Complete end to lockdown July 1

[spoon]

Link

Complete end to lockdown on July 1

State of emergency likely to end June 30

The government has set July 1 for the lift of all business and activity lockdowns ordered earlier to cope with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), said the National Security Council chief.

These include interprovincial and international travel, as well as the end of emergency decree and curfew.

NSC secretary-general Gen Somsak Rungsita said on Thursday that the lift of restrictions would be a complete reopening of the country. Officials would next month prepare measures for the reopening.

"Authorities will have serious discussions because after the emergency decree ends, other laws will be used instead," he said.

"People's cooperation is important. This concerns the use of face masks, social distancing, hand wash and limited activities. As long as the disease is spreading worldwide, we will have to fight against it for a while."

Gen Somsak said the executive decree on public administration in emergency situations would end in June and the ban on international travel would continue until then.

The full reopening will come after the third phase of the relaxation to take place in June.

The government's Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) will on Friday finalise details on what businesses could resume and on what conditions under the third phase of relaxation in June.

On Wednesday, his committee on business easing did not reach a conclusion on high-risk activities that were suspended and seriously affected the economy, he said.

For next month, Gen Somsak said that curfew hours would be further shortened and more restrictions on inter-provincial travel would be lifted under the third phase.

CCSA spokesman Dr Taweesil Visanuyothin on Thursday said more activities at malls would resume and athletes' practicing grounds would reopen.

Operators and customers would be required to use Thai Chana mobile application for checking in and out of premises since the businesses allowed to reopen in this stage are medium- to high-risk ones.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Tewan Liptapallop said movie theatres would not reopen because operators said there was no new movie during this time.

"It is not because we oppose the reopening, but operators say there are no new films to screen at the moment," he said.

He also said the government was considering financial aid for temples where all activities stopped including donations from the public.

[spoon]

Just realized that reader also posted this news on gay bangkok thread. If admin can delete this or combine, much appreciated.

[vinapu]

4 hours ago, spoon said:

Just realized that reader also posted this news on gay bangkok thread. If admin can delete this or combine, much appreciated.

don't worry , good news can be repeated in every thread

[GWMinUS]

9 hours ago, spoon said:

Operators and customers would be required to use Thai Chana mobile application for checking in and out of premises since the businesses allowed to reopen in this stage are medium- to high-risk ones.

So what does this mean??

[spoon]

2 hours ago, GWMinUS said:

So what does this mean??

If i read correctly, in june, more businesses will be allowed to open, but all of these businesses and their customers needs to use the app. I think the type of businesses was spelled out earlier in a different article but i guess to know exactly which ones, will have to wait and see. It also means the gov knows where and when u go to visit any of the business premises, gay bar, sauna or gogo bar alike. 

[vinapu]

2 hours ago, spoon said:

. It also means the gov knows where and when u go to visit any of the business premises, gay bar, sauna or gogo bar alike. 

sounds like digital concentration camp

[DivineMadman]

42 minutes ago, vinapu said:

sounds like digital concentration camp

except you're free to come and go, or not go, and, well, everything else.....

[spoon]

Lockdown eased from Monday

The government has announced the third stage of the easing of the business and activity lockdown, effective from Monday.

It allows restricted activities at schools, theatres, beauty parlours, fitness clubs, sports fields, recreational ponds, ballroom dancing venues, convention halls and zoos.

The curfew is also shortened to 11pm to 3am from June 1.

Gen Somsak Roongsita, secretary-general of the National Security Council, said on Friday that school buildings can reopen for admission examinations and short training sessions, but not for normal classes. Private tuition schools for vocational training, arts and sports can resume.

Malls could remain open until 9pm. Exhibition and convention venues could also open until 9pm, but activity space at each would be limited to 20,000 square metres.

Buddha amulet markets will reopen, as long as operators prevent visitors crowding together.

Barbers and hairdressers will be allowed to dye hair in addition to hair cutting, washing and drying, but their services are still capped at two hours at a time and customers are not allowed to wait on the premises.

Child daycare centres can open only for the preparation of food and beverages for parents to take home to their children. 

Beauty clinics and salons and tattoo and piercing parlours can reopen, but not provide facial services, and staff and customers must wear face masks.

Health-oriented massage parlours can reopen for two hours of service at a time. Sex massage parlours, steam and herbal saunas remain closed.

Fitness clubs in and outside malls will reopen from June 1 but visitors' numbers will be limited and sauna services are still suspended.

Stadiums for football, futsal, basketball and volleyball will resume for exercise and practice, on the condition the number of non-players is capped at 10.

Bowling and skating centres and the like can reopen for exercise and practice only. Ballroom dancing centres will reopen.

Ponds for sports and recreational activities - for jetskis, kitesurfing, banana boats and such-like - can reopen as long as the number of people is limited, but not for competition.

Theatres, including movie theatres, will reopen but the audience is limited at 200 at each place. Everyone must wear face masks, and double-seating is allowed. The ban on concerts continues.

Zoos can reopen but visitors must not gather for activities. Curfew hours will be shortened to 11pm-3am to facilitate more businesses.

[faranglaw]

8 hours ago, DivineMadman said:

except you're free to come and go, or not go, and, well, everything else.....

but...other than that...

[faranglaw]

or as we with wretched manners who hail from that wretchedest of countries sometimes say, “Other than that Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?”

[vinapu]

15 hours ago, DivineMadman said:

except you're free to come and go, or not go, and, well, everything else.....

how long ?

[zombie]

So can anyone say how this will affect Soi 4 and the bars generally?

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, zombie said:

So can anyone say how this will affect Soi 4 and the bars generally?

predicting is very hard , specially predicting the future.

My guess is  that very fast after re-opening things will go back to normal.

 

[Travellerdave]

Vinapu - your guess is music to my ears. I am following developments with rapt attention and am hoping for news that a gay bar has re-opened

[anddy]

On 5/29/2020 at 12:01 PM, GWMinUS said:

So what does this mean??

 

On 5/29/2020 at 2:30 PM, spoon said:

If i read correctly, in june, more businesses will be allowed to open, but all of these businesses and their customers needs to use the app. I think the type of businesses was spelled out earlier in a different article but i guess to know exactly which ones, will have to wait and see. It also means the gov knows where and when u go to visit any of the business premises, gay bar, sauna or gogo bar alike. 

The app thing is extremely easy. There is a QT code at the entrance of a participating establishment, you scan it with your phone (I just use the QR scanner in LINE which is readily available on the top of the list of chats), click on the link that pops up and there click on "check in upon entering and on "check out" upon leaving. Only the very first time using it do you have to manually enter your phone number into the system.

So with the check in/out they can contact you by SMS if there was a person who subsequently tested positive for Coronavirus at the same time as you. Of course one could enter a fake number, but who really wants that? I'd rather be contacted if there was a virus-positive person there when I was.

As for "participating establishment": massage shops, bars, saunas and such may or may not participate. At the moment this whole thing is mostly used by malls and department stores, and even there in an inconsistent way. I haven't seen it at any restaurants really, with one exception being today a restaurant in Kanchanaburi. So it is not everywhere, who participates and who doesn't (and who is actually required to in order to be allowed to open at all) is, needless to say, impossible to figure out. After all, TiT. 

I wouldn't worry about that at all. Besides, I couldn't care less if they know that I visited a sauna, for example. But then I don't have a wife I secretly cheat on with boys LOL

 

EDIT: if gogo bars were to participate in the app, and it's use drags on well into 2021 even after tourism has reopened, then even @vinapu would be forced to get and use a smartphone in Thailand, or else be shut out of the bars. Alternative would be to stay away even longer. Your choice! But that's still guessing a bit too much about the future, so let's follow this year's overarching motto on this: wait and see. Just wanted to point out this rather shocking possibility!  

[anddy]

As for the "complete end to the lockdown" from July 1st: 

That apparently will indeed include bars and such (with whatever hygiene and distancing measures [but wait, distancing in a sauna? Sounds like an oxymoron LOL]), BUT it does NOT mean international tourists and even visa holders will be allowed back in. Sorry to say, but there are no announcements to that effect at the moment. To the contrary, the so-called re-opening of the borders makes it virtually impossible for anyone to come:

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2020/05/25/new-normal-access-to-thailand-even-after-flights-resume-if-virus-persists/

 

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, anddy said:

EDIT: if gogo bars were to participate in the app, and it's use drags on well into 2021 even after tourism has reopened, then even @vinapu would be forced to get and use a smartphone in Thailand, or else be shut out of the bars. Alternative would be to stay away even longer

( my underscore)

am I only one who sees big incompatibility between ' fun ' and ' be forced" ?

Using smartphone on vacation is one thing but having it as big brother type spying  tool in brothel , church and everywhere in between is another. Good thing there's an alternative. 

[reader]

One of the entry requirements mentioned in the Thai Examiner link above reads:

"There must be health insurance coverage for up to $100,000 and this cover must also include insurance against the Covid 19 virus. This coverage must be authenticated by a Thai official."

Anyone have any information on this type of coverage that would be available for tourists?

 

NOTE -- Allianz, one of the more popular travel insurance providers, has posted this notice on its website:

IMPORTANT: Our travel protection plans generally do not cover losses related to COVID-19, including due to government-imposed travel bans or other travel restrictions related to COVID-19. We highly recommend that you DO NOT purchase a travel protection plan for such conditions.

[DivineMadman]

49 minutes ago, reader said:

One of the entry requirements mentioned in the Thai Examiner link above reads:

"There must be health insurance coverage for up to $100,000 and this cover must also include insurance against the Covid 19 virus. This coverage must be authenticated by a Thai official."

Anyone have any information on this type of coverage that would be available for tourists?

 

NOTE -- Allianz, one of the more popular travel insurance providers, has posted this notice on its website:

IMPORTANT: Our travel protection plans generally do not cover losses related to COVID-19, including due to government-imposed travel bans or other travel restrictions related to COVID-19. We highly recommend that you DO NOT purchase a travel protection plan for such conditions.

 

You might want to look at World Nomads.  [For U.S. residents - what they cover isn't the same for U.K residents or other countries - but feel free to check you non-US peeps]

World Nomads does not have a pandemic/epidemic exclusion ("our plan does not exclude losses associated with pandemic or epidemic conditions; meaning that if you, your traveling companion or family member were to become sick (after you purchase the plan) as a result of the COVID-19 virus, you could still receive benefits for losses covered by the plan.")   

Also, there is no exclusion for travel during a State Department/CDC "essential travel only"  period.

There is a pretty decent set of FAQs.  https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/help/insurance/recent-events/coronavirus-faqs   The FAQs discuss the trip cancellation/interruption aspect of the policy as well as the health insurance aspect, which is what the Thai gov't is looking for.  (Same for Vietnam and Cambodia, I think?)

Given that right now the focus is on letting in only a select few work permit types (and similar), with each case reviewed by the embassy, I certainly have no clue how this requirement will play out for "regular" tourists.  

Also no guarantees that this won't change at any time......

 

[reader]

Unfortunately--for me--it's not available to those 70 and over.

Perhaps a Thai insurer will offer a policy that satisfies immigration requirements. Just one more uncertainty that makes planning just about impossible at this stage.

[Boy69]

There must be health insurance coverage for up to $100,000 and this cover must also include insurance against the Covid 19 virus. This coverage must be authenticated by a Thai official."

Typical to the Thai government to announce full opening but in fact to make it almost impossible to enter...

how can you authenticate the insurance will they send you to translator at the airport ? Ask the immigration officer to check the insurance in English and verify it in Thai ?

redicilous . Under this circumstances it's impossible flying to Thailand.

 

[Boy69]

19 hours ago, vinapu said:

predicting is very hard , specially predicting the future.

My guess is  that very fast after re-opening things will go back to normal.

 

You are too optimistic it's more like an unrealistic wish than reasonable forecast, the int'l traveling industry won't be back to normal till the situation with the apademic is clear and stable it can take months till things go back to normal how can bars and gay venues re open when aloud and survive  when there are no tourists ?

Interesting reading :

 

https://www.thejakartapost.com/seasia/2020/05/29/go-go-bars-gone-as-coronavirus-hits-bangkoks-sex-district.html

 

[anddy]

10 hours ago, vinapu said:

( my underscore)

am I only one who sees big incompatibility between ' fun ' and ' be forced" ?

Using smartphone on vacation is one thing but having it as big brother type spying  tool in brothel , church and everywhere in between is another. Good thing there's an alternative. 

ah, maybe shouldn't use the word "forced", sounds too harsh. Could also be "feel compelled to use" or even "choose to use" to avail himself to the pleasures beyond the check-in point. I said "forced" more to highlight the contrast to your general unwillingness to use a phone here . That "forcing" would be entirely of your own choosing, and by the same token you may as well decide to stay away until the majority of the global population has been vaccinated. Sadly, that would "force" us here to wait for you so much longer  

[Guest]

16 hours ago, anddy said:

As for the "complete end to the lockdown" from July 1st: 

That apparently will indeed include bars and such (with whatever hygiene and distancing measures [but wait, distancing in a sauna? Sounds like an oxymoron LOL]), BUT it does NOT mean international tourists and even visa holders will be allowed back in. Sorry to say, but there are no announcements to that effect at the moment. To the contrary, the so-called re-opening of the borders makes it virtually impossible for anyone to come

That's the case as of July the 1st.

When the government decides they need to get the economy up and running, I imagine they will be allowing easy access for tourists from countries which have the virus under control, so Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand & China.   I imagine that would not be many more months.

Europe (obviously including Russia) and North America would probably have to wait a little longer.

 

 

[vinapu]

5 hours ago, Boy69 said:

You are too optimistic it's more like an unrealistic wish than reasonable forecast,

 

I agree that is too optimistic, whether it's unrealistic or reasonable, let's revisit the issue say, in 2 months