It was really a disappointment to all of us when 9 days ago they put the city back in lockdown after a few new cases of Covid were detected. At first they didn't close stuff and life was carrying on as normal but then the following day the po-po went around and first closed bars, then they closed restaurants for anything other than take-away, then they closed public areas and gyms. Now, basically everything is shut in the town.
This extends to all sports as well. You may spot a couple of people playing badminton in the streets here and there but all of the soccer and basketball parks are completely shut. That is unless you are a fan of rich people sports, those are still ok apparently.
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I was a little bit shocked to find out that all the golf courses and the driving ranges in this city are still wide open. They have some sort of covid measures in place such as not allowing more than 2 or 3 people at a table, but this isn't really enforced. The other day I went with some pals who let me know that the driving range was open and so was their bar and even though I don't golf I know how to swing a club so I went along. The 4 of us sat at the same table after asking permission and the staff said it was no problem.
There weren't many people there because it was the middle of the day but according to my friend who is an avid golfer, this place is packed in the evenings.
Now I am not going to try to rain on anyone's parade but doesn't it seem a bit unfair to you that regular people with modest incomes are not even allowed to go to the beach, but people who play one of the world's most privileged and expensive sports that is kind of a sport for only the wealthy is allowed to continue uninhibited by lockdown regulations?
I know people that are avid surfers that can't even get out into the ocean where they will be making no contact with another human, but a bunch of people with nice trousers and overpriced and ugly polo shirts can gather in the golfing facilities and do so legally. This is just completely wrong in my opinion.
It is just another example of the hypocrisy of the wealthy and their "rules for thee but not for me" way of life. People can't play pool, go surfing or swimming, or even play ping pong without being subjected to an 18 million VND fine but I guess if you play a sport with the highest percentage of Mercedes ownership among the participants, you get to do whatever you want.
I guess Covid doesn't spread to rich people.
The same thing is happening here in Chiang Mai. All gyms are closed as are all parks and public areas but the golf courses are operating like there is no pandemic at all with impunity. I will admit that I have been playing a lot more golf than I used to because of this.
Thanks @chaingmai.hhh for being engaged in the ASEAN Hive Community. !ENGAGE 25
ENGAGEtokens.Well I have since gone to a driving range with these same folks a few times but am not prepared for the walking and inevitable search for my golf balls as I shank shot after shot. Golf was never really a sport for me because I have never been affluent enough to get involved. I do like standing in one place and hitting range balls between sips of beer though :)
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ʟᴏᴛs ᴏғ ғᴜɴ - ᴏᴘᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ - ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴘʀɪᴢᴇs⋆ sᴜʙsᴄʀɪʙᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ
⋆ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀsᴇᴀɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴠᴏᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɪʟ
⋆ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ғᴏʀ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ ᴀsɪᴀɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪᴠᴇ
⋆ ᴅᴇʟᴇɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʟɪɴᴋs 25 ʜᴘ⇾50 ʜᴘ⇾100 ʜᴘ⇾500 ʜᴘ⇾1,000 ʜᴘ
That is the greenest grass I've ever seen in SE Asia, apart from Singapore I guess. Cambodia has a handful of golf courses, but nothing like this. Things have taken a turn for the worse here in Suriname, 5 full weekend lockdowns, then a free weekend, now we are back to full-weekend lockdowns with a daily 6pm curfew, the most restrictive measures yet.