Alcohol industry pleads for trial reopening of bars

By The Nation

 

 

With 10,000 pubs, bars and entertainment venues nationwide struggling to survive after being shut to control Covid-19, the alcohol industry has asked the government to allow a trial reopening of the entertainment sector.

 

Pubs, bars and entertainment venues are among the businesses hardest hit by the virus outbreak, having remained shut for the past 75 days.

 

However, the fourth phase of relaxed lockdown restrictions, due to start in the next few days, may allow them to reopen and so avoid closing permanently. Yet the government faces a dilemma, since the entertainment sector is a hotspot of potential contagion, given that customers who drink alcohol are likely to be lax in observing disease control measures such as social distancing.

 

Thanakorn Kuptajit, president of the Alcohol Beverage Business Association, said the government should relax the restrictions to enable the businesses to survive. He proposes running a trial 'reopening of hotel bars and restaurants’ alcohol service, to gauge whether the rest of the sector can safely restart operations.

 

He expects about half of the country’s 10,000 entertainment will shut permanently if they remain locked down for much longer, since they are making zero revenue but still paying rent and wages.

 

The alcohol business, made up mainly of beer, spirits and wine, is worth around Bt370 billion per year. Since the virus outbreak in February, that revenue has contracted by 40 per cent year on year after on-premises sales fell to zero.

 

Thanakorn also suggest that the government temporarily allow online distribution of alcohol while venues remained closed.

 

"Online shopping would help reduce traffic at various pubs and bars and could still be traced. However, under the current law, posting pictures and basic product information of [alcoholic products] is considered as promoting alcohol and therefore illegal. So, we want the state to be lenient about the situation," said Thanakorn.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389512

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-12

 

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7 minutes ago, webfact said:

He expects about half of the country’s 10,000 entertainment will shut permanently if they remain locked down for much longer, since they are making zero revenue but still paying rent and wages.

 

That seems to be part of this government's plan.

every day is another nail in the coffin, the country will never recover from this

I feel for the bars and the workers! 

But I don't feel for the big alcohol companies - Chang, Leo, Singha.  These companies have such a monopoly that they won't let small businesses make craft beer in Thailand.  Plus, these large companies make their own "<deleted> beer" now with western labels on them, but again won't let true Craft Beer be made here in Thailand.  What a f*cking farce.

 

This government says they want to help / promote small businesses.  Small Craft Breweries are small businesses that employ people!  There's enough money to be made for all as can be seen in US and EU.  The larger beer / beverage companies haven't lost a lot (or any) of business but small craft breweries are flourishing and providing jobs for many people.

 

At a minimum boycott the Chang/Leo/Singha "<deleted>" beer they put out (sold in 7/11 and many grocery stores).

 

27 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

every day is another nail in the coffin, the country will never recover from this

 

And nor will the alcoholics who need their fix.

 

30 minutes ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

And nor will the alcoholics who need their fix.

 

This is just a childish comment. Maybe you've been damaged somehow by alcohol but please not everyone that drinks alcohol is an alcoholic.

Edited June 12, 20206 yr by dinsdale

7 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This is just a childish comment. Maybe you've been damaged somehow by alcohol but please not everyone that drinks alcohol is an alcoholic.

You're correct, only about 20% have full blown alcoholism with another 20% classified as 'problem drinkers'. 

1 hour ago, cyril sneer said:

every day is another nail in the coffin, the country will never recover from this

4 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

You're correct, only about 20% have full blown alcoholism with another 20% classified as 'problem drinkers'. 

I think you need to study up on what defines alcoholism and alcohol dependency. It's not black and white. Knew a brain surgeon who would have one shot of vodka every morning. That was it for the day. Had to have that shot though. 

An inflammatory post and replies have been removed

Local Thai place, last night, my regular pretty served me a Chang with ice in a paper cup.

they should have allowed bars to open when they are allowing restaurants to sell alcohol - discos and nightclubs are by nature completely different and attract big numbers in a confined space making social distancing impossible

33 minutes ago, smedly said:

they should have allowed bars to open when they are allowing restaurants to sell alcohol - discos and nightclubs are by nature completely different and attract big numbers in a confined space making social distancing impossible

Unlike farang targeted bars Thai bars do actually get some decent crowds... That may the reason why they are keeping them closed.

2 hours ago, cyril sneer said:

every day is another nail in the coffin, the country will never recover from this

Well, it did from red and yellow shirt shutdowns. Phuket did from the tsunami. There's hope yet.

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Local Thai place, last night, my regular pretty served me a Chang with ice in a paper cup.

Sacrilege, unless it's served in cut crystal I wouldn't touch it.

 

The pretty I mean.

looks like they'll need to restart the alcohol advertising... 

Don't we drink enough booze already? ????????????????????

5 minutes ago, Oldie said:

Don't we drink enough booze already? ????????????????????

Define  enough ?

4 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Define  enough ?

 

2 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

You're correct, only about 20% have full blown alcoholism with another 20% classified as 'problem drinkers'. 

And your facts and figures come from where exactly? 

 

Surely not your own imagination? 

 

I have known a small number of alcoholics, and very sad people they are. They destroy their lives and create misery for their families but are incapable of doing anything about it. 

 

But I have known many, many more who can enjoy a few drinks and get on with life and it's responsibilities unimpaired. 

1 hour ago, smedly said:

they should have allowed bars to open when they are allowing restaurants to sell alcohol - discos and nightclubs are by nature completely different and attract big numbers in a confined space making social distancing impossible

But, But, the government says there are no cases or deaths in people living here, only on incoming Thais, so why not open up everything. Then when they let in the Chinese and other people, we will see who is bringing the virus into the country, cos certainly not the existing population 

obviously a teetotaller 

15 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

You're correct, only about 20% have full blown alcoholism with another 20% classified as 'problem drinkers'. 

Then don't forget the % of people who don't think they have a problem as long as they do that they won't be counted into the other 20/20%????

17 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the fourth phase of relaxed lockdown restrictions, due to start in the next few days, may allow them to reopen and so avoid closing permanently. Yet the government faces a dilemma, since the entertainment sector is a hotspot of potential contagion, given that customers who drink alcohol are likely to be lax in observing disease control measures such as social distancing.

As I have previously mentioned why not start by opening the open-air bars as these types of bars will be easy for the authorities to monitor the social distancing....!!!

15 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Local Thai place, last night, my regular pretty served me a Chang with ice in a paper cup.

Most long term expats know where to drink as I have done, but I miss the social side as you can let the girls yak yak and eat their somtam, while catching up with your mates!!!????????????????

13 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Define  enough ?

i walked in the condo last week and the Television had a cartoon type advert showing a stick like figure with a bottle of beer and then a big cross appeared on the bottle and then it was thrown in the bin.

not sure what station but i was very surprised at this open hostility to Alcohol? never seen anything like it before it just reminded me of something this lot would go for ? your local bar is no more at risk of spreading Covid -19 than the buses/trains/markets/Malls in fact open air bars are probably safer than most of these already re-opened places, the only significant figures are for a packed boxing venue in BKK who seemed to have angered the people who control this country.  

1 minute ago, Geoffggi said:

As I have previously mentioned why not start by opening the open-air bars as these types of bars will be easy for the authorities to monitor the social distancing....!!!

Exactly. 

I can understand some sort of reduced hours, perhaps 11pm etc. 

I wonder if there would even need social distancing. Take 3 random examples. 

1. Pattaya. Say open air Beach Rd between soi 8 &9. My guess half + folks drink there are tourists. We don't have many tourists right now.

2. Soi 4 bkk. It's very quiet at best of times

3. Night train market Ratchada. Normally FULL of Chinese. The bars have Thai and certainly not busy prior to covid.

4. Up country places like Udon Thani, the open air bars say in day/night area. Very few patrons at best of times. 

It's a disgrace this gov has crippled this group of business owners.

17 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

 

And nor will the alcoholics who need their fix.

 

Your statement shows your ignorance about alcoholism. Suggest you do some reading while sitting on a four-legged chair or sofa, and not on a bar stool.

So if they open all the bars now and Corona virus starts spreading again it will be nearly 2 weeks before it is recognised and by then the infection numbers will be huge and then the country will be in real deep sh*t.  Thais have already proved they have no intention of any kind of social distancing so therefore they will have a huge problem later. Look at Western Australia if you want to see how keeping the virus at bay is done. Glad I live in Perth. Nothing to worry about here, we still have border lockdown,

42 minutes ago, zoza said:

i walked in the condo last week and the Television had a cartoon type advert showing a stick like figure with a bottle of beer and then a big cross appeared on the bottle and then it was thrown in the bin.

not sure what station but i was very surprised at this open hostility to Alcohol? never seen anything like it before it just reminded me of something this lot would go for ? your local bar is no more at risk of spreading Covid -19 than the buses/trains/markets/Malls in fact open air bars are probably safer than most of these already re-opened places, the only significant figures are for a packed boxing venue in BKK who seemed to have angered the people who control this country.  

Watching the news the other day there was a scoot accident that showed 2 dead uncovered bodies with all sorts of different coloured juices leaking out of them, the person in the background... they blurred out the cigarette he was smoking.

 

Your point is ?