Pattaya bars warned not to flout COVID-19 rules by masquerading as restaurants

[rooster59]

Pattaya bars warned not to flout COVID-19 rules by masquerading as restaurants

 

 

Banglamung district officials tasked with limiting the spread of the coronavirus are warning bars in Pattaya not to flout rules limiting the sale of alcohol.

 

After Banglamung district, including Pattaya, was officially declared a ‘highly controlled zone’ on Wednesday, bars, nightclubs and restaurants were ordered to close until further notice.

 

By Friday, officials had given restaurants a last minute reprieve, allowing them to re-open and even serve alcohol to people ordering food.

 

However, officials have become aware of some beer bars trying to flout the new rules by masquerading as restaurants in order to serve alcohol to customers.

 

On Friday, officials reiterated the rules regarding restaurants and the sale of alcohol, which can only be ordered with food. 

 

Officials have said they will be on the lookout for beer bars which claim to be restaurants and warned owners they face severe penalties - 100,000 baht fine and up to 1 year in jail - for breaching the regulations.

 

The news comes after a beer bar in Jomtien was shut down by district officials who said it was claiming to be a restaurant in order to serve alcohol. 

 

Also on Friday, public health officials in Chonburi announced 51 new cases of COVID-19.

 

Of the new cases, 37 were in Banglamung district, while Sriracha (11), Ban Bueang (2) and Panat Nikhom (1) also reported cases. 

 

The total number of reported cases in Chonburi now stands at 211, 163 of which are in Banglamung district. 
 

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[jacko45k]

13 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Of the new cases, 37 were in Banglamung destruction

Prophetic typo!

[Oldie]

We had this already last time. Some bars even applied for a restaurant license. Also people will gather in restaurants to drink alkohol. We also had this last time.

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Oldie said:

We had this already last time. Some bars even applied for a restaurant license. Also people will gather in restaurants to drink alkohol. We also had this last time.

Correct, just posted same comment elsewhere.... IIRC it preceded a 'takeout only' order.  Came about the other way round this time but I expect something similar.....

[pookondee]

yes because the Covid is very fussy.

It will get you if drinking but not if you are eating food.

Its is also very fussy in my location also,

in bars and restaurants it is most likely to get you if standing up apparently but sitting down is ok.????

[J Town]

Just now, pookondee said:

yes because the Covid is very fussy.

It will get you if drinking but not if you are eating food.

Its is also very fussy in my location also,

in bars and restaurants it is most likely to get you if standing up apparently but sitting down is ok.????

And Covid, a very polite virus, waits until after 10:00 p.m. to infect.

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, pookondee said:

yes because the Covid is very fussy.

It will get you if drinking but not if you are eating food.

Its is also very fussy in my location also,

in bars and restaurants it is most likely to get you if standing up apparently but sitting down is ok.????

It is also most likely to get you if you have your mouth open so the current best advice is.........????

[J Town]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

It is also most likely to get you if you have your mouth open so the current best advice is.........????

I see what you did there! ????

[NCC1701A]

40 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Pattaya bars warned not to flout COVID-19 rules by masquerading as restaurants

what about masquerading as bars?

[jacko45k]

6 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

what about masquerading as bars?

What, by closing?

[Chang_paarp]

48 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

On Friday, officials reiterated the rules regarding restaurants and the sale of alcohol, which can only be ordered with food. 

 

There was a rush of applications for restaurant licences during the first wave, with some places changing their name to help their claim they are now restaurants. I'm guessing this is going to go down the "substantial meal" route.

So is a scotch egg a substantial meal?

[pattjock]

If you don't drink alcohol and are not outside after 22:00 you will not get covid 19.

 

Any scientific prof of this?

[ChipButty]

4 minutes ago, Chang_paarp said:

There was a rush of applications for restaurant licences during the first wave, with some places changing their name to help their claim they are now restaurants. I'm guessing this is going to go down the "substantial meal" route.

So is a scotch egg a substantial meal?

No, but 2 would be for me

[ChipButty]

I know of a place that tried pulling that trick last time and this was restaurant + bar, the police came in and asked for the check bin's to see who was eating or just drinking

[seasia]

Just now, ChipButty said:

No, but 2 would be for me

Actually 2 would be OK for me also. I sometimes buy them for takeaway at a food kiosk outside JJ Villa, soi bukhao, near Lotus Express.

2 for 95 baht, sensible pricing for here. Also some other "fast food/comfort food" options

[bangsaenguy]

47 minutes ago, pookondee said:

yes because the Covid is very fussy.

It will get you if drinking but not if you are eating food.

Its is also very fussy in my location also,

in bars and restaurants it is most likely to get you if standing up apparently but sitting down is ok.????

Don't forget COVID attacks folks dancing

[robblok]

20 minutes ago, pattjock said:

If you don't drink alcohol and are not outside after 22:00 you will not get covid 19.

 

Any scientific prof of this?

No but there is scientific proof that people who drink flaunt the rules more then those who dont. Getting drunk during a meal is harder as getting drunk in a bar. It makes perfect sense. Just not to bar goers who see their fun being curbed.

Edited January 2, 2021 by robblok

[PatOngo]

If you can't buy alcohol at a bar, there MUST be something you can buy? ????

[pookondee]

3 hours ago, PatOngo said:

If you can't buy alcohol at a bar, there MUST be something you can buy? ????

 

Dont worry, these Thai brainiacs will probably soon be banning any services that involve two people.meeting together.

Especially if 1 of the 2 people happen to be a foreigner.

 

But then again, that sort of thing doesnt exist in Thailand, right?

So i guess that would mean admitting that it exists first before they can ban it.

[Justgrazing]

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

However, officials have become aware of some beer bars trying to flout the new rules by masquerading as restaurants

 

Is this like culinary crossdressing ..  

[bluesofa]

6 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

However, officials have become aware of some beer bars trying to flout the new rules by masquerading as restaurants

Is this like culinary crossdressing ..  

Do you mean like cornflakes with mayonnaise?

[new2here]

to me what might be the better, easier was is to base their status on what/how they operated the business in the preceding day 60 or 90 day period.. that way they wouldn’t be able to make a last-minute pivot today to be a “restaurant” explicitly as a means to circumvent rules.  

[Justgrazing]

14 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

Do you mean like cornflakes with mayonnaise?

 

Eurgh that is not a happy pleasant image to form in one's mind .. 

Logically I would think kebabs would be an offering that bars could easily do .. 

And you can take out .. 

 

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, J Town said:

4 hours ago, pookondee said:

yes because the Covid is very fussy.

It will get you if drinking but not if you are eating food.

Its is also very fussy in my location also,

in bars and restaurants it is most likely to get you if standing up apparently but sitting down is ok.????

And Covid, a very polite virus, waits until after 10:00 p.m. to infect.

 

Can't educate pork either.

[NanLaew]

8 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

 

Eurgh that is not a happy pleasant image to form in one's mind .. 

Logically I would think kebabs would be an offering that bars could easily do .. 

And you can take out .. 

 

 

Sort of like a Covid-to-go exercise?

[baansgr]

The bar in question has a fully functional kitchen, a hired cook, a restaurant licence yet are arrested....yes they are a bar also...who's right?

[Peterw42]

As others have mentioned, its not so much bars masquerading as restaurants, there are huge issues when restaurants start trying to be bars.

My wife actually left her job during the last shutdown because the restaurant was doing its best to be a bar. A constant stream of foreigners coming in and ordering a drink (while they decided what to eat) promising to order food at some time.  8 guys would come in and order drinks and a bowl of chips. They would make a meal last 3 -4 hours.  The customers would keep a bowl of rice soup on the table in front of them for an 4  hour drinking session.

Restaurants selling drinks lasted about 3 days last time, then got shut down. It will be abused and shut down again this time.

Edited January 2, 2021 by Peterw42

[new2here]

15 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

As others have mentioned, its not so much bars masquerading as restaurants, there are huge issues when restaurants start trying to be bars.

My wife actually left her job during the last shutdown because the restaurant was doing its best to be a bar. A constant stream of foreigners coming in and ordering a drink (while they decided what to eat) promising to order food at some time.  8 guys would come in and order drinks and a bowl of chips. They would make a meal last 3 -4 hours.  The customers would keep a bowl of rice soup on the table in front of them for an 4  hour drinking session.

Restaurants selling drinks lasted about 3 days last time, then got shut down. It will be abused and shut down again this time.

... i agree.. it becomes a slippery slope... one way- albeit somewhat draconian - is to set a time limit on what constitutes a visit...(and like McDonalds did during past contests) also set a minimum time between visits so you couldn’t just pay the bill, set foot outside, then turn around a sit down and order another bowl of soup, thus triggering a new time allotment... so you’re wouldn’t be able to just buy back-to back-to-back small “meals” as a way to otherwise circumvent the rules. 

 

There are ways to manage this - it’s just a matter of how much effort and resources does the enforcer want to expend on it and the level of compliance they’re after. 

[mikeymike100]

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

It is also most likely to get you if you have your mouth open so the current best advice is.........????

Only if you breathe in!????

[sambum]

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Prophetic typo!

 

An even better "typo" :-

 

The total number of reported cases in Chonburi now stands at 211, 163 of which are in Banglamung district. 

 

Would be better written as "The total number of reported cases in Chonburi now stands at 211. 163 of these are in Banglamung district".

 

At first glance, it looks like Chonburi has had a massive "spike"!

Edited January 2, 2021 by sambum