile ups on the roads

[digibum]

16 hours ago, ChoakMyDee said:

What a bunch of angry old tossers you are., looking down your noses at people having fun doing something that you couldn't possibly understand. As if sitting on your arse in a beer bar, leering at uneducated hookers and watching football is a better way to spend your time.

 

Well, I get drunk when I do that so I'm getting way more out of what I do than people who play Pokemon.  

 

Joking aside, it's not harmless.  When I go to a bar and leer, it's during my spare time.  I have a list of other activities I can engage in and simply choose this one over the others.  

 

When a game, or Facebook, or whatever begins to encroach on what should not be free time then it is problematic.  How many businesses have you been to where the staff cannot peel themselves away from their phones in order to do their jobs?  That's problematic.  

 

How many people stop at the top of escalators in order to finish their text message or Facebook post?   That's problematic.  

 

How many people will quit paying attention to the road in order to read a message or catch a Pokemon?  That's problematic.  

 

All these things are problematic because they involve people not doing what they're supposed to be doing.  And the failure to do what they're supposed to be doing impacts others.  

 

One does not burden the rest of society when they sit in a bar and ogle women.  That's the difference.  

 

Like just today at a business lunch, a colleague picked up her phone 3 or 4 times to catch Pokemon at our table.  Sorry, but this is work.  Put the game down!  

[lamyai3]

On 8/10/2016 at 2:20 PM, daveAustin said:

 

Tempted to agree, but if it keeps the airhead racers from killing people on the streets...

 

Wonder how long it is before we see a Pokemon go related shooting... 

[ChoakMyDee]

18 hours ago, digibum said:

 

Well, I get drunk when I do that so I'm getting way more out of what I do than people who play Pokemon.  

 

Joking aside, it's not harmless.  When I go to a bar and leer, it's during my spare time.  I have a list of other activities I can engage in and simply choose this one over the others.  

 

When a game, or Facebook, or whatever begins to encroach on what should not be free time then it is problematic.  How many businesses have you been to where the staff cannot peel themselves away from their phones in order to do their jobs?  That's problematic.  

 

How many people stop at the top of escalators in order to finish their text message or Facebook post?   That's problematic.  

 

How many people will quit paying attention to the road in order to read a message or catch a Pokemon?  That's problematic.  

 

All these things are problematic because they involve people not doing what they're supposed to be doing.  And the failure to do what they're supposed to be doing impacts others.  

 

One does not burden the rest of society when they sit in a bar and ogle women.  That's the difference.  

 

Like just today at a business lunch, a colleague picked up her phone 3 or 4 times to catch Pokemon at our table.  Sorry, but this is work.  Put the game down!  

 

You fail. You're assuming people playing Pokemon should be doing something else. You're assuming they are acting irresponsibly. How do you know? You'd have to stop every one of them and ask. You couldn't possibly know.

[digibum]

4 minutes ago, ChoakMyDee said:

 

You fail. You're assuming people playing Pokemon should be doing something else. You're assuming they are acting irresponsibly. How do you know? You'd have to stop every one of them and ask. You couldn't possibly know.

 

Sorry if your reading comprehension skills are limited by a language difference but I'll recap what I said in order to make things easier for you.  

 

1.  You are in a place of business and the staff working there are more interested in Facebook or playing a game on their phone than they are helping customers.  

 

2.  People who stop at the top of escalators, block elevator and train exits, block traffic on sidewalks, etc who are more interested in their phone than the inconvenience they are causing everyone else.  

 

3.  People who are operating a motor vehicle distracted by social media or Pokemon Go and out other people's lives at risk.  

 

All of the above are either irresponsible, inconsiderate, or put other people in danger.  So, yes, it is my business what they are doing.  

 

To help you in understanding where the line is, no need to worry, if you choose to sit in front of your computer furiously masterbating to internet porn, that is a choice in terms of how you live your life and how you wish to spend your time.  When you begin doing it on the BTS, now I have a problem.  

 

 

[ChoakMyDee]

8 hours ago, digibum said:

 

Sorry if your reading comprehension skills are limited by a language difference but I'll recap what I said in order to make things easier for you.  

 

1.  You are in a place of business and the staff working there are more interested in Facebook or playing a game on their phone than they are helping customers.  

 

2.  People who stop at the top of escalators, block elevator and train exits, block traffic on sidewalks, etc who are more interested in their phone than the inconvenience they are causing everyone else.  

 

3.  People who are operating a motor vehicle distracted by social media or Pokemon Go and out other people's lives at risk.  

 

All of the above are either irresponsible, inconsiderate, or put other people in danger.  So, yes, it is my business what they are doing.  

 

To help you in understanding where the line is, no need to worry, if you choose to sit in front of your computer furiously masterbating to internet porn, that is a choice in terms of how you live your life and how you wish to spend your time.  When you begin doing it on the BTS, now I have a problem.  

 

 

 

Bit of a Freudian slip in your last paragraph?