BANGKOK EYES PRESENTS -
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BANGKOK EYES PRESENTS -
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 (continuing...) ...port of entry was Phuket. The authorities' plans included the proviso that tourists could not visit other parts of Thailand until they had been in Phuket for 10 days, while remaining free of the Coronavirus. This plan required that the local Thai commercial population would be able to be vaccinated by May 2021 - with newly arriving vaccines, and the soon-to-be locally-produced vaccine. The Minister of Public Health went so far as to state that the few cases of Coronavirus then showing up in Thailand would not be a problem, they could be handled easily by existing protocols. To continue with the government's best-laid-plans - the 'Golf Tour' plan was dusted off - where golfers from Korea and Japan would join tours to play golf at selected courses in Thailand - while residing at their assigned country club facilities. Then there was revived talk of reducing the quarantine period for incoming tourists from 14 days to 10 days.
But by the first week of April, all those ambitious plans for Thailand's controlled reopening were a pile of ashes - new infections of Coronavirus had quickly soared to over 300 new infections in a single day. Restrictions were starting to be re-implemented by the Government on places of entertainment and restaurants (to include the banning of alcoholic beverages). By 24 April the daily new infections had risen to 2839 - causing the BMA came out with a new, formal list of 31 restrictions, to be implemented within 48 hours. (See below for a verified translation:). By the end of the month, a further stipulation was issued - restaurants could only sell food as 'take-away'.
'Bangkok Metropolitan Authority'
Bangkok, 24 April 2021 Bangkok Orders Closure of 31 "classes of venues'' commencing 26 April 2021 for 14 days, or further notice. 1. Entertainment venues, including movie theaters, live performance theaters. (Example: Lakorn) 2. Water parks, Fun parks, both outside and inside malls / department stores. 3. Zoos. 4. Skating arenas. Include rollerblading and similar. 5. Snooker & billiard rooms. 6. Bowling alleys, game tables - consoles. 7. Game shops - Internet shops. 8. Public swimming pools and similar/ related activities. 9. Gyms, fitness studios. 10. Centers for exhibitions , showrooms, meeting halls. 11. Museums. 12. Public Libraries. 13. Child nurseries. Except nurseries within hospitals. 14. Facilities for care of the aged. Open only where facilities are normally available to elderly for overnight stays. 15. Boxing stadiums and boxing schools. 16. Martial arts studios. 17. Parlors for tattoo and body piercing. 18. Dancing studios and dancing schools. 19. Horse racing venues. 20. Centers for display of Buddha amulets and areas for display of Buddha amulets. 21. 'Weight-watcher' diet clinics, beauty clinics and shops, and related beauty enhancement. 22. Health massage, traditional Thai massage, foot massage. 23. All race courses / stadiums. 24. Traditional play / entertainment venues. 25. Facilities offering conference rooms, meeting rooms, catered dining rooms, and similar. 26. Shops, department stores and malls open only 11:00 - 21:00 hrs. 27. Beauty /hair styling / hair cutting shops - open only for wash, cut, style, shape, but waiting customers not allowed inside. 28. Sports stadiums of all types. 29. Public parks, public fields, exercise areas. 30. Convenience Stores (Example: 7 Eleven) 05:00 - 22:00 hrs. 31. No parties, camping, filming of movies or television programs. Religious duties / family activities including elderly are limited to 20 family members. (Additional Notes:) Restaurants must follow (these) rules exactly, but may serve as normal inside until 21:00 hrs. From 21:00 - 23:00 hrs for take-home orders only. Seating must be 2 meters apart, or 1 meter when partitioned. Must enforce the law requiring the wearing of 'surgical' or cloth masks in public areas. As it tuns out, to make matters worse, the production of a locally-produced vaccine has been delayed yet again, with no announcement as to when it might be available. Further, the emergency imports from various sources have been delayed, now only just starting to be received in Thailand in the last days of the month of April - much too late to have any effect on the surge of new infections and deaths. We quite literally remain "all dressed up, no place to go".
IF YOU'RE PLANNING TO TRAVEL TO THAILAND
For those trying to navigate the multitude of changing regulations, we recommend the link below: Once at the website , scroll down a bit and click on “View Live Map”, and you can enter your home country (or where you are now), and the destination you're interested in. They give you all the latest information on infection rate/trend, and regulations on quarantine, testing, etc. If you give them your e-mail address, they will send you updates when there’s a change in your specific travel interest(s).
Skyscanner.com (The above a repeat from last month.)
...A quick checklist....
Getting Ready to Visit Thailand
1. Thailand is currently in the middle of the 3rd Wave Coronavirus surge. Any plans to tour in Thailand should put on hold until the numbers of Coronavirus 'new cases' and 'deaths' are once again approaching zero. Check periodically, or daily at Worldometers.info. 2. Vaccination. Be prepared to show internationally recognized evidence of having been fully vaccinated. 3. Covid Test. Have a recent (within 72 hours) negative Covid-19 test (in addition to vaccination documentation). 4. Check periodically (up to time of travel) with Thailand Consulate in your home country for changing visa requirements, or any relevant travel restrictions (to include in particular quarantine policies, costs involved in quarantining, and any requirement for Covid insurance). 5. Check periodically with the airline of your choice to establish what their most current policies are regarding flights to Thailand. 6. Thailand no longer requires the "Fit To Fly" document - but your airline might, so you will need to double-check this item. 7. Insurance.. Many prospective visitors to Thailand must show evidence of insurance (dependent on Visa type). It is our understanding that this is 'Health Insurance', and not necessarily 'Life Insurance. Check before booking your flight. 8. Bring your own masks. Masks are available everywhere in Thailand, (and you will likely be wearing one on the aircraft), but you will be required to wear a mask while deplaning and going through Customs and Immigration. (Just a reminder). One last consideration (Repeat from last issue) : There are Covid vaccines, and then there are Covid vaccines. One from Russia, two from China, one from India, and a few more from Europe and North America. As time goes on, we note a number of news items indicating some of the vaccines are possibly responsible for causing severe adverse reactions. If you are not planning to travel in the next 2 to 3 months, don't be stampeded into getting your vaccination early. A 2-injection series takes about a month, so it won't hurt to hold off on getting vaccinated until more is known about the possible side effects of the various vaccines.
 
MIDNITE HOUR
MAIL
Let the Follies begin-
While we noted 'lights-on' at the Hanuman Massage, they were closed. The only establishment of any kind open on Patpong 1 Road was the 7-Eleven...
 PATPONG 1
The forlorn Safari had their lights on, but that was all. Locked down like Alcatraz...
PATPONG 1
For whatever reason, the Midnight bar beer was open - lights on, as per usual. (A single customer, or perhaps a staff, occupying a single stool...)
PATPONG 2
Standing in the middle of Soi Cowboy looking towards Soi 23, the only thing to be seen are closed Venues - illuminated by Soi Cowboy's new street lights. All Venues of all types buttoned-down tightly.
SOI COWBOY
The Asoke end of Soi Cowboy was just as dark as in the photo above. In the photo below, we can just make out some of the Venue names. Terminal 21 can be seen in the distance.
SOI COWBOY
And just in case you had forgotten what Soi Cowboy was like in the Year BC 1 ('Before Covid').....
VIDEO CLIP
SOI COWBOY
Nana Plaza shrouded in darkness - save for a sparsely manned security booth...
NANA PLAZA
As was the case with a few Venues on Soi Nana, the Hillary 2 had the exterior lights on, but doors locked. Soi Nana's Nightspots were completely closed down.
SOI NANA - (SOI 4 SUKHUMVIT) G's Bangkok (a restaurant) was open, and had a number of diners. Also, Connections was open, however it had no customers... All else was darker than a poisoned well...
SOI KATOEY
With the exception of a short-list of 'lights-out' specialty massage parlors (Dive, the Chaowang, the Hana and Hip Bangkok), Soi 22 was a virtual ghost town.
SOI 22
The below pic was taken in Subsoi Starlight looking toward the main Soi 22. Except for the security lighting, the soi would have been completely blacked-out.
SOI 22
The Subsoi Titanium bars and massage parlor were all shuttered for the duration...
SOI 22
The Bang Bang, (a 'restaurant' perhaps?) open only last month, was locked up top-to-bottom. Although from a distance you wouldn't know it (all lighting, interior and exterior) ablaze...
SOI AMBASSADOR
(Sukhumvit Soi 11) The far end of Soi Ambassador (Soi 11) was even darker than the rest of the Soi - the below pic shows the One For The Road, the Studio, the Smile Jasmine Massage, and the Apoteka (far right).
SOI AMBASSADOR
(Sukhumvit Soi 11) The small cluster of lean-to restaurants and the 'Tewley group' of bar beers were open, albeit with a few less lights on... It looks like a 'renaming game' is afoot - more on this next issue (if they are still there). File photo below.
SOI AMBASSADOR
(Sukhumvit Soi 11)  SOI 7 PLAZA
(And the Soi 7 Bier Garten)
The established, and otherwise popular The Rich Bar By Sa was closed down, as was every Venue in the Soi 7 Plaza.
SOI 7 PLAZA
A typical shot of the abandoned pathways between the over 20 beer bars, pool bars and restaurants within Soi 7 Plaza. Center-right in the pic below is the mothballed Drop In Bar.
SOI 7 PLAZA
Another pic of the darkened lanes within the Soi 7 Plaza. The only light coming from the occasional security lighting. Far right is one of two shuttered Leo's Wall bar beers.
SOI 7 PLAZA
The only signs of life on Soi 7 were the food vendors and street bars stretching from Soi 7 Bier Garten to Sukhumvit Road. They seemed to be oblivious to the current restrictions...
SOI 7 PLAZA
Soi Dead Artists (Sukhumvit Soi 33) was lit only by convenience store fronts, the occasional restaurant and an even more occasional passing automobile. Even the 'naughty' Japanese venues were closed down.
SOI DEAD
ARTISTS (Sukhumvit 33) The Kawinya Massage, and the next door Good Time Massage & Salon were open - sans lighting. Should you walk past, you would be invited in. Likewise for the mostly-transgender Dalah Massage a little deeper in the Soi. Farther in, the Bangkok Beer Cafe (open as a restaurant?) had all its lights on. All other Venues were in hibernation. File photo below.
SOI EDEN (Sukhumvit 7 / 1)
This month, Midnite Hour digs deep into the mildewed cardboard boxes in our attic and visits a few Nitespots from two long-disappeared Night Entertainment Areas that were popular through the 1960's and into the 1970's - Gaysorn Road (across the road from the Erawan Hotel), and New Road (Jaroen Krung) at the end of Surawong Road, right and left - towards the G.P.O. and Silom Road. The below clippings are from January 1965.
 
Vic Luna, one of the many musicians from the Philippines, was perhaps the most popular 'resident' musician of the day, doing gigs at various Nitespots. Likewise, the various touring acts from abroad would perform at different 'nightclubs' while in town.
With thanks to Cool Text.com
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Bangkok Eyes is an historically based news outlet, and as such, all graphic excerpts herein are considered, under current legal precedents and
prevailing interpretations, 'Fair Use' under Copyright Law. Copyright of any original artwork resides exclusively with the artists.
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The MIDNITE HOUR Graffiti Page is prepared by Staff Contributor "Boge" Hartman. (Boge's photo, above, is not a graffiti per-se, although there are those who have insinuated.... - Ed)
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