Panda dolls kick pandemic blues for Thai diners

Thursday, 14 May 2020 11:16

A restaurant in Thailand has come up with a unique plan to help its diners meet social distancing guidelines in the fight against COVID-19.

They've placed Panda dolls at every table, so customers don't feel "lonely".

"Earlier, we had only one chair for the tables where the customer came alone. But for me, it felt strange, so I thought I'd give them some company," said Natthwut Rodchanapanthkul, owner of a Vietnamese restaurant in Bangkok.

Many of his customers have welcomed the idea, claiming it helped them sit at a safe distance from each other without any confusion.

Thailand, which has so far recorded 3,018 cases and 56 deaths, started to ease lockdown restrictions earlier this month in a bid to revive a battered economy.

On Wednesday, it reported zero new cases for the first time since early March.

More from Quirky

Watch: World's tallest and shortest women meet for first time

The world's tallest woman Rumeysa Gelgi and shortest woman Jyoti Amge have met for the first time, marking a special celebration of the 20th annual Guinness World Records Day.
Japan launches first wooden satellite into space

The world's first wooden satellite, built by Japanese researchers, was launched into space on Tuesday, in an early test of using timber in lunar and Mars exploration.
World’s largest captive crocodile dies at over 110

Cassius, the 5.48-meter (18-foot) saltwater crocodile known as the world’s largest in captivity, has died at an estimated age of over 110 years, as reported by Marineland Melanesia Crocodile Habitat in Australia.
T. Rex is at center of debate over dinosaur intelligence

Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult.
Horses run amok in central London

A number of horses are running amok in London and at least one person has been injured, with the army called in to help locate the animals, authorities in the British capital said on Wednesday.