Bangkok considers reopening bars & nightlife on Nov 15

After Thailand opened its doors to fully vaccinated tourists on Monday, the National Security Council (NSC) met with tourism operators the following day to assess the situation.
Unlocking of bars in Bangkok to be considered on Nov 15

General Supot Malaniyom, NSC secretary-general, said the council will meet tourism operators every two days and collate data for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), which will be presented every 15 days.

He said the opening of entertainment venues, bars and pubs will rely very much on the trend of new Covid-19 infections, the emergence of clusters and the rate of hospital beds occupied by Covid patients.

He said the first report will be presented on November 15 and if all goes well, the CCSA may consider reopening entertainment venues, bars and pubs in the 17 tourism pilot areas first. – The Nation

Source - BangkokJack

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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

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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