COVID-19 Update #8 - Easter, Songkran, Booze Bans, and Quarantine

Today is the first day of the Songkran Festival, the traditional Thai new year. Normally, it's the most wild and exciting time of the year. This year, everything is quiet and subdued. The festival has been cancelled by the government due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. People have been asked to stay in their provinces and avoid traveling home to see family. And in a huge effort to prevent all celebrations, the government has banned alcohol for ten days (10-20 April) to keep people from meeting up.

As Songkran goes, it's quiet, somber, and a bit depressing.

Happy Songkran 2020

I'm sitting along in my hotel room in my second week of quarantine. My Easter dinner last night was a package of instant noodles with frozen veggies and canned mackerel. My Songkran breakfast is a different flavor of instant noodles with frozen veggies and a sliced boiled egg.

breakfast

Still, it's a good time to reflect on the real meaning of both Easter and Songkran. Thanks to the Internet, I was able to celebrate Easter with the Archbishop of Canterbury! In the morning, I was able to have a family group chat that included my parents, brother and sister, brother-in-law, baby nephew, and grandparents! The Internet really has helped everyone to stay connected during this unprecedented time!

As far as Songkran goes, I know that people in Thailand feel very sad about it being cancelled. It's not about the water fights and parties as much as it is about celebrating family. Songkran is a time to give blessings to beloved and respected family members, and for a lot of people, they won't be able to see their families this year during the festival. However, thanks to the Internet, people can still get together. The wild party aspect of Songkran has been stripped away this year. While I'm certain it will be back next year (possibly even bigger than before after a year withoug), it's kind of special to have a traditional Songkran that is all about family.

the booze ban

Happy Easter and Happy Songkran from a tiny hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand!