Phuket News & Events

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Phuket: Bar girl, dancer, waitress and bouncer all infected with coronavirus at Soi Bangla - foreigners infected too

 The Phuket governor has admitted that many people working in the red light district of Soi Bangla, Phuket have been diagnosed with coronavirus.

 

There are nine new cases to add to the 17 already diagnosed - one is a prostitute who had many contacts with people from nations on a list of risky countries.

 

Another is a waitress who had contact with many foreigners while working.
Yet another is a "freelancer" who made frequent visits to Soi Bangla.
Another is a 27 year old female dancer and one is a 28 year male club bouncer.
All discovered they had symptoms last week after carrying on normal life at their jobs in the previous days and weeks. 
Several foreigners have also been diagnosed among the latest cases including a Swedish air hostess who had been to Spain.
All those infected are in hospital though the authorities have attempted to downplay the outbreak by saying that their symptoms are all mild.
Governor Pakrapong Thawiphat has now shut down entertainment in his province including the Soi Bangla, Patong area one of the most notorious centers of night life and prostitution in Thailand.
The nine latest cases in Phuket are as follows:
Case 18: A 33 year old female waitress in Soi Bangla who had contact with many foreigners and started displaying symptoms on March 16th.
Case 19: A 56 year old French engineer who arrived in Phuket with his wife on the 15th and started showing symptoms on the 18th.
Case 20: A 25 year old Swedish air hostess who had recently been in Spain and Sweden. She arrived on a flight from Sweden on the 20th and started showing symptoms that day.
Case 21: A 35 year old female Thai prostitute who had contact with many people from nations on risk lists. She showed symptoms on the 20th.
Case 22: A person described as a "freelance" worker who made frequent trips to Soi Bangla and showed symptoms on the 20th.
Case 23: A 27 year old female dancer in Soi Bangla who had symptoms on the 22nd.
Case 24: A 28 year old Thai man who is a security guard at a club on Soi Bangla.
Case 25: A 62 year old Thai businesswoman who came back to Phuket after developing symptoms in Switzerland.
Case 26: A 62 year old French male golf instructor who had traveled to Spain and Germany and who developed symptoms while in Phuket.
Health authorities in Phuket said that the latest cases clearly fell into two sets:
Those who had the virus from Europe and those who developed the disease in the bars and clubs of Phuket after going about their normal business unaware that they were infected.
It was stressed that their symptoms were mild and their condition in hospital is not serious. 

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Most new Phuket virus cases in Patong area


Empty chairs are seen on a beach that was normally full of tourists, as coronavirus fears mounted in Phuket, on March 11. (Reuters photo)

PHUKET: Patong has become a hotbed for coronavirus infections on the resort island as most new cases were found in the area in recent days.
The Provincial Communicable Disease Committee on Saturday reported six confirmed patients, one of them a man from Uzbekistan, bringing the total to 47 since Jan 5. The island has reported no deaths.

Four of the new infections were found in the Patong area, two of them linked to Soi Bang La, and one each in Kata and Karon beaches.
"The new confirmed Covid-19 patients in Phuket province include those in connection with entertainment venues in the Soi Bang La area, tambon Patong, Kathu district," it said.

Bang La is dubbed by some travel websites as Phuket's version of Patpong due to its bustling nightlife.
Eight out of 18 new cases on the island since Thursday had a history with Bang La.

Most of the confirmed cases in Phuket were related to service businesses such as restaurants and hotels, it added.
All entertainment venues in Phuket are among the places ordered closed in an attempt to bring down the number of the new cases.

Phuket governor Phakapong Tavipatana on Saturday urged all Thais and foreigners to stay at home from 8pm to 3am and said strict inspections would be applied for travellers to other provinces.

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Phuket governor orders people to stay inside after dark



Locals and tourists in Phuket have been told to refrain from going out of their residences from 8pm until 3am the following morning.

Phuket Governor Phakkhaphong Thawiphat, and president of Phuket Communicable Disease Committee made the decision on Saturday (March 28).

“The decision is part of an effort to better control and prevent the spread of the new coronavirus,” he said. “By the governor’s authority under sections 22 and 35 of Communicable Disease Act BE 2558, we ask for cooperation from both Thais and foreigners staying in Phuket to remain in their residence during the period from March 28 until further notice, except for emergency only.”

The governor added that this announcement was applicable to all Phuket residents, whether they are staying at a hotel, condominium building, apartment, bungalow, resort, or personal house.

Earlier on Tuesday (March 24), the committee had approved a proposal to close all high-risk places in the province from today until March 31 in order to prevent people contracting Covid-19. The places the province has closed are: malls, pharmacies, shops, entertainment venues, spas, restaurants, amulet markets, golf clubs, pet-service shops, beauty clinics, barber and tattoo shops, and swimming pools of both government and private organisations.

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Phuket police under fire over crackdown on foreigners riding electric scooters

The news of police officers arresting foreign tourists who were riding electric scooters in Patong subdistrict of Phuket province went viral on Monday.
Phuket police under fire over crackdown on foreigners riding electric scooters
The police charged the tourists with alleged use of unregistered vehicles on roads and seized the scooters to take legal action against the entrepreneurs operating electric scooter rental business.




The news immediately went viral among netizens. Some people questioned why the police did not arrest the entrepreneurs instead, and some warned that the police action could affect tourism in Phuket.

Patong Police Station said police had banned the use of electric scooters, as users and other motorists would be at risk of road accidents.


It added that electric scooters could not be registered under the laws, as they would endanger the users, citing remarks by the Phuket Provincial Land Transportation Office.