Before panicking about the fact that Thailand is in a State of Emergency from today March 26th until April 30th (subject to extension), let me share facts as informed by the Australian Embassy in Thailand.
What has been closed down?
Exceptions include take-away food/delivery, supermarkets & food markets, drug stores, shops selling necessary items, and convenience stores
- Restaurants, including street food
- Shopping malls
- Weekend markets
- Amusement parks, bowling lanes, gaming & internet shops
- Beauty salons & tattoo shops
- Golf courses or golf driving ranges
- Exhibition & convention centres
- All education institutions
- Cinemas & theaters
- Pubs & nightclubs
- Swimming pools or similar service
- Health spas, animal spas & the like
- Boxing stadiums & boxing schools
- Sports stadiums & gyms
What is allowed to still be open?
- Banks & financial institutions
- ATMs
- Hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies
- Delivery services
- Government agencies
- Hotels and hostels
- Petrol stations
- Postal service
- Factories
Be cautious, these are illegal
- Gatherings/protest
- Sharing fake news about Covid-19
Below is an image depicting the information mentioned above:
In an article by the Bangkok Post this morning entitled “All doors closed to foreigners,” there is an infographic explaining decree directives, pasted below for your reference:
As of now there is no curfew imposed in Thailand. “However, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who oversees legal affairs, said a curfew might be imposed later if considered necessary. He added that if the government does go ahead with imposing a curfew to curb the spread of Covid-19, the order will be different from previous curfews which were only imposed at night to maintain peace and order. “The curfew for Covid-19 is likely to cover 24 hours, with exceptions for individuals seeking medical treatment, those going to court or those working in broadcasting services.”
“From now the measures to be imposed will be more intense and will affect people’s lives. I’m asking you to comply and be responsible. Some people may feel their rights are being infringed upon, but all this is being done to protect lives. If we take things seriously, we can get through this,” Gen Prayut said. The national police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda said on Wednesday that a 24-hour curfew is a possibility, but the situation so far does not warrant it.
Anyway, this is the most up to date information I have as of now. I will continue to share more information as I see it. Today’s situation update about COVID19 in Thailand will be at 12:30pm at the Ministry of Public Health.
The National News Beareau of Thailand is a good source to follow, here’s a link to their Facebook page. I also believe Richard Barrow is a factual and informative source, his tweets can be found here.
As a final statement I would just like to share that my personal opinion on a few things:
- Whether there is an official curfew or not, it is our responsibility to #stopthespread and #flattenthecurve by staying home. You can find more information about this in last week’s blog post here.
- It’s a stressful time for the entire world, the least we can do is #spreadlove and #bekind to each other!
Stay home and stay safe, everyone. We will get through this together!
Information compiled and shared by by Devi Bajaj
Founder & Director of Enliven Health Concierge
#EnlivenConcierge#Coronavirus#Covid19#SocialDistancing#SocialResponsibility#StayHome#WorkFromHome#WFH