Piyamon Phomnayramit with Daniel. Photo: Piyamon / Courtesy
BANGKOK — For Piyamon and Daniel, their long distance relationship of three years was supposed to end in 2020. But it’s mid-July and Piyamon says not knowing when she will see her loved one again is like torture.
Starting at the beginning of July, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand relaxed coronavirus border restrictions and allowed foreigners married to Thais into the country. ฺBut the regulations do not cover unmarried couples who may have been dating or cohabiting for years.
“It’s like being dead while alive. I’ve been waiting since March, but Thailand has no action plan,” Piyamon Phomnayramit, 27, said by phone Thursday. “He was supposed to move here so we could start our life together.”
Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Thailand, like the rest of the world, closed its airspace to tourists and visitors, stranding many Thais overseas and foreigners in the kingdom. Though some of the restrictions have since been lifted, couples who haven’t tied the knot are not included, since they need tourist visas to enter Thailand.
Worldwide, people separated from their lovers are campaigning online to allow loved ones to fly via LoveIsNotTourism.org, with links to petitions for dozens of countries.
“We, as international lovers and families, urge governments of all states to amend their travel restrictions,” the website said. “Allow the unbureaucratic and safe reunion of partners in long distance relationships as well as family members.”
So far, three countries in the world allow unmarried couples to meet: Denmark, Norway, and Austria. Denmark allows people to enter the country if they are the “spouse, live-in partner, fiancé, sweetheart” of a Dane.
“These people aren’t tourists. They want to see the people they love,” Piyamon, who is dating 28-year-old Scotsman Daniel said. “Daniel isn’t a tourist. He’s very close to my family.”
Piyamon as well as Fern, 27, are part of multiple Facebook groups where people update each other about any changes in regulation and offer moral support on being separated from their loved ones. Stories include a farang dad who can only see his kids through the screen, or a woman who gave birth without her boyfriend in the same country.
Piyamon also spoke openly about her struggles with depression, and said that separation and prolonged uncertainty exacerbated her mental health to the point where she had to stop working.
Fern has been dating a Malaysian man her age for two years, and they usually fly to meet each other every month or so. That’s all stopped with COVID-19.
“It’s affecting me emotionally, and all parts of my life,” she said. “There’s not much hope of seeing him any time soon, as there might be a second wave and even more regulations. I know we didn’t get registered as a married couple, but we still want to meet.”
Virtually every international LGBT couple are also separated by the coronavirus, since LGBTs cannot legally marry in Thailand. Apichart Vadhanawallasait, 27, who is dating a 34-year-old Singaporean for six years, has not met him for around four months.
“I’ve come to terms that I won’t see him at all this year,” Apichart said. “More flexible rules, such as requiring medical checkups and quarantining before entering and exiting the country, would allow couples to meet.”
On August 9, A man attacked an officer, took his gun, and fled to his house in Plang Yao District, Chachoengsao Province. The officer then tried to persuade him to surrender for more than 6 hours but still failed.
Later at 6:00 pm, Plangyao Police Station decided to send 50 officers from a special operations unit in Chachoengsao Province.
The standoff lasted until 11:00 p.m. and the villain still showed no signs of surrendering.
So, they decided to chain his doors and windows preventing him from escaping until the next day rather than risk any of the officers or even the suspect’s life.
Meanwhile, the Royal Thai Police in Chachoengsao Province started to process a search warrant for the next morning after leaving a couple of police officers to watch the house.
Later, Col. Sonthaya revealed that the perpetrator was named Mr. Anon, 45, at the house in Tha Bunmi Subdistrict, Koh Chan District, Chonburi Province, who went into a drunken methamphetamine rampage and destroyed his neighbor’s ricefields.
Chachoengsao Province
Police tried to intervene but Mr. Anont took a gun from Officer Or Sor and ran away. Mr. Anon’s daughter also reported his unusual behavior saying he was showing signs of aggressive behavior telling officers to exercise caution especially since he had a gun.
Police hope he will surrender after bringing a search warrant after the drugs wear off. To be continued……..
Later, it was reported that the suspect had escaped through the back of his house prior to officers boarding up his doors and windows. Police then conducted a search of the house and did not find the stolen gun. Police are still searching for the armed and dangerous suspect now.
Thai embassies hit by Covid-19: Staff members of Thai embassies in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have contracted the novel coronavirus, according to the Foreign Ministry. The embassy in Manama reported that a foreign employee suffering mild symptoms tested positive for Covid-19, ministry spokesman Cherdkiat Atthakor said on Sunday.
A policeman in Si Sa Ket province who suffered from mental illness reportedly killed himself on Saturday (August 8) by jumping out of the hospital building. The deceased, Suwaroj Khumthong, 53, was a police officer at Muang Chan Police Station who was admitted to Sisaket Hospital due to his mental condition.
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