Thais in Beijing are expecting muted Chinese New Year celebrations this year with the return of Covid-19 to their homeland weighing heavily on their minds.
Supanitch: Wary of big gatherings
Siwattra Sinphasutadol, a 43-year-old China Media Group official, told the Bangkok Post that the number of Thais in Beijing and nearby cities had fallen dramatically recently -- down to just 100 or even fewer, she estimated.
"Thai students who returned to Thailand during last year's Chinese New Year have not come back due to the border restrictions and have had to take online classes instead.
"Many of them didn't have the chance move their belongings from where they were staying," she said, adding that even the Royal Thai Embassy's celebration on Dec 5, which is usually a prominent event for Thais, was also scaled down last year and far fewer Thais attended.
Even for Chinese nationals, the New Year celebrations are expected to be muted this year. No feasts or parties will be held in public. Tourist spots including public parks are selling tickets online and the number of visitors to each venue has been limited.
While Feb 11-17 will be a public holiday in China, the government and companies have been encouraging people to stay at home, including free 20GB of free internet data, she said, adding that virtual tours of the country's attractions were also being promoted.
Supanitch Kunying, a 37-year-old cook who has lived in China for seven years, said normally Thais would gather with close friends and groups of up to few dozen would cook and enjoy meals together.
Those with Chinese partners would visit their boyfriend or girlfriend's family and enjoy wonton soup together.
However, everyone she knew was planning to be more cautious this year, despite many of them having been vaccinated already.