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

[Knocker33]

6 hours 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?...

I bet immigration will not remember a thing and will probably stupidly  tighten the screws

[terminatorchiangmai]

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. 

 

When they finally let the miljonairs in they wont be coming to the beer bars or clubs anyway as they all will be  on the Islands spending all their millions for Thailand to benefit from tourism again.

[DB58]

7 hours 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. 

 

 

The problem is profit! No profit no business! So these business owners have an overhead and need to do minimum amount of business to see a profit at the end of the month. They are asked to take a double hit, 50% less business and increased cost to meet new requirements. To add insult to injury, there consumer market is shut outside country.

 

My daughter is running our bar in the US, in a State that still has restrictions, distancing, curfew, masks, no pool, no singing... she’s working just to pay rent on the lease and overhead... no wage no profit. If things don’t change we’ll loose the business.
 

So this isn’t BS on the owners part, it’s just business, or lack of it.

[Kerryd]

2 minutes ago, terminatorchiangmai said:

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

No actually, they don't.

Because most pubs, bars and discos in Thailand cater to Thais. It's only bars/pubs/clubs in the main tourist areas that cater to foreign clientele and those are few in number compared to all the places that Thais generally frequent.

I've gone out many a time to different clubs and bars in just in Pattaya where I was literally the only foreigner present. Or gone to other places (like the old Hollywood, Excite and Route 999 clubs) and even a couple coyote bars where the vast majority of customers were Thais. They certainly were not relying on foreign clientele to operate.


 

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, DB58 said:

The problem is profit! No profit no business! So these business owners have an overhead and need to do minimum amount of business to see a profit at the end of the month. They are asked to take a double hit, 50% less business and increased cost to meet new requirements. To add insult to injury, there consumer market is shut outside country.

 

My daughter is running our bar in the US, in a State that still has restrictions, distancing, curfew, masks, no pool, no singing... she’s working just to pay rent on the lease and overhead... no wage no profit. If things don’t change we’ll loose the business.
 

So this isn’t BS on the owners part, it’s just business, or lack of it.

You did not really get what I meant. Right now its low season no way will they get 100% occupancy. So the 50% rule will not hurt them much. So its B.s to say its a major problem.

 

The extra cost might be a problem but all other shops have these too. In 711 and other places they clean extra have people take temperature and so on. So why do bar owners (and the people frequenting them think they are special and need to be exempt.)

[maprao]

90% P4P is for Thais. Pattaya and places that cater for westerners and tourists are insignificant in terms of what is opening up for Thai locals,  businessmen and truckers

 

taking care of their own as should be done in all countries 

Edited June 25, 2020 by maprao

[pacovl46]

In terms of a avoiding a second wave it’s probably a good thing.

[baansgr]

Plenty of bars...ooopps, restaurants open already

[eiszele2005]

7 hours 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.

What covid? No local cases in over 28days which is 2 life cycles. And I believe over 70days in Chonburi. So where is the local risk?  Allow owners the option without all the rules that will be impossible to police (with any consistancy anyway) 

I mean really social distancing except during "bathing time" <deleted>? If it's safe to "bathe" with a service provider who potentially "bathes" several times a day, then I think a social beer is going to be ok

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, Liverpoolfan said:

Its over!

Time to face the hard facts.

those dirty farangs aint coming back ever and i dont blame um!

the costa del sol will be extra busy this time next year and Thailand will be stuck with nothing but chinese group tours and a few loony Russians.

 

hard times on the horizon, 

Cant say it hasnt been coming though.

Thailand only has itself to blame, they were chasing away expats and tourists with some ridiculous immigration issues before the virus came, along with the high Baht.

[DB58]

4 minutes ago, robblok said:

You did not really get what I meant. Right now its low season no way will they get 100% occupancy. So the 50% rule will not hurt them much. So its B.s to say its a major problem.

 

The extra cost might be a problem but all other shops have these too. In 711 and other places they clean extra have people take temperature and so on. So why do bar owners (and the people frequenting them think they are special and need to be exempt.)

It isn’t about someone thinking they are special... people don’t go to 7-11 to socialize, they go purchase and leave. So obviously some business will be able to adjust easier than others.

Most people I know that go to bars go to be social and interact with people. These restrictions make it difficult if not impossible to operate this type of business. Hard to keep that fun social atmosphere that people are coming there for... but again some will be able to adjust easier than others.
As far as 50% being better than nothing, you’re correct as long as a business can adjust their overhead to still make a profit. If not Oh well, life ain’t fair is it! 

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, 473geo said:

It is interesting, the amount of deaths in the UK, the subsiding of the death rate currently, I can now walk into my local UK supermarket, no checks,  I choose to wear a mask but one of about 5% who do, pubs re-open soon, UK seems to be moving quite quickly to restart the economy.

If the UK does start everything up to near enough normal in the near future, what will that say about Thailand with all their daft draconion rules who don't now have a virus?

[Yknot]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

 

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

I would guess that some bars will open, even if the Entertainment Association members, decide to remain closed.

 

Does this Association represent bars primarily on Walking Street? 

[Steve Vincent]

22 new rules “ be interesting to see what changes have been imposed in the bars and on it’s owners instead of implementing stupid rule changes,. officials should be working hard at finding a solution to the problems not creating more problems,.Bars operating at 50% can not make a profit with extra costs being incurred. The mayor of Pattaya and the tourism board need to work together with hoteliers,. can see cheap package deals aplenty in the coming months .... Well once foreign travelers allowed to travel again,.won’t be anytime soon,. my biggest worry is still the baht which is ridiculous strong when 90% currency’s around the world have devalued. 

[Walter Travolta]

33 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

In terms of a avoiding a second wave it’s probably a good thing.

2nd wave from where?

[Walter Travolta]

It seems to me that it depends on what a government wants. The Vietnamese were covid free for a month and they are back to the old normal (apart from immigration obviously). They have been running normally for a good while now, shops, malls, gyms and bars open. The Thai army just love the control. 

[Don Mega]

2 hours ago, dpcjsr said:

Closing down the entertainment in Pattaya is exactly what the do gooders in government have been wanting for a long time. Now it is happening. Coincidence? 

Not seeing the downside to be honest, Kudo's to the Government.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Benmart said:

Don't include me in the "rest of us". I am a guest in this country and follow the law as best I can, just as I do back home. By the way "your" is not a substitute for "you're".

A "guest" In this country?????? A "guest" of who exactly?

[metisdead]

A post using a foreign language has been removed as this is an English language forum.  English is the only acceptable language anywhere on ThaiVisa including Classifieds, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed. Short Thai translation of technical terms is permitted in specialty forums.

[dave moir]

If there have been no new cases throughout the kingdom in the last 28 or so days apart from those entering the country, how is there any chance of a second wave? Just don't open borders too eagerly and see how domestic travel fares first!

[JackThompson]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Where is Pattaya on that map (or any Thai map)? Maybe it's a little dot. And no, it's does not feed 50% of the north east.

Food is the one thing Pattaya does not need to finance.  A good bit of the remaining spending, it (and similar locales) does support.

 

6 hours ago, ftpjtm said:

Again, speaking of the northeastern neighborhoods I'm familiar with the economy as a whole does very little to improve the lives of rural farmers, especially if you take out the "Pattaya option". 

 

But it does work well for big business seeking low wage laborers.

... laborers from other countries - yes.  There was a time in the past, when many more of those jobs went to Thais, but Immigration opened the floodgates, to cut them out of the economy.

[sead]

9 hours 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. 

 

 

You clearly don't get it.. 

[shackleton]

Why dont they wait until the flights open up with tourists coming in 

They need to do away with 14 days quarantine as well

Who is going to go to a bar wearing a mask with social distancing going on 

Proberly a few hardy expats but that's about it 

[thesetat2013]

This is  a stall so they can make future plans to make Pattaya a family oriented resort without the bar girls or other places related to the obvious sex industry that was there before covid hit. 

Seems to me that bars could make bubbles where small groups could dance and sing and drink and hook up if wanting. they might not be able to do it at full capacity. But 50% income is better than 0 income and the expense to create this atmosphere would not cost so much. No matter how long they wait. Covid is here to stay and these places will eventually close and lose all their money because of the governments stubbornness to allow people the choice. 

They are able to make travel bubbles so why couldn't it be easy to make a bar bubble where you can enjoy entertainment and still follow the rules. By the way. Did they make this a law to keep Pattaya closed? Or is is P and other give figures saying it's not feasible or too complicated? 

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, shackleton said:

Why dont they wait until the flights open up with tourists coming in 

They need to do away with 14 days quarantine as well

Who is going to go to a bar wearing a mask with social distancing going on 

Proberly a few hardy expats but that's about it 

The expats that like a brew and a fiddle with a Lass have already founds means to do both... they wont be the target market for bars.

[Don Mega]

Just now, thesetat2013 said:

But 50% income is better than 0 income and the expense to create this atmosphere would not cost so much. 

50% of low season income is damn near 0% anyways so why bother opening ?

[Expat Tom]

Pattaya is Dead and will remain that way until farang feel welcome again in Thailand.....if ever.

[bristolgeoff]

Across the boards hotels bars whatever,No customers.There are expats and some tourists will come.They will get something better than nothing.But true without the expats they must realise they have nothing.I agree lets hope when it is over they will treat tourist and expats better than a cash cow

[rabang]

40 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If the UK does start everything up to near enough normal in the near future, what will that say about Thailand with all their daft draconion rules who don't now have a virus?

It is quite a contrast from my country in Northern Europe as well. As the cases have decreased the government has been quick to remove restrictions, sometimes waiting a bit too much than maybe would have been necessary but also acting sometimes faster than anticipated when there was no reason for restrictions to remain. Also they have respected the laws and stated that the limitations should be put in place only when it is absolutely necessary to do so. Things are quite normal now and relaxed with corona case numbers being going down for a long time.

 

On the other hand we have Thailand with officially no domestic corona cases for a month, yet the power hungry clueless old men in charge are neglecting their citizens' rights and economy and abusing every excuse to limit people's liberties.

[b2bme]

Was just re-thinking the Covid situation in Thailand. As mentioned by others when you compare the statistics to traffic accident deaths or injuries Covid is insignificant in Thailand. Covid has probably saved more lives in the last 3 months from traffic accidents by people being locked down. Songkran typically see's 300 plus deaths in a matter of days. They dodged that bullet by having lock down. You just wonder why so paranoid when they have had no locally transmitted infections for almost a month. As another post pointed out much of the early outbreak was from an army related sports event at Lumpini. Has Covid been an issue throughout the army? Pure speculation here but it would be covered up and anyone sick would be treated at an army hospital. Old mate at the top being in charge would for sure be not willing to advertise there is problems amongst the ranks. There is very little trust in the present government and many of their decisions are questionable but never a sensible answer given. Here in Australia we have had double the amount of cases and deaths and besides one state most are getting back to normal.