THB600 million set aside for bar-workers

The Cabinet on Tuesday earmarked about 600 million baht to help approximately 120,000 workers in the entertainment industry who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The scheme will grant 5,000 baht to each person, including those not insured under the social security scheme, provided employers can prove their place of business has been closed due to the pandemic.

Pubs, bars, karaoke joints and other entertainment venues have been ordered closed since early this year.

Further details of the registration process will be released by the Social Security Office later.

Source - BangkokJack

Bars warned it takes proper accreditation to be a restaurant

The practice of bars and clubs tossing up a sign selling french fries and calling themselves a restaurant in order to reopen after Covid-19 restrictions ban entertainment venues from operating has been commonplace for months in Thailand. Now bars, pubs, and karaoke establishments are being warned in Bangkok that it takes more than a slapdash bite to eat to qualify as a restaurant and sell alcohol again.

A meeting of the Bangkok Municipal Authority chaired by the Deputy Governor and focusing on the Covid-19 situation in the capital city addressed the issue of fake “restaurants” reopening. The meeting instructed that bars wanting to serve food in order to reopen must be accredited with proper Covid-19 certification.

Restaurants must have an SHA and SHA+ certificate as well as be approved as a Covid Free Setting and follow all the set Covid-19 safety provisions before they are allowed to operate as a restaurant. Oddly, the need for a restaurant license did not seem to be a concern for the Bangkok Municipal Authority meeting.

Once properly accredited, the “restaurants” would be allowed as part of the tourist Blue Zone designated area to serve alcohol until 11 pm each night. Authorities have been patrolling the 50 districts of Bangkok and will continue to do so, looking for those who are violating the rules and restrictions for businesses to open as restaurants and sell booze.

The meeting about Covid-19 was called to address worries about the Omicron variant which has now been identified in Thailand. Experts are reporting that they believe the new variant is no more harmful than the Delta variant, which swept Thailand (and the world) creating by far the worst phase of the pandemic so far. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has assured that Thailand is not likely to go into another lockdown over the emergence of the new variant.

SOURCE: ASEAN Now

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS

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Thailand’s nightlife venues to reopen on Jan 16, subject to assessment

Pubs, bars and karaoke bars in Thailand’s COVID-19 restricted zones and “sandbox” provinces may be allowed to reopen from January 16th, on the condition that they meet the required criteria and pass assessments by relevant authorities, according to the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

The Public Health and Interior ministries, as well as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, have been designated by the CCSA to enforce safety measures to be imposed on these venues.

One of the required safety measures is that venues must improve their environment and air circulation system and that all staff are fully inoculated against COVID-19.

Pubs, bars and karaoke bars, located in restricted and “sandbox” areas, are given until January 16th to make preparations and improvements ahead of evaluation by assessment committees in each province.

Venues which pass the assessment will be registered and allowed to reopen for business and must strictly comply with the safety measures. If a COVID-19 infection is found in any of the venues, it will be closed down.

The CCSA, at its meeting today, agreed to reduce the COVID-19 “dark red” provinces to just Tak, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla, where infections are still spreading. The night-time curfew between 11pm and 3am is in place only in the “dark red” zone, and until November 3otth, pending a further CCSA decision whether to extend the curfew.

Bangkok is now included among the “sandbox” provinces, which also include the popular tourist destinations such as Krabi, Phuket and Phang-nga. The ban on serving alcohol in eateries has been lifted in the “sandbox provinces” and five other provinces deemed at low-risk for the spread of COVID-19 – Nakhon Phanom, Bueng Kan, Mukdahan and Sakhon Nakhon.

All the provinces classified as “dark red”, “red” or “blue” zones are required to comply with the Universal Prevention and COVID Free Setting regimens.

All international arrivals will still have to undergo an RT-PCR test and an Antigen test upon arrival as per the current practice, according to the CCSA, following the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s proposal to switch to only antigen tests to reduce the waiting time.

Source - Thai BPS World

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS

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Bars, pubs and nightclubs in Thailand could remain closed until 2022

Bars, pubs, nightclubs and other entertainment venues in Thailand could remain closed until 2022, according to a proposal due to be considered by the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).

A report surfaced in Thai media on Wednesday (Nov 10) that Cabinet ministers have proposed keeping entertainment venues closed until after the new year.

However, countdown events in five locations across the country, presumably in key tourism areas, are set to be given the green light to go ahead.

The report also said that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-Cha called on business owners within the entertainment industry “not to be selfish” with regards to reopening.

The proposals to keep entertainment venues, as well as possible easing of restrictions in Thailand, are set to be announced on Friday (Nov 11) following the conclusion of a CCSA meeting, which the PM chairs.

Despite restrictions surrounding alcohol sales in restaurants being eased in some locations earlier this month, namely Bangkok, Krabi, Phuket and Phang Nga, bars, pubs and nightclubs across the country remain closed.

 Source - ASIAN NOW

VISA AGENT  /  How to register for: THAI PASS

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Once Asia’s party capital, will Bangkok’s nightlife scene recover even if Thailand’s tourism industry picks up?

● Thailand’s nightlife economy was worth about US$5 billion, but Covid-19 has shuttered many bars and clubs after 20 months of lost business and no government help

● Curbs are only likely to be lifted in December, and many operators fear Asia’s party city may already have lost its reputation for variety and reinvention

Vijitra Duangdee

When DJ and producer Marmosets released his pounding techno track Krungthep Ratree (Bangkok nightlife) in June 2020, he had no idea how relevant his lament to the fading glory of Asia’s party city would be, and of the decimation ahead for bars and clubs as the coronavirus pandemic cut through Thailand.

Nightlife has only been allowed to operate legally for a few weeks since then, as authorities tried to beat back a months-long Covid-19 outbreak by banning alcohol sales inside licensed premises, effectively closing clubs and bars.

From the racy go-gos of Soi Cowboy to the mixology bars of upmarket Thong Lor, the rooftop hotel happy hours to the street-side pop ups that serve booze until dawn, Bangkok’s cacophonous nightlife has been muted.

Source - ASIAN NOW

 VISA AGENT  /  THAI PASS

Pubs and bars to remain closed in 17 pilot areas after November 1

BANGKOK (NNT) - The Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has announced the details of Thailand’s November 1 reopening to international tourists, and noted that Thais returning from abroad do not need to have health insurance with 50,000 USD coverage.

CCSA Assistant Spokesperson Apisamai Srirungson said Thais who arrive from countries and territories whose peoples are exempted from quarantine upon entering Thailand do not need to have health insurance coverage of 50,000 USD, unlike foreign tourists.

Dr. Apisamai said Thais and foreigners who are not fully inoculated against COVID-19 will have to enter quarantine for 7, 10, or 14 days depending on the conditions met by each individual.

The CCSA has also announced the designation of 17 provinces as pilot areas for tourism. These include Bangkok, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Phuket, in addition to specific localities in Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Trat, Buriram, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phetchaburi, Ranong, Rayong, Loei, Samut Prakan, Surat Thani, Nong Khai, and Udon Thani.

Entries into areas that are piloting tourism programs would need to fall in line with the conditions set in the respective area, such as full vaccination of the entrant and a local capacity to control outbreaks.

Curfews in any of the aforementioned areas will be lifted at 11 pm on October 31. However, the CCSA is banning the holding of activities involving more than 500 people that could present Covid infection risks in these tourism pilot areas. Entertainment venues, pubs, bars and karaoke shops in these areas will have to remain closed for the time being.

Cource - ASIAN NOW

VISA AGENT

Pattaya Bar Girls – What are they doing now?

 September 2020, many were holding out hope that the pandemic would end soon.
But the country’s coronavirus crisis has only gotten worse, with the average number of daily new infections reaching its peak on Aug. 13 at 23,418 cases.

While some resort islands, like Phuket, have reopened to vaccinated foreign tourists, tourism is far from having rebounded.

They caught up with M., 33, who they first met in the Thai tourist hub of Pattaya. Before the pandemic, she was earning good money as a topless dancer at a go-go bar and as a sex worker.

But when they spoke to her amid the crisis last year, she said she was struggling to send money to her mother, who was caring for her two sons, and was sharing a studio apartment with two other women who worked at the same bar.

In January, she gave up and returned to her rural hometown in the northeast region of Isaan and started a job in accounting at a local hospital.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A year ago, you were worried that if tourism didn’t improve in Pattaya, you’d have to move back to Isaan. What led to your decision to leave the city?
The COVID situation became more severe. There were no tourists or foreigners staying in Pattaya, and I was very worried about COVID. I started to think about going home because there were almost no customers. My roommates went back home around November last year. It was sad.

Our room was quiet, and I still had to pay rent for the room [on my own]. Luckily, over New Year’s Eve, I made some money from a customer from Bangkok who came to Pattaya for an island holiday, and I saved it.

In early January, the bar owner decided to close the business. I wasn’t sure what else to do in Pattaya. I called my mother and told her I was coming home. But I didn’t leave for another [few weeks] because I was trying to find a job in a [government-designated quarantine] hotel in Pattaya, but no luck. (continues below)

Source - BangkokJack

VISA AGENT

Thailand - Prayut promises to reopen bar scene on December 1

Thailand will open its doors to vaccinated travelers from a list of ten “safe” countries starting November 1, the Thai prime minister has confirmed.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha said in a nationally televised address that it was time for the country to gradually reopen in accordance with his government’s plans.

The United States, the United Kingdom, China, Singapore, and Australia were among the countries mentioned as being on the safe list with more to be announced later.

Prayut said that the decision was made with the economy in mind even though Covid-related repercussions were likely.

“I know that such decision has risk and it is almost certain that the daily number of Covid cases will increase once we begin to relax measures but we will closely monitor the situation,” Prayut said.

“This is the high season and we cannot miss this opportunity.

The government previously said that it would open the country up by October 1 but the deadline was pushed back due to increased infection numbers. But now with the government ramping up its vaccination program, Prayut said the decision was a calculated decision.

Prayut added that restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues will be allowed to reopen and sell alcoholic drinks from December 1.

Thailand has shut its doors to foreign travelers for close to two years due to the pandemic.

The economy has been hard hit by the self-imposed violation with a recession in 2020 and minimal growth in 2021.- Thai Enquirer

Source - BangkokJack

VISA CENTRE

#Bangkok, Soi Cowboy Gets The Green Light To Open Until Midnight

 Go-go bars on Soi Cowboy have been informed Monday night that they can open until midnight while down the road at Nana Plaza chrome pole palaces have been told to close under the latest BMA order shuttering “high risk” businesses and sporting venues.

It what has become an all too familiar scenario when it comes to enforcing orders, venues of the exact same type receive different directives due to their location and interpretation of orders by the local police district commander.

While Soi Cowboy gets the green light to open for business, only the Nana Plaza beer bars such as Stumble Inn, Big Dogs, Morning Night outside on Soi 4 plus ground floor venues with an outside terrace bar such as Twister BKK, Lollipop, Witchcraft and The Beer Garden inside the Plaza are permitted to open until midnight leaving all the go-go bars closed.

Note: It is highly likely this decision to allow go-go bars on Soi Cowboy will be overturned at some point on Tuesday.

Earlier on Monday the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration issued new measures in a bid to curb the spread of the latest outbreak of Covid-19 from the shrimp market in Samut Sakhon province.

Between Tuesday 29th December 2020 and Monday 4th January 2021 venues deemed “high risk” will be either closed completely or bound by a number of restrictions including closing times and live entertainment.

Source Stickboy Bangkok

Bangkok, Sukhumvit Soi 4 Beer Bars Open

 

 Following the news that numerous venues including nightclubs, karaoke bars, massage parlours and go-go’s have to close for 7 days to curb the spread of Covid-19 things have become confusing for some due to so many misleading posts and updates on social media.

 

Bars and pubs CAN open until midnight daily providing they follow all the social distancing and health measures previously outlined by the BMA.

 

This includes the bars on the front of Nana Plaza such as Big Dogs, Morning Night and Stumble Inn.

 

Bars inside the Plaza such as Twister BKK, Lollipop and others on the ground floor with an outdoor bar terrace are also permitted to open until midnight. Go-go bars will remain closed during this period.

 

While pubs across the capital have been granted permission to continue operating, I hear that officials overseeing Patpong have told a number of bars they must close.

I suspect there may be more of this in the days ahead.

Source Stickboy Bangkok

Distancing will ruin us, say Thai bar owners

Operators of nightlife entertainment venues have cried foul over a set of proposed regulations to be enforced when they reopen, saying many social-distancing rules will threaten their livelihoods.

A total of 22 articles are listed in the draft, which was unveiled on Monday. The draft will be submitted to the Centre for Covid­19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday.

The CCSA is set to consider the fifth phase of the loosening of Covid­19 restrictions, which includes nightlife venues.

The novel coronavirus outbreak has brought the curtain down on pubs, karaoke outlets, massage parlours and other types of adult entertainment venues since March.

Operators have been hoping to reopen next month.

Musicians and entertainers last week made an emotional appeal to the government to allow them to return to work. They said the closure has been long and the situation has placed them in dire financial straits.

On Sunday, CCSA promised to allow nightlife venues to resume during the fifth phase in July. However, operators have expressed concern over rules that prohibit dancing, mingling and having more than a certain number of customers.

The operators say limiting customers to five per group may keep them from coming.

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Business Association and CEO of Buddy Group, said the rules for entertainment venues are stricter than the ones imposed on eateries and filming crews.

Due to the economic impact of Covid­19, people tend to cut unnecessary expenses, and spending on nightlife entertainment is at the top of their list, Mr Sanga said.

“We want them to be more flexible, otherwise people will not go out,” he said.

He admitted the operators will have no choice but comply with the rules, but they will urge CCSA to revisit the situation and consider relaxing the rules one week after the implementation.

Thailand has seen no local transmissions for 28 days and if no local cases are reported by then the CCSA should consider easing the regulations for the nightspots, he said.

According to Mr Sanga, it will take time before the industry, where up to two million people are employed, rebounds from the economic fallout of the outbreak.

Of the estimated 100,000 nightspots in the country, only 20,000 are properly registered, while the rest operate without licences.

Supawan Thanomkiatphum, chairwoman of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said business operators must be patient.

“If the measures can reduce the risk of a second wave, we may begin to allow overseas visitors,” Ms Supawan said.

“Even though hotels are allowed to reopen, most of us depend on foreign tourists.”

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea­ngam said the government is likely to consider by Friday the lifting of the emergency decree, two weeks after the implementation of the fourth phase of lockdown relaxations.

Mr Wissanu said the decision to lift or extend the emergency decree will be made based on the assessment of Covid­19 risks. If the country does not face a second wave of infections, then the Communicable Disease Control Act is adequate to contain the virus, he said.

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The emergency decree was touted by the government as a necessary tool to curb the spread of Covid­19 infections as it enables swift action and coordination among state agencies. It has been extended twice since it was invoked on March 26.

Mr Wissanu said if the emergency decree is lifted, all closure orders will automatically end, but noted that Sections 34 and 35 of the Communicable Disease Control Act can still be invoked to close down certain businesses.

“If the emergency is lifted, we can [use the Communicable Disease Control Act to] close certain shops or malls until they fix problems. We can’t impose lockdowns,” he said.

Democracy activists led by Parit Chiwarak on Monday renewed calls for the lifting of the emergency decree, saying the situation has improved significantly and this justified the lifting the decree.

Source - Pattaya One News

#Thailand - All business to resume on July 1

All businesses and activities suspended to control the spread of coronavirus disease will be allowed to resume on July 1 - including entertainment venues and "soapy massage" parlours.

Dr Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman of the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, announced  the decision on Wednesday.

He said regulations had been drafted for the fifth round of resumption of business and activities "when complete relaxation will occur".

Businesses and activities to resume this time posed a high risk of disease transmission. Their closure had an insignificant impact on the overall economy, but some groups of people were in financial trouble because of it -  including musicians and singers, he said.

Dr Taweesilp said schools will fully open. Restrictions on opening hours at malls will be lifted.

Pubs, bars and karaoke shops will reopen, but must close at midnight. Groups of visitors will be capped at five people, and will be prohibited from joining other groups. Sales promotion activities will be banned.

Video game parlours will reopen, but will not be allowed to sell food or beverages.

Premises offering a bath-sauna-massage service [aka soapy] will reopen on the condition that customers and staff wear face masks and observe social distancing - except during "bathing time", Dr Taweesilp said.

"Customers will use the Thaichana app when they check-in, or manually register their visit in a book," he said.

Staff would be regularly tested for Covid-19 and other related diseases.

At all these premises, the government will continue to require body temperature screening, the use of face masks, social distancing, regular cleaning, one-month of surveillance camera footage to facilitate disease investigation, and use of the Thaichana app for check-in and check-out.

At wet massage parlours, surveillance cameras would cover only public zones, Dr Taweesilp said.

Source - The Bangkok Post

#Thailand’s Entertainment Venues Angry About Reopening Rules

Thailand’s bar owners and entertainment venues have cried foul over a set of proposed regulations to be enforced when they reopen. Saying many social-distancing rules will threaten their livelihoods.

A total of 22 articles are listed in the draft, which was unveiled on Monday. The draft will be submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Friday.

The CCSA is set to consider the fifth phase of the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions. Which includes nightlife venues.

The Covid-19 outbreak has brought the curtain down on pubs, karaoke outlets. Also massage parlous and other types of adult entertainment venues since March. Operators have been hoping to reopen next month.

Musicians and entertainers last week made an emotional appeal to the government to allow them to return to work. They said the closure has been long and the situation has placed them in dire financial straits.

Entertainment venues an unnecessary expense

On Sunday, CCSA promised to allow nightlife venues to resume during the fifth phase in July. However, operators have expressed concern over rules that prohibit; dancing, mingling and having more than a certain number of customers. The operators say limiting customers to five per group may keep them from even coming.

Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Business Association and CEO of Buddy Group, said the rules for entertainment venues are stricter than the ones imposed on eateries and filming crews.

Due to the economic impact of Covid-19, people tend to cut unnecessary expenses he said. Spending on nightlife entertainment is at the top of their list.

“We want them to be more flexible, otherwise people will not go out,” he said.

He admitted the operators will have no choice but comply with the rules, but they will urge CCSA to revisit the situation and consider relaxing the rules one week after the implementation.

Second wave of Covid-19

Thailand has seen no local transmissions for 28 days and if no local cases are reported by then the CCSA should consider easing the regulations for the nightspots, he said.

According to Mr Sanga, it will take time before the entertainment industry to rebounds from Covid-19 fallout. Up to two million people are employed in bars and entertainment venues. Of the estimated 100,000 nightspots in Thailand, only 20,000 are properly registered. The rest operate without licenses.

Supawan Thanomkiatphum, chairwoman of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said business operators must be patient. “If the measures can reduce the risk of a second wave, we may begin to allow overseas visitors,” Ms Supawan said. “Even though hotels are allowed to reopen, most of us depend on foreign tourists.”

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the government is likely to consider by Friday the lifting of the emergency decree. Two weeks after the implementation of the fourth phase of lockdown relaxations.

Mr Wissanu said the decision to lift or extend the emergency decree will be based on an assessment of Covid-19 risks. If the country does not face a second wave of Covid-19 infections, then the Communicable Disease Control Act is adequate to contain the virus, he said.

Lifting of the emergency decree

The emergency decree was touted by the government as a necessary tool to curb the spread of Covid-19 infections as it enables swift action and coordination among state agencies. It has been extended twice since it was invoked on March 26.

Mr Wissanu said if the emergency decree is lifted, all closure orders will automatically end, but noted that Sections 34 and 35 of the Communicable Disease Control Act can still be invoked to close down certain businesses.

“If the emergency is lifted, we can [use the Communicable Disease Control Act to] close certain shops or malls until they fix problems. We can’t impose lockdowns,” he said.

Democracy activists led by Parit Chiwarak on Monday renewed calls for the lifting of the emergency decree, saying the situation has improved significantly and this justified the lifting the decree for Thailand.

Source: Bangkok Post / Chiang Rai News

Thai pub's new rules for Re-opening - Don't Laugh

A meeting between the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA)’s special taskforce committee and entertainment venue operators resolved that pubs, bars and entertainment venues could be allowed to open from July 1 provided they strictly observe following 22 practices:

• Controlling the number of patrons to ensure the venue does not get congested;

• Checking every customer and staff member’s temperature;

• Providing alcohol-based hand sanitising gel at all entrances and other areas as necessary;

• Ensuring groups are no bigger than five;

• Ensuring customers queuing to be seated maintain social distancing;

• Ensuring all tables are at least 2 metres apart or are partitioned;

• Ensuring seats are at least one metre apart;

• Ensuring all venues are properly ventilated;

• Only eating and drinking is allowed;

• Beverages can only be served individually, and shared jugs or ice buckets are prohibited;

• Serving staff are required to wear a mask or face shield at all times;

• Stage or performance area must be partitioned, and audience must be at least 2 metres away from the stage;

• Event comperes or speakers are required to wear a face shield at all times;

• Patrons are not allowed to be loud or walk around the venue if not necessary;

• If the sharing of food or beverages cannot be avoided, everyone at the table must be provided with an individual serving spoon or glass;

• Toilets must be cleaned every 30 to 60 minutes;

• All tables, chairs and frequently touched surfaces must be cleaned regularly;

• No sports matches or competitions that will attract large groups of people are allowed;

• No video gaming or pub games like pool and darts will be allowed;

• Social distancing measures must be observed in smoking areas;

• No service personnel or public relations representatives are allowed to sit with customers.

Source - The Nation

“It’s 3 months now, when can we reopen?” - Pattaya bar owners

Today marks 3 straight months that Pattaya’s world famous – and vitally important to the city’s economy – nightlife and entertainment industry has been shuttered by the Thai Government. The industry was originally told to close “for 2 weeks” on March 18. But as the Covid-19 crisis escalated and fear and uncertainty grew worldwide, the closure was repeatedly extended, with ever changing dates and conflicting, overlapping messages on when exactly the government would allow business to resume.

Chon Buri province had a total of 87 cases of Covid-19, virtually all imported from other provinces or overseas visitors. Of those, 41 were in Banglamung/Pattaya, the majority from the famous Bangkok “boxing stadium cluster.” There were 2 deaths, both foreign cases that were imported. Pattaya, despite its notorious nightlife industry, never had a significant local outbreak. This is in stark contrast to the resort island of Phuket, which had the highest number of cases per capita in Thailand, mainly around its notorious Bangla Road red light entertainment area and latterly around the Bang Tao district.

But the Thai Government has continued to state it’s is too risky to open nightlife, bars and entertainment venues, despite the country as a whole going well over 3 weeks without a locally transmitted case. They’ve been spooked both by the cases of infected Thais returning from overseas and the recent spate of outbreaks in entertainment zones in Seoul and Tokyo.

The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, has allowed nearly every type of business to resume – except the nightlife and entertainment industry. Despite early signs that they would allow owners to reopen and get tens of thousands of people back to work in Phase 4 of the program to reopen and unlock the country, nightlife was left out, and there has been no target date or guarantee of a Phase 5 from the CCSA.

Pattaya’s mayor and the governor of Chon Buri, keenly aware of Pattaya’s precarious situation, with an estimated 80% of the city’s businesses dedicated to nightlife and hospitality, have pleaded for patience from local business owners and say they’re working with the CCSA to reopen the bars. This week, The CCSA allowed the half measure of allowing alcohol in restaurants, but this only led to confusion as the large number of “hybrid” establishments that sell both food and alcohol were given mixed messages and police were instructed at a national level to raid and even close many already struggling local businesses.

The CCSA and the PM himself have also asked for patience from business owners, but for many, with 3 months without income and landlords and other creditors demanding payment, patience is running out.

The CCSA has stated a current goal of 28 days without a confirmed locally transmitted case of the virus. That would be next Monday, June 22.

They have dodged repeated questions from the press on whether that means nightlife could resume. Meanwhile, many bar owners in Pattaya continue to ask why their small establishments, many unable to fit more than a handful of people in, remain closed, lumped into the same group as massive nightclubs that can fit over a thousand people.

Source: The Pattaya News

Pattaya’s bars desperate to reopen

The Covid-19 pandemic has hit Pattaya’s bar owners terribly. Some among the 10 in Soi Wong Amat, aka Soi Na Klua 18, have packed up and gone. The remainder are desperate for the government to ease restrictions on them opening. There is still rent to pay, accommodation and food for staff and utilities. They don’t want to abandon their employees. 2 owners spoke to the media.

59 year old “Saengdeuan”, who has run the well known TJ Bar for 16 years, was in tears as she told Nation TV how she won’t abandon her 20 staff.

“What else am I going to do?” I’ll just have to wait for the tourists to return, whenever that is.”

The ‘whenever’ could be months away. And even if the government allows the bars to re-open at the start of July (the hot tip), the sight of foreign tourists may not be familiar until the end of the year.

44 year old “Buapha”, who owns the Blue Marlin pub begged the government to let her open. She says there may be no foreign tourists but she could serve Thais in the meantime.

“At least that would be something.”

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Pattaya’s economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism. While the city’s beaches were allowed to reopen last Monday, pubs and bars remain shuttered and restaurants are prohibited from selling alcohol, leaving tens of thousands still out of work. Many of the workers have returned ‘up country’ to live with their families.

Source - The Thaiger

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