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

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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

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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

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Thai gov’t warns everybody to DRINK RESPONSIBLY

With alcohol now allowed to be served at restaurants in some key tourism cities, the Department of Health has assumed the authority to insist drinkers act responsibly.
Despite this obviously having nothing to do with the spread of a virus, the Director General has warned people to continue practicing personal protective measures against COVID-19.

Restaurants are also warned not to serve alcohol beyond the permitted hours.

Restaurants in Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga are now permitted to serve alcoholic drinks, as the government looks to stimulate tourism activities.

The Department of Health today urged restaurants and customers to comply with all the restrictions that remain, including the limit of serving hours outlined by provincial communicable diseases committees.

The Department of Health’s Director-General, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said most restaurants are found complying well with the regulations, while some restaurants and their customers might become quite loose with the compliance.

He asked restaurants and customers not to serve or consume alcohol beyond the permitted hours and to prevent overcrowding at venues.

Dr. Suwanchai said lower cognitive abilities in intoxicated persons would lead to more chances of breaching disease control measures, adding that drinkers must be considerate of their own safety and that of others.

It is only a matter of time before alcohol sales are banned again on the grounds that citizens are not, in somebody’s opinion, acting responsibly.

Source - BangkokJack

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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