Invalid Transaction

Sorry you do not have enough points for this transaction

Success

Item added to cart

Success

Your request was completed successfully

Comment sent

We will approve it and post as soon as possible

Vote now

Thailand Opens Drive-In Cinema for Moviegoers Missing the Big Screen

From sharing GrabFood meals with riders to robot doggos in shopping malls, Thailand has sure come up with creative ways to cope with coronavirus. And this time, it’s no exception. 

Building a drive-in cinema within a car park, about 80 vehicles pulled up for an inaugural outdoor screening of the movie Trolls World Tour, which is part of a special four-day event for moviegoers who miss the indoor theatres, but are still wary of COVID-19.

Talk about an ingenious way for movie lovers to enjoy their hobby, all while adhering to social distancing rules.

To combat the tropical Southeast Asian humidity and heat (which we all know so well), the organisers build a novel cooling system, consisting of a network of flexible plastic pipes in the parking lot, connected to channel cool air into cars through gaps in the windows.

With evening temperature of 28°C and 78% humidity, Reuters interviewed moviegoer Sasanan Thanasankulang, who said she wasn't sure what level of comfort to expect from the outdoor theater. 

"I came with my mother, I wanted to bring her to experience the new drive-in movie theater," she said. "We were curious about how this drive-in movie theater could deal with the hot and humid weather, and we didn't turn on the engine."

Thailand has emerged as one of Asia's COVID-19 success stories, with no domestic transmission for over a month and 58 deaths among its 3,179 confirmed cases. 

It has eased most restrictions to try to revive the economy which has been badly impacted by the pandemic, with bars, karaoke and massage parlours the latest businesses allowed to reopen. 

Though cinemas in Thailand have been open for a month now, with limited seating and regular disinfection, many people are still wary of outdoor venues and prefer an environment they can trust. In this case, it’s their cars.

Apitchaya Doungsuwan, another customer, said she felt safer in her car and was willing to pay the 1,200 baht (S$53) fee per vehicle, which includes popcorn and soft drinks.

“I want to try new things, and I worry a bit about the spread of the COVID-19 in the movie theatre. If the experience from tonight is good, sure we will come back,” she said.

Can we have a drive-in cinema in Singapore too? I’m sure I’m not the only one that misses popcorn and the big screen!

Comments
Tags
Share with friends