Pattaya: Bars and clubs won't open despite bans ending

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Pattaya: Bars and clubs won't open despite bans ending

 

 

The eagerly anticipated reopening of the pubs and bars of Pattaya just isn't going to happen despite the government who are expected to give the green light.

 

There are several reasons for this, said Damrongkiat Phinitkarn, head of the entertainment association in the city. 

 

Though operators are prepared to follow the rules most just won't bother to open at all, he told 77kaoded

 

Much of their reluctance concerns the 22 new rules about what patrons can and can't do. 

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

This will involve extra staffing and extra expense. They will be needed to enforce where patrons can walk, stop them singing and dancing. It will just not be worth it.

 

Social distancing measures alone will mean if they are to follow the rules they will be at 50% capacity. 

 

Then there is the extra cost of cleaning and health monitoring devices. 

 

Picture: 77kaoded

 

And the bottom line is that most pubs and bars and discos rely on foreign clientele. 

 

They are not in Thailand yet and until they are, many bars will just stay shut and wait. 

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

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[robblok]

So its not the government keeping them closed its the owners thinking it wont be profitable if they have to follow the rules. 

 

I don't get it what is the problem with the 50% capacity. I mean its not as if they would be at 100% capacity in low season anyway. 

 

 

[smedly]

16 minutes ago, robblok said:

So its not the government keeping them closed its the owners thinking it wont be profitable if they have to follow the rules. 

 

I don't get it what is the problem with the 50% capacity. I mean its not as if they would be at 100% capacity in low season anyway. 

 

 

several venues might be able to reach 50% capacity if they have had a regular clientele of expats/retires  - those that mostly rely on foreign tourists have no chance - probably 90% of bars and clubs

[ezzra]

Do you think that by now, Thai people realised and it dawned on them that basically without foreigners this country is pretty much back to being a farm and agriculture oriented country, no better than many other poor third world countries around the world.. and do you think that they will remember it when the good times comes rolling back?...

[smedly]

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Do you think that by now, Thai people realised and it dawned on them that basically without foreigners this country is pretty much back to being a farm and agriculture oriented country, no better than many other poor third world countries around the world.. and do you think that they will remember it when the good times comes rolling back?...

a lot of damage done by certain unelected high ranking government official who should have been sacked for his remarks

[smedly]

6 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Do you think that by now, Thai people realised and it dawned on them that basically without foreigners this country is pretty much back to being a farm and agriculture oriented country, no better than many other poor third world countries around the world.. and do you think that they will remember it when the good times comes rolling back?...

if they don't get it now they never will

[KhunKenAP]

You can bet the police will be checking all open bars and arrest any patron's and bar owners for a single violation of any of the 22 rules. I would estimate the odds of anyone in a bar frequented by farangs being busted at around 90%. Of course there will be mass confusion on what is OK or Not OK. They will arrest first and ask questions later, so they can get picture in the news media.

 

Best they stay closed until these stupid 22 rules go away. 

[JonnyF]

13 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

You can bet the police will be checking all open bars and arrest any patron's and bar owners for a single violation of any of the 22 rules. I would estimate the odds of anyone in a bar frequented by farangs being busted at around 90%. Of course there will be mass confusion on what is OK or Not OK. They will arrest first and ask questions later, so they can get picture in the news media.

 

Best they stay closed until these stupid 22 rules go away. 

They will only enforce it for a few days, but I have to admit I'd be a bit concerned if I was in one of those bars during the first few days that they are enforcing.

 

I wouldn't fancy being pulled out of a bar and paraded in front of the media because I was breaking one of the 22 rules (which frankly I would be breaking, otherwise there is no point going to a bar).

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

They will only enforce it for a few days, but I have to admit I'd be a bit concerned if I was in one of those bars during the first few days that they are enforcing.

 

I wouldn't fancy being pulled out of a bar and paraded in front of the media because I was breaking one of the 22 rules (which frankly I would be breaking, otherwise there is no point going to a bar).

Good point then to keep them closed. Its exactly as you said the things people want to do in a bar cant be done safe because of corvid and people will break the rules ASAP. So why open them at all if people dont even want to adhere to the rules.

 

When I go shopping i follow all the rules why would bars be exempt.

[BestB]

It’s dead as no tourists are allowed. To open up would require to invest a bit of money. Then the rule of no staff can be sitting with customer so defeats the purpose all together.

 

need to invest money to open, keep spending money to remain open but no patronage.

 

even ones with expats, beer sold with 5-10 baht profit , hardly profitable when running costs have to go up as well. 
 

jusr like hotels , open with 1-2 rooms at half the price , Pure loss

[KhunBENQ]

Just don't bother to open.

No surprise.

Open for whom?

Hundreds of bars for the few "residents" and even fewer "local domestic tourists"?

 

Edited June 25, 2020 by KhunBENQ

[metisdead]

A troll post and the replies have been removed. 

[redwood1]

14 minutes ago, robblok said:

Good point then to keep them closed. Its exactly as you said the things people want to do in a bar cant be done safe because of corvid and people will break the rules ASAP. So why open them at all if people dont even want to adhere to the rules.

 

When I go shopping i follow all the rules why would bars be exempt.

Well your a model citizen.....I guess many of the rest of us will just have to resign ourselves to being non QR code using non mask wearing non social distancing low lifes..... 

[luckyluke]

12 minutes ago, robblok said:

 

 

When I go shopping i follow all the rules 

I do as well, 

but not everyone does.

I was yesterday at Foodland Thonglor, there was a lady at the entry asking questions to the young lady doing the temperature,  and the Thaichana or writing on a list, check.

Quickly we were 4 persons waiting, the manager (I suppose ) came and told us we could enter without any check at all.

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

I do as well, 

but not everyone does.

I was yesterday at Foodland Thonglor, there was a lady at the entry asking questions to the young lady doing the temperature,  and the Thaichana or writing on a list, check.

Quickly we were 4 persons waiting, the manager (I suppose ) came and told us we could enter without any check at all.

Bit strange.. but point being why would we have to live do anything if bars are not going to do the same. Might as wel stop totally and let the virus take hold. 

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

Well your a model citizen.....I guess many of the rest of us will just have to resign ourselves to being non QR code using non mask wearing non social distancing low lifes..... 

You said it, I just hope they fine patrons and owners if they break the rules. (not that I think that will happen) Because people like you make the whole system useless. I mean all the effort others put into it is in vain if others don't. 

 

So basically its either going totally back to not doing anything or making sure that everyone follows the rules. Because it makes no sense if only some keep following the rules as the non rule followers will destroy it for all of us. 

 

I prefer it like this with rules in place being to do something then having to go back to a total lockdown. 

[OneMoreFarang]

59 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

You can bet the police will be checking all open bars and arrest any patron's and bar owners for a single violation of any of the 22 rules.

Will they arrest anybody? Or will they more likely demand money to look the other way?

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

Do you think that by now, Thai people realised and it dawned on them that basically without foreigners this country is pretty much back to being a farm and agriculture oriented country, no better than many other poor third world countries around the world.. and do you think that they will remember it when the good times comes rolling back?...

Pattaya is part of Thailand but very different from the rest of Thailand. The rest of Thailand has lots of local bars and local customers. It might be difficult for some people to understand but Thailand if perfectly able to survive without Pattaya.

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Will they arrest anybody? Or will they more likely demand money to look the other way?

Depends a bit who is watching. How much they need a camera moment.

[OneMoreFarang]

Even under normal conditions now would be low season. And lots of entertainment venues make only real money in the high season. Normally they stay open all year because the rent must be paid anyhow and they want to keep the staff so that they have them in high season.

But now is obviously a lot worse than just low season. And there is a BIG question mark if there will be any high season this year or maybe even next year. 

There is no point for business owners to reopen an unprofitable business.

And there is also not much point for the dancers, who normally make lots of money not from dancing, to go to work in an empty place. Same for tips for waitresses, etc.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

10 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Will they arrest anybody? Or will they more likely demand money to look the other way?

Depends a bit who is watching. How much they need a camera moment.

Correct. I guess I will go to Crazy House. That's probably one of the last places they will control or shut down.

[JusticeGB]

Less than 50% of people entering BigC yesterday night at 7pm were bothering to book in or out with the Thai App or signing the book. No police or health authorities checking BigC but if bars open the police will be all over them like a rash.

[mr mr]

30 minutes ago, robblok said:

Bit strange.. but point being why would we have to live do anything if bars are not going to do the same. Might as wel stop totally and let the virus take hold. 

what virus ?

 

 31 days with no cases. closed borders.

 

 

 

 

[Chivas]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

They will only enforce it for a few days, but I have to admit I'd be a bit concerned if I was in one of those bars during the first few days that they are enforcing.

 

 

lol I bet you a Million Dollars they dont !!

Thailand has done superbly over Covid and if a few here think now or in the future expats and tourists will allow that to be trashed than think again

[robblok]

1 minute ago, mr mr said:

what virus ?

 

 31 days with no cases. closed borders.

 

Borders are opening again havent you read.. so called travel bubble. If they kept the borders completely closed it might be safe. That is if you believe that there really are no more local infections and testing is donce correctly. 

[luckyluke]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

Bit strange.. but point being why would we have to live do anything if bars are not going to do the same. Might as wel stop totally and let the virus take hold. 

I suppose not strange for the manager, by not wanting to maybe upset the customers and maybe lose them.

 

By the way, I and the 3 other customers didn't insist the rules had to been followed.

 

The keeping distances is nowhere respected or implemented, where ever I go here., my wife has same experiences on open markets in Nongprue.

 

You may of course have a different experience,

which anyway prove it is not generally followed.

 

Once bars, pubs..also opens, it is practically impossible that

 government put police everywhere, at every business, it is already not possible now.

 

Which mean people ( customers, owners, tenants...) trespass the law daily.

And will continue to do it.

 

 

[petedk]

42 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

I do as well, 

but not everyone does.

I was yesterday at Foodland Thonglor, there was a lady at the entry asking questions to the young lady doing the temperature,  and the Thaichana or writing on a list, check.

Quickly we were 4 persons waiting, the manager (I suppose ) came and told us we could enter without any check at all.

The same happened to me recently.

 

I fully understand her. We are checked at the entrance to "Eight". It is a 2 minute walk to Foodland from there. Is our temperature really going to rise in those 2 minutes?

[ftpjtm]

37 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Pattaya is part of Thailand but very different from the rest of Thailand. The rest of Thailand has lots of local bars and local customers. It might be difficult for some people to understand but Thailand if perfectly able to survive without Pattaya.

What percentage of domestic activities in "the rest of Thailand", especially in the north east, are financed by liaisons which originated in Pattaya (or areas in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai where Thais mingle with foreigners)?

 

In the (north east) areas I'm familiar with probably 50%.

 

Thailand is perfectly able to survive without Pattaya. And Thailand without Pattaya would be great for Thai big business, with options for improvement of standard of living for the poor of the north east dramatically limited. 

Edited June 25, 2020 by ftpjtm

[robblok]

7 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

I suppose not strange for the manager, by not wanting to maybe upset the customers and maybe lose them.

 

By the way, I and the 3 other customers didn't insist the rules had to been followed.

 

The keeping distances is nowhere respected or implemented, where ever I go here., my wife has same experiences on open markets in Nongprue.

 

You may of course have a different experience,

which anyway prove it is not generally followed.

 

Once bars, pubs..also opens, it is practically impossible that

 government put police everywhere, at every business, it is already not possible now.

 

Which mean people ( customers, owners, tenants...) trespass the law daily.

And will continue to do it.

 

 

Then there is no point at all anymore to have any rules. I mean if rules are not followed strictly then they are ineffective and we might as well not have them at all.

 

Its either one or the other. 

[mr mr]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

Borders are opening again havent you read.. so called travel bubble. If they kept the borders completely closed it might be safe. That is if you believe that there really are no more local infections and testing is donce correctly. 

look me in the eye and tell me that this government's response to the crisis has not been outstanding ? tip top. top shelf. a homerun. ????