DivineMadman

I think that for the most part in the M-T-L-C-V countries, the governments don't stand in the "take care" position with the people.  Thaksin Shinawatra certainly took steps in that direction in Thailand (for his own reasons), but the conservative/royalist/military/bloc seems to have accepted those steps only begrudgingly (witness the current junta's shitty first steps towards universal income payments to help ease the COVID-19 crisis, finding only 9 million people eligible).  I think there was a headline where some government agency was boasting it had created 300 jobs for people displaced by COVID-19.  Big f***ing whoop.
What these countries do have are the underlying social structures that have been in place long before the rise and fall of "mere" governments: the family, the village (or local communities) and the temple.   (I'm less confident of this start as far as VN is concerned, because I think perhaps during the more oppressive communist years there may have been more damage to these sorts of undergoing structures.)  Sometimes people here question the idea of the guys sending so much of their earnings home to "mom", but the flip side is that there is a home for them to go to and, out in the countryside, plenty of food.  Temples are arranging food distribution - and in the non-urban areas temples have always played that role with the "excess" daily offerings.
Also, in Bangkok and I read Pattaya, bars and NGOs are stepping up.  SWING Foundation in Bangkok has been providing food and supplies and has stayed open to provide medical services to the gay/trans "service worker" (sex worker) community.  Patpong Museum has been helping out also, but I assume their focus is the bar girls.  COVID Thailand Aid - I've posted about them before - is providing food and supplies to the elderly and at risk community in the Khlong Toey slums and more recently throughout much of Thailand.  Another organization based in Klong Toey that has been stepping up is the marvelous Duang Prateep Foundation.  I am sure all through would welcome donations.  
So, for the most part,  I don't expect the government to do much.  But I think the local people in the community will make the difference.  
On a side note, the guys I worry about are the guys who for one reason or another, don't have a family situation where they can go back home, and have stayed in BKK.  

I think that for the most part in the M-T-L-C-V countries, the governments don't stand in the "take care" position with the people.  Thaksin Shinawatra certainly took steps in that direction in Thailand (for his own reasons), but the conservative/royalist/military/bloc seems to have accepted those steps only begrudgingly (witness the current junta's shitty first steps towards universal income payments to help ease the COVID-19 crisis, finding only 9 million people eligible).  I think there was a headline where some government agency was boasting it had created 300 jobs for people displaced by COVID-19.  Big f***ing whoop.
What these countries do have are the underlying social structures that have been in place long before the rise and fall of "mere" governments: the family, the village (or local communities) and the temple.   (I'm less confident of this start as far as VN is concerned, because I think perhaps during the more oppressive communist years there may have been more damage to these sorts of undergoing structures.)  Sometimes people here question the idea of the guys sending so much of their earnings home to "mom", but the flip side is that there is a home for them to go to and, out in the countryside, plenty of food.  Temples are arranging food distribution - and in the non-urban areas temples have always played that role with the "excess" daily offerings.
Also, in Bangkok and I read Pattaya, bars and NGOs are stepping up.  SWING Foundation in Bangkok has been providing food and supplies and has stayed open to provide medical services to the gay/trans "service worker" (sex worker) community.  Patpong Museum has been helping out also, but I assume their focus is the bar girls.  COVID Thailand Aid - I've posted about them before - is providing food and supplies to the elderly and at risk community in the Khlong Toey slums and more recently throughout much of Thailand.  Another organization based in Klong Toey that has been stepping up is the marvelous Duang Prateep Foundation.  I am sure all through would welcome donations.  
So, for the most part,  I don't expect the government to do much.  But I think the local people in the community will make the difference.  
On a side note, the guys I worry about are the guys who for one reason or another, don't have a family situation where they can go back home, and have stayed in BKK.  

I think that for the most part in the M-T-L-C-V countries, the governments don't stand in the "take care" position with the people.  Thaksin Shinawatra certainly took steps in that direction in Thailand (for his own reasons), but the conservative/royalist/military/bloc seems to have accepted those steps only begrudgingly (witness the current junta's shitty first steps towards universal income payments to help ease the COVID-19 crisis, finding only 9 million people eligible).  I think there was a headline where some government agency was boasting it had created 300 jobs for people displaced by COVID-19.  Big f***ing whoop.
What these countries do have are the underlying social structures that have been in place long before the rise and fall of "mere" governments: the family, the village (or local communities) and the temple.   (I'm less confident of this start as far as VN is concerned, because I think perhaps during the more oppressive communist years there may have been more damage to these sorts of undergoing structures.)  Sometimes people here question the idea of the guys sending so much of their earnings home to "mom", but the flip side is that there is a home for them to go to and, out in the countryside, plenty of food.  Temples are arranging food distribution - and in the non-urban areas temples have always played that role with the "excess" daily offerings.
Also, in Bangkok and I read Pattaya, bars and NGOs are stepping up.  SWING Foundation in Bangkok has been providing food and supplies and has stayed open to provide medical services to the gay/trans "service worker" (sex worker) community.  Patpong Museum has been helping out also, but I assume their focus is the bar girls.  COVID Thailand Aid - I've posted about them before - is providing food and supplies to the elderly and at risk community in the Khlong Toey slums and more recently throughout much of Thailand.  Another organization based in Klong Toey that has been stepping up is the marvelous Duang Prateep Foundation.  I am sure all through would welcome donations.  
So, for the most part,  I don't expect the government to do much.  But I think the local people in the community will make the difference.  
On a side note, the guys I worry about are the guys who for one reason or another, don't have a family situation where they can go back home, and have stayed in BKK.  

exactly, there is a sliding scale, and that's because (a) nobody has ever tried this whole virus containment thing on this scale before and (b) there are vastly different cultures to contend with. In Sweden with a highly educated population with a high sense of responsibility and mutual trust (both among the people and between people and government) you can do (or try) that way. In other countries (notably Thailand), you can not. They know their habits and that allowing alcohol may and will lead to lots of unwanted parties = potential virus spreading. so, as @traveller123 said, there is logic.
Your assessment of "vindictive" seems a very subjective, western view. 

A recent article in Scientific American:
The Loneliness of the “Social Distancer” Triggers Brain Cravings Akin to Hunger --
A study on isolation’s neural underpinnings implies many may feel literally “starved” for contact amid the COVID-19 pandemic"
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-loneliness-of-the-social-distancer-triggers-brain-cravings-akin-to-hunger/
 

Those are not infectious.

I received a first-person account from a friend who just completed an extended quarantine upon reentering Vietnam.  He began his journey just as venues in Bangkok were closing and outbound buses were departing full. Vietnam authorities were initially overtaxed by the arrival at their border of so many returnees. Once transportation was organized, however, citizens were dispersed to quarantine locations set up in army bases and closed school facilities.
Authorities then began shifting nationals to locations closer to their homes. For many, this was Ha Tinh province.
Everyone was required to wear surgical masks and their condition regularly monitored, he said. Just as he was nearing the standard 14-day quarantine, he was told that contact tracing determined that a person he was in proximity to at a camp had tested positive and his stay would be extended for an additional observation period.
He was tested twice during this time and registered negative on both. He was released to his home a few days later.
He tells me that the food was good and new masks were provided daily. Upon release, everyone was given a washable cloth mask to take with them.

The "going for herd immunity"-strategy is limited by the health system, one limiting factor is the number of intensive care units. You don't want the number of people needing intensive care to be higher than the available units. If you consider this, for example for germany there is a modelling that shows that R0 = 1.25 is still too high (in german: https://www.dgepi.de/assets/Stellungnahmen/Stellungnahme2020Corona_DGEpi-21032020-v2.pdf), and it would still take at least one year until heard immunity.
That means all over 2020 there must be some kind of restrictions, hopefully not that strict as we have them now in many countries, and I fear that free travel between countries is the last thing we will get back.
Everyone is hoping for the vaccination!

Most - if not all - visitors to Bangkok at some point come across the work of the man featured in this video.  I usually try to take pictures of his work when I find them walking around town.  
I met him one night rather late (or early in the morning, depending on how you view it), when I was walking home.  He was diligently at work, but when I said hello he looked up and said hello back with a nice smile.  A magic Bangkok moment.  
COVID Thailand Aid (formerly COVID Bangkok Aid) is an organization that I've tried to help in a small way.   Their focus is to help the elderly poor and others most at risk.  I hope they keep an eye out for Khun Pichai.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/covidthailandaid/
 
 

Why is this thread so tedious in comparison to the similar “Some model photoshots” thread? Is it that each post here contains too many pictures? Or is the annoying comments with *** from Herr DrimVoiz?  Plenty of good looking eye candy on both threads but for some reason this thread is damn irritating. Do others share my frustration? A shame since this thread started out so promisingly as a well written travelogue before becoming a photo depository.  Already looking forward to next post from PeterRS

Most - if not all - visitors to Bangkok at some point come across the work of the man featured in this video.  I usually try to take pictures of his work when I find them walking around town.  
I met him one night rather late (or early in the morning, depending on how you view it), when I was walking home.  He was diligently at work, but when I said hello he looked up and said hello back with a nice smile.  A magic Bangkok moment.  
COVID Thailand Aid (formerly COVID Bangkok Aid) is an organization that I've tried to help in a small way.   Their focus is to help the elderly poor and others most at risk.  I hope they keep an eye out for Khun Pichai.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/covidthailandaid/
 
 

Most - if not all - visitors to Bangkok at some point come across the work of the man featured in this video.  I usually try to take pictures of his work when I find them walking around town.  
I met him one night rather late (or early in the morning, depending on how you view it), when I was walking home.  He was diligently at work, but when I said hello he looked up and said hello back with a nice smile.  A magic Bangkok moment.  
COVID Thailand Aid (formerly COVID Bangkok Aid) is an organization that I've tried to help in a small way.   Their focus is to help the elderly poor and others most at risk.  I hope they keep an eye out for Khun Pichai.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/covidthailandaid/
 
 

Most - if not all - visitors to Bangkok at some point come across the work of the man featured in this video.  I usually try to take pictures of his work when I find them walking around town.  
I met him one night rather late (or early in the morning, depending on how you view it), when I was walking home.  He was diligently at work, but when I said hello he looked up and said hello back with a nice smile.  A magic Bangkok moment.  
COVID Thailand Aid (formerly COVID Bangkok Aid) is an organization that I've tried to help in a small way.   Their focus is to help the elderly poor and others most at risk.  I hope they keep an eye out for Khun Pichai.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/covidthailandaid/
 
 

Without Dr. Fauci and politicians such as governors Cuomo and Newsom, the US would be supporting spurious cures touted by Rudy Guiliani in order to get people back to playing Trump golf courses and filling football stadiums.  The best thing about President Trump's daily campaign rally/virus update is that it reminds me it's time for my daiy walk.
I keep hoping for a clear opportunity to plan my next trip to Thailand.  Vinapu and Reader know I planned for late May...now?  Many of the boys I know and am concerned for have headed home to Vietnam and Cambodia...and most have been quarantined  in their  home countries.  They text that they's like to return to work, but now sure what that means or will mean?  Sorry...I'm drifting into a rambling rant about lost habits and opportunities.

Thais who buy food daily cannot stay indoors 24 hours a day. They need time to do what needs to be done.
Today, I had to go to the market. First time I have left in 2 weeks. The streets were quiet and social distancing was everywhere I saw.
I purchased 6 zucchini to make a veggie chili to last days. Guess how much? 660 baht. I was shocked. All in all, my bill was 15,000 baht for food. That is so much more than normal and I used the same store as always. Prices are much higher. 
Yes, I have enough to last in my place for a while. But, do most Thais?  I don't think so. In most places, they allow for people to go out during the day. It is meant for essentials as there should be no travel between provinces. But, keeping people indoors all day seems good to me but not for most Thais. Just my opinion.
Now, the cost. You and I can afford to weather the storm. Can most Thais?  I don't think so and I know not. I have already turned down over 30 guys in the last week asking for help. It is sad but I can't help everyone that needs it. My ex called recently as he got sick and I asked him to go get checked for CoVid. He went to a Thai hospital. You know how much? 8,000 baht. So, can most Thais afford that? No. And, therefore most will not get tested.
It is a shit show. And, as the privileged, we are definitely in the advantage here. We can't put our minds to Thai thinking. And, I don't know of many Thais who have prepared for the weeks of quarantine like me (or months).
Night time people are up to no good. They are pervs trying to fuck and score and have sex. There are none that are going to play bridge. JK  I don't know any of that but I wanted to say it. Plus, I can't seem to stay awake after 10 so it doesn't affect me in the least. Even when friends are in town, I go to meet them and am tired before the first bar opens.
 

At one point, yes. But, in April, May or June?  Worth the risk?  IMHO, not in the least. It is a developing situation but I would not be making plans to travel anywhere till I see where this is in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days. My plans for the USA this summer have already been cancelled as I don't want to risk it at this point.

TM-47 = "Form for Alien to Notify of Staying Longer than 90 days"  It operates in its own universe.  The clock re-starts every time you enter the country.  
TM-30 = "Notification Form for House Master, Owner or the Possessor of the Residence where Aliens have stayed."  On its face applies every time a foreigner stays somewhere.  Your hotels have been doing this all the time.  Now you need to make sure your landlord has got you current (or you have to do it), if you need to go to Bangkok Immigration to get them to do something for you (such as an extension of stay).
Immigration Forms can be downloaded:  Here
Put aside whether or not it is manifestly insane, whoever came up with the law for TM-30 probably thought it would create a system where the government would always know where a foreigner is staying.  Every time the foreigner relocates, his/her location would get updated.  (LOL)
I actually think there are a lot of countries with rules like this, they are just seldom enforced.  I remember when I was a lad for a longish visit in Italy I had to register with the police.
Non-compliance with TM-30 is one of the "hooks" government and condos are using to crack down on AirBnB.  
In Bangkok people who have faced this problem but have landlords that cant' be bothered bring a copy of their lease and submit the form as "possessor", pay their 800 baht fine and then can proceed to renew their extension of stay.
 
 

90-Day reporting is your responsibility.  If you want to nerd-out, the form is TM-47.  You can report online.  It doesn't involve your landlord.  (But TM-30 usually involves the landlord, see below).  The 90-day clock restarts every time you re-enter the country.  You can report online, but the window to do so is 15 days before-but-not-less-than 7 days before the 90th day.    90-Day Reporting Online.   Now there is also a phone app for that called Immigration eServices for Foreigner or something like that.  In the Apple App store you can find it by searching for "Royal Thai Police."  (There is also an Android version.)  When I signed up for the app it took several days just to register, so take that into account.  The online reporting and apps are notoriously finicky.  I certainly wouldn't wait until the last day when you can report using these methods.  If for whatever reason you don't make the online reporting window, if you are in Bangkok you make the 90-Day report at Chaengwattana.  I think 90-day reporting might be one of the few situations where you can send someone to do it for you, but I don't know for certain.  You get a receipt (or you print out your receipt if you do it online) and it goes to the immigration officer along with your passport and departure card when you leave..  There are lots of reports of Immigration officers check to see if you have have complied at departure.  There is a fine.  
A different reporting is TM-30 reporting.  Bangkok didn't used to care about TM-30 reporting, although offices in some other districts did.  But all that has changed very recently and Bangkok is now enforcing TM-30 reporting.  To put it mildly, expats have gone bat-shit crazy over this.  But it is what it is.  Right now it has been coming up in situations where people have had to go to Immigration to "do" something - such as file for an annual extension of stay.  They are forced to get current with their TM-30 before anything else will be processed, and there are reports of an 800 baht fine or something like that.
The basic rule is that whenever a foreigner stays the night at a hotel or home,  a report is supposed to go to Immigration.  Hotels do this online and you don't even know about it.  The "change" is that Bangkok Immigration is now enforcing it strictly to everyone - not just hotels.  So, for example, when you go to stay in your rented apartment, a report is supposed to go in to Immigration.  It's easy if your landlord or condo juristic person (office) files the report.  The law, however, effectively makes the landlord and the tenant jointly responsible for making sure that the form is filed.  So if your landlord doesn't do it you can (and should).  You can complete the TM-30 form as "possessor", rather than as owner.   I believe that in the Thailand Apple and Google app stores an app is available, but it is not available (or not available yet) in Apple App stores outside Thailand.  You can also complete the form on-line.  TM-30 Online Reporting (Thai Language).  I believe that registration to use the on-line form requires uploading the lease and other specified info.  There are reports of people waiting for approval for many weeks.   You can also file the TM-30 by mail, just enclose a return stamped envelope for the receipt.  Or file in person.
Immigration, for whatever reason, seems to be in the midst of a "work to rules" phase, so this is all a bit new and some of the more bonkers fact patterns are still unclear, and practice differs from office to office.  For example, if I go visit Chiang Mai and stay in a hotel, the hotel will file a TM-30, but then when I go back to my apartment in Bangkok am I supposed to file (or tell the juristic person to file) a new TM-30 to update the info?  Some Immigration offices say yes, some say no, and we don't know what Bangkok Immigration thinks on this vitally important question that is more important than anything else in the world (to some people on Thai Visa).  
One of Big Oud's recent press conferences was to showcase Immigration making an example of two ladies fined ฿2,000 for failure to report foreigners.
The Thai Visa forum is the best resource for finding up-to-date info and read pages and pages of outrage about this (or that).  Basically, just look for answers by "UbonJoe" and ignore everyone else.  He knows his stuff. Most of the rest are just miserable and cranky complainers.  
If you are entitled to use the special Immigration Office in Silom (Chamchuri), things might be different for you.
Personally, I am not in the country on an annual renewal extension of stay, and I travel in the region enough that I've only had to file a 90-Day report twice, so I expect I'll just ignore TM-30 until I think it could come back to bite me.  But that's not advice.
 

Thanks @DivineMadman, I will have a look in that thread, though I don't particularly like ThaiVisa, precisely for the reason you mentioned, all the complainers, as well as bullshitters....
Was hoping to get the answer from Michael since he just successfully did it. But seems he is on an actual visa rather than an extension. Will see what I find in the thread/
Otherwise my idea was to maybe go to the immigration office at Chamchuri as it's nearby and just ask there (though not banking on a definite and reliable answer there LOL)

ThaiVisa is often a source of useful info -- if you can cut through the din of the complainers.
Here's a recent topic that might have answers - or where you can post to ask a question.  (I recall there is another thread about online reporting as well.)
https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1155936-how-to-do-90-day-reporting-online-and-by-post/
My usual guidance on ThaiVisa is to follow what UbonJoe says.  He knows his s**t.
 

My read of it is that visa holders (other than work permit or people who fall into the other specific categories) are simply not permitted to enter.  
There is no mention of visa people being allowed in, and that is consistent with how many other countries have behaved when they have shut their borders.  You can't come in even if you have a previously-issued visa.  That is also how the CAAT and IATA have read the rule.  Only the "enumerated" classes of people can come in.
As a result, even if you have a previously granted visa, you can't come in.  That would pick up O and 0-A (and and TR and PE and ED) visas.  Retirement extension folks I think are all either 0 or 0-A (a topic that got a lot of attention when the new health insurances rules were announced for one of those).  
I am sure that there will be lots of difficult fact patterns that they haven't addressed or possibly even thought of.  For example, someone who is out of the country with a re-entry stamp but intended to come back to renew his or her extension but now cannot.  Will he have to start the whole process over?  And some people will almost certainly be royally screwed.  But I think that often happens with emergency decrees - it's the nature of fallible humans around the world operating in chaotic times.  

For people staying in BKK - some of the best chefs in Bangkok are collaborating on meals for home delivery.  I think Issaya Siamese Club is perhaps taking the lead, but the wonderful chef from Sawaan is participating.  The phone number is at the end of the Facebook video - link below.
Issaya and Friends Video.  

sounds like you never had a chance to meet with Yoyo from Screwboys or have a massage with  Fiber from Prince 

except.... it's not only Thailand.  Right now Austria requires a medical certificate for some classes of travelers, according to IATA.  More importantly, until the recent - very recent - spate of countries closing their borders entirely, there were others.  French Polynesia had it quite a while ago..  
I think the medical certificate is inappropriate for Thai nationals and permanent residents.  Beyond that, it is what it is - an effective ban, but if someone really wants to go to the expense to get the certificate and ignore all the advice about not traveling, then he/she can come in.  That's how sausages are made.
But it's not like Thailand invented the medical certificate.   

My read of it is that visa holders (other than work permit or people who fall into the other specific categories) are simply not permitted to enter.  
There is no mention of visa people being allowed in, and that is consistent with how many other countries have behaved when they have shut their borders.  You can't come in even if you have a previously-issued visa.  That is also how the CAAT and IATA have read the rule.  Only the "enumerated" classes of people can come in.
As a result, even if you have a previously granted visa, you can't come in.  That would pick up O and 0-A (and and TR and PE and ED) visas.  Retirement extension folks I think are all either 0 or 0-A (a topic that got a lot of attention when the new health insurances rules were announced for one of those).  
I am sure that there will be lots of difficult fact patterns that they haven't addressed or possibly even thought of.  For example, someone who is out of the country with a re-entry stamp but intended to come back to renew his or her extension but now cannot.  Will he have to start the whole process over?  And some people will almost certainly be royally screwed.  But I think that often happens with emergency decrees - it's the nature of fallible humans around the world operating in chaotic times.