Coronavirus (Covid-19)
More closures in Bangkok as BMA mulls further restrictions

• High risk entertainment venues closed
• BMA’s 437 schools closed for at least 2 weeks
• CCSA considering restricting Bangkok restaurants to take-any only services only
The Bangkok Metropolitan Organisation has closed “high risk’ venues around Bangkok as of midnight last night. The city’s 437 public schools run by the BMA have also been ordered to close until at least January 17.
The list of venues ordered to close around Bangkok include… entertainment venues (bars and nightclubs), water parks, amusement parks, playgrounds, children’s play equipment in markets, snooker tables, arcade venues, flea markets, game cafes, internet cafes, cockfighting grounds, other animal fighting grounds (huh?!).
The list also includes nurseries and childcare facilities, elderly nursing homes, boxing stadiums, martial arts schools, gyms, horse racing tracks, soapie massage, massage parlours, all sports stadiums, gymnasiums, banquet and conference rooms, amulet and religious stores, preschools, child development centres, tattoo shops and acupuncture shops.
Some of these locations, like nurseries and some schools had already been closed by previous orders.
A representative of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration says the “additional measures” of closing some high risk venues and adding further restrictions will remain in force “until further notice”.
Shopping centres and department stores will be allowed to stay open at this stage but will screen all customers upon entry.
The fate of the city’s restaurants is being discussed today by the CCSA with a proposal on the table to restrict restaurants in high risk zones to take-away services only. The BMA is asking the CCSA not to take this additional measure at this stage.
“If approved the mandatory food takeaway order may come into effect on Monday so owners have some time to prepare themselves.”
Around the city, the Nong Khaem, Bang Phlat and Bang Khun Thian districts are already under a “highly controlled” status and checkpoints in and out of these areas are now being added. Those districts are neighbours to Samut Sakhon, the provincial origin of the ongoing outbreak focussed on migrant workers in the seafood markets and industry.
The BMA say they are monitoring all the current measure and will discuss further restrictions for the city over the weekend.
Thailand added 279 new infections yesterday, 20 of them were people living in Bangkok, 2 of the cases linked to the Samut Sakhon cluster. 1 of the 2 people that died yesterday was a man living in Bangkok. At yesterday’s media briefing, Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin warned that the situation “remained serious and it could take some time for authorities to bring it under control”.
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Thai DJ Celebrity party is likely to be “super spreader” event

The birthday party of Techin Ploypetch, better known as “DJ Matoom”, is now considered a super-spreader source of Covid-19, with 19 people already found infected after attending the event. According the CCSA spokesperson during the daily briefing today, “Transmissions in Bangkok should be highlighted. They show the possibility of a person becoming a super-spreader”.
The birth of the super spreader birthday party started with a guest to the DJ’s party who had visited a well-known entertainment venue in Chiang Mai between January 1 and 4. He sought a Covid-19 test on January 5 following news that infected people had visited the pub, but tested negative. He should have self quarantined for 14 days, but he still flew to Bangkok and then attended the DJ celebrity’s birthday party on January 9.
DJ Matoom says he met the guest, one of his friend, on January 9, but that friend didn’t know he was infected until January 19 in which he told Matoom.
According to Dr Tanarak Plipat, now acting inspector-general of the Public Health Ministry, an infected person can transmit disease to two others on average, while a “super spreader” will transmit to multiple people.
DJ Matoom and the party’s guest were criticised of violating the disease control measures.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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Bangkok
Owners of vehicles emitting black smoke to be fined up to 5,000 baht

Owners of cars and trucks emitting an excessive amount of black smoke face a fine up to 5,000 baht. The heavy fine is an attempt to reduce air pollution in Bangkok. Along with the fine, the Department of Land Transport will also order the vehicle be suspended from use until its emission system is fixed.
According to the department, from October last year until January, 689,333 vehicles in Bangkok areas have been inspected for black smoke emissions, while 8,762 of them have been suspended from usage. Those vehicles emitting a high volume of smoke, but are under the safety standard, will receive warnings and owners are urged to check vehicle conditions and keep proper maintenance.
Vehicles with exceeding black smoke are urged to check their vehicles at the department’s certified vehicle inspection centres located around Bangkok’s outskirts, including Phutthamonthon, Romklao, and Khlong Luang areas. Motorists are also encouraged to help reduce air pollution caused by black smoke and PM2.5 particles by having their vehicles regularly serviced or alternately switching to electric or NGV-powered vehicles.
People who witness vehicles emitting black smoke can also report the authorities by calling 1584, or contact Line: @1584DLT, or via DLT GPS mobile application.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
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Bangkok
Police arrest man suspected of producing ketamine drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths

In the ongoing investigation into the ketamine-based drug cocktail linked to 11 deaths in Bangkok, police arrested a man who allegedly mixed large amounts of narcotics to make the drug cocktail known as “K powdered milk.” Police say the cocktail is ketamine mixed with methamphetamine, heroin and pharmaceutical pills for anxiety and sleeping.
38 year old Taiwan national Chou Yi Sen, aka “Lupin Taiwan,” was arrested yesterday after police raided his condominium in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district. Chou allegedly admitted to mixing the drugs to make “K powdered milk” and police say the formulas for the drug mixture were found on his cell phone.
Earlier this month, 11 people died after taking the drug cocktail. The Bangkok Post says dozens more people are still in the hospital after taking the “K powdered milk.” Police have arrested numerous suspected drug dealers who ran small scale and large scale operations.
Chou allegedly ran the drug operation from various locations in Bangkok, selling the drugs overseas using the cryptocurrency Bitcoin as well as to buyers in Thailand. Police also searched Chou’s rooms at other condominium the Huai Khawang, Wang Thong Lang and Klong Toey districts, seizing a variety of illicit drugs and equipment as well as a pistol with 8 bullets.
Altogether, police seized 4 kilograms of ketamine, 376 ecstasy pills, 4 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, 8 kilograms of heroin, 48 LSD tabs, 11.6 grams of cocaine, 2 bottles of Dormicum sleeping pills and 265 Five Five sleeping pills. Police say they also seized 2 plastic sealing machines, 2 mixers that appeared to have drug-like residue and 2 digital scales.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Toby Andrews
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 9:47 am
well if they lift the quarantines now, nobody will be arriving.
They killed the golden tourist goose, now they are making sure it is dead.
Here in Cambodia everything is open, and even Hun Sen has had the virus! Yet no deaths.
Those that die are the old, sick, and fat, quarantine them and let the people carry on their lives.
Issan John
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 1:15 pm
“no deaths”?
That couldn’t possibly be due to a lack of testing labs to test for Covid-19, could it Toby?
Thailand has 250 testing labs, many of them mobile and deployed to any outbreak to test on-site.
Cambodia has 1 (one), at the NIPH in Phnom Penh.
John
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 10:06 am
Just thinking if this cheap Toby who spend day and night alone in his room is just an idiot or is he a bad guy who hates everything and everyone?
346 k Americans dead
76k k British dead
and so on and on
and he is still looking for other idiots to believe nobody is dying.
Is this kind of self assurance that you will survive this pandemic or you already bunkered up and want herd immunity as soon as possible so you can get out?
Richard "Wales" Paton
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 10:59 am
388 people without underlying health issues die in the UK frrm Covid 19.In 2012,569.02 people died….. People die…its not unusual…
Richard "Wales" Paton
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 10:55 am
I can’t understand why you would keep the shopping centres and department stores open? Even if screened, people may be carrying the covid 19.
Issan John
Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 1:18 pm
Ditto.