webfact Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 A restaurant in a mall in Bangkok. (Photo by Jack TAYLOR / AFP) by Veena Thoopkrajae Covid-19 will forever change the restaurant business as many eateries are forced to close. The current wave of the pandemic is expected to wipe out hundreds of struggling restaurants following the government’s decision to restrict dining in and operating hours in the “dark red” zones, Bangkok among them, where the virus has been spreading quickly since early April. Restaurateur Kamol Trisitthichet, the owner of the 79-year-old Chinese restaurant Arlek Ratchawongse, told Thai PBS World that he has lost half a million baht since the pandemic arrived in Thailand. He said that the restrictions on dining in had really hurt his business because most of the dishes he serves are traditional Chinese and must be consumed hot and freshly cooked. “Take-away or online deliveries aren’t recommended and my regular customers know well that I am against it,” he said. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-restauranteurs-struggle-to-stay-afloat-amid-rising-infections/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-05-31 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post WineOh Posted May 31, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2021 (edited) just take a walk down any soi in Bangkok and you will clearly see the devastation that has been caused by these restrictions. However, what really bothered me about the previous reopening post lockdown was the amount of Pubs and restaurants that were refusing to give discounts. How do you expect to get customers in when you are still charging full price for beer and food? In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day long, and also half price on food to help stimulate growth in your sector. Either that or be forced to close your doors forever. Up to you. Edited May 31, 2021 by WineOh 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KC 71 Posted May 31, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2021 2 minutes ago, WineOh said: just take a walk down any soi in Bangkok and you will clearly see the devastation that has been caused. However, what really bothered me about the last opening post locking down was the amount of Pubs and restaurants that were refusing to give discounts. How do you expect to get customers in when you are still charging full price for beer and food? In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day and half price food to help stimulate growth in your sector. Either that or be forced to closed your doors forever. Up to you. To be fair, i don't think think they can afford it. 7 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ttkeric Posted May 31, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2021 Hrump! ...and I really had to post this to congratulate the 2nd poster for making the "Choosing Beggar" of the week! Mate, I didn't begrudge my favourite cafe when they had to put prices up by a grand amount of 10 bahts after enduring a difficult year (after a year, just last week they raise prices!) and I conscientiously choose to eat at local "moms and pops" (or "mae and pors" for the Thai spin!) to help the everyone out a bit. I guess to certain people it always the race to the bottom which really doesn't help anyone out. Maybe I'm just blessed and didn't really suffer any loss of employment during this time other than slightly decreased pay with no year end bonus last year. 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post smedly Posted May 31, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2021 people are now allowed in restaurants - has it changed anything ? Thailand is nothing without foreign tourists, that is blatantly obvious, yes it is a result of covid but just being allowed to open doesn't solve the problem 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smedly Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 (edited) 21 minutes ago, WineOh said: In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day long, and also half price on food to help stimulate growth in your sector. many bars in pattaya did just that and attracted what custom was left to one small area LK Metro, the rest of the city is in darkness and shut - 80% of it Edited May 31, 2021 by smedly 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robblok Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 9 minutes ago, smedly said: people are now allowed in restaurants - has it changed anything ? Thailand is nothing without foreign tourists, that is blatantly obvious, yes it is a result of covid but just being allowed to open doesn't solve the problem Strange remark maybe you live in Pattaya but in non tourist area's its mainly Thais that frequent restaurants. Anyway I eat as much from restaurants as i did before I just use grab to order instread of going there. I think a lot of restaurants are just not willing to change a bit. Everyone has it difficult we all need to change things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smedly Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 1 hour ago, robblok said: Strange remark maybe you live in Pattaya but in non tourist area's its mainly Thais that frequent restaurants. In pattaya there are Thai resturants and bars that Thais use but the thing is - when there are no foreign tourists then Thai numbers also reduce significantly which has an effect on everything across the city - Bangkok might be different in the broader sense. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fex Bluse Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 2 hours ago, webfact said: Covid-19 will forever change the restaurant business as many eateries are forced to close. This is really a big surprise, @sandyf. I always would have expected the domestic tourism to be perfectly fine despite a raging global pandemic. This caught me by surprise. You, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fex Bluse Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 2 hours ago, WineOh said: just take a walk down any soi in Bangkok and you will clearly see the devastation that has been caused by these restrictions. However, what really bothered me about the previous reopening post lockdown was the amount of Pubs and restaurants that were refusing to give discounts. How do you expect to get customers in when you are still charging full price for beer and food? In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day long, and also half price on food to help stimulate growth in your sector. Either that or be forced to close your doors forever. Up to you. Hi there. I completely get what you posted here. It's tricky. In countries where people are more honest, there is good will built up. I can tell you stories from other countries in the region where is more trust between locals and expats, and in those places people are happy to pay full price to help out these establishments. This lack of willingness here, especially from us expats, is mostly because the locals have a bad reputation of trying to rip us and each other off at nearly every opportunity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Scottie12 Posted May 31, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 31, 2021 This stupid government ban on alcohol sales in pubs and restaurants is causing thousands of job losses. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gearbox Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 5 hours ago, WineOh said: just take a walk down any soi in Bangkok and you will clearly see the devastation that has been caused by these restrictions. However, what really bothered me about the previous reopening post lockdown was the amount of Pubs and restaurants that were refusing to give discounts. How do you expect to get customers in when you are still charging full price for beer and food? In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day long, and also half price on food to help stimulate growth in your sector. Either that or be forced to close your doors forever. Up to you. In the tourist areas like Samui and Phuket you'll get X number of customers per day, irrespective whether you offer discounts or not. There are just not enough tourists. In a hindsight the right strategy for many of the good restaurants in Samui was to fire all the staff early, renegotiate the ongoing rent to a minimum, and close down. This way the cash bleeding can be minimized, and they would have more resources when the things get significantly better. I see some places still opened which probably can't cover their electricity cost with the turnover they are getting. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timendres Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 5 hours ago, robblok said: Anyway I eat as much from restaurants as i did before I just use grab to order instread of going there. I think a lot of restaurants are just not willing to change a bit. Everyone has it difficult we all need to change things. Clearly not familiar with the food and beverage industry and its challenges. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchilli Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 6 hours ago, webfact said: He said that the restrictions on dining in had really hurt his business because most of the dishes he serves are traditional Chinese and must be consumed hot and freshly cooked. “Take-away or online deliveries aren’t recommended and my regular customers know well that I am against it,” he said. So in the short term change your menu? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotchilli Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 5 hours ago, smedly said: many bars in pattaya did just that and attracted what custom was left to one small area LK Metro, the rest of the city is in darkness and shut - 80% of it Because their business model can only cater to the tourist trade... by that I mean international tourism... Thais are not interested in what they have to offer or pay the prices they're asking. Change or die... June 7th isn't going to make a blind bit of difference to Pattaya Phuket or any other resort, so few foreigners will venture this way this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya Spotter Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 (edited) 6 hours ago, WineOh said: In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day long, and also half price on food to help stimulate growth in your sector. So they can go bankrupt twice as fast? I find the pricing to be very promotional at many restos and pubs...almost to the point of embarrassment. Edited May 31, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya Spotter Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 6 hours ago, ttkeric said: Hrump! ...and I really had to post this to congratulate the 2nd poster for making the "Choosing Beggar" of the week! Mate, I didn't begrudge my favourite cafe when they had to put prices up by a grand amount of 10 bahts after enduring a difficult year (after a year, just last week they raise prices!) and I conscientiously choose to eat at local "moms and pops" (or "mae and pors" for the Thai spin!) to help the everyone out a bit. I guess to certain people it always the race to the bottom which really doesn't help anyone out. Maybe I'm just blessed and didn't really suffer any loss of employment during this time other than slightly decreased pay with no year end bonus last year. Yeah...that post was unbelievable...as well as untrue. Just about everywhere I eat has been offering lots of pricing deals and specials during Covid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya Spotter Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 4 hours ago, Fex Bluse said: This lack of willingness here, especially from us expats, is mostly because the locals have a bad reputation of trying to rip us and each other off at nearly every opportunity. Maybe it's the locals you choose to associate with...or the fact many expats squeeze at baht till it cries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokesaat Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 6 hours ago, WineOh said: just take a walk down any soi in Bangkok and you will clearly see the devastation that has been caused by these restrictions. However, what really bothered me about the previous reopening post lockdown was the amount of Pubs and restaurants that were refusing to give discounts. How do you expect to get customers in when you are still charging full price for beer and food? In times of crisis it should be buy 1 get 1 free all day long, and also half price on food to help stimulate growth in your sector. Either that or be forced to close your doors forever. Up to you. I spent 13months in the US (marooned).......a fair number of restaurants/bars closed up shop, but I didn't see any offering discounts. Most people seemed happy to find a restaurant still open (dining in or not). At one Mexican restaurant that I frequented, dining in was shut down for several months. Cars lined up for drive up service. You want food, you wait. The people at the drive up window had a tip jar.......and I didn't hesitate to tip handsomely........something I normally wouldn't have done for drive up service. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fex Bluse Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 18 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said: Maybe it's the locals you choose to associate with...or the fact many expats squeeze at baht till it cries. Some people say that cucumbers taste better pickled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thweshfoyo Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Not bad actually ! First time that we can see a restaurateur think ! (some might be able to, but never met them !) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malibukid Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 why doesn't Thailand instigate a stimulus package like the U.S. has done to help small business owners? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natway09 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 Spare a thought for the Pubs that cannot open at all & most the rent still needs paying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmonkey Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 I think Thai's are changing their eating behaviour. Not only are they choosing to stay away from restaurants I think they are also not ordering delivered food as much. The threat of covid is now very real. People are cooking for themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinBoy2 Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 8 hours ago, kokesaat said: I spent 13months in the US (marooned).......a fair number of restaurants/bars closed up shop, but I didn't see any offering discounts. Most people seemed happy to find a restaurant still open (dining in or not). At one Mexican restaurant that I frequented, dining in was shut down for several months. Cars lined up for drive up service. You want food, you wait. The people at the drive up window had a tip jar.......and I didn't hesitate to tip handsomely........something I normally wouldn't have done for drive up service. The restaurant biz is tough at the best times, so close them down for even a month is gonna send a lot to the wall. My wife's friend owns a Thai restaurant here in the US, and they hurt big time. But they pivoted to take out and swallowed hard and signed up for Doordash, even though they take a 30% chunk off the order! But they survived, now hopefully they can pay off the accumulated debt and get back on their feet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargeezr Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 For the posters like Wineoh and others who have their pensions and other assured means of money to keep them living in Thailand. With the restaurants and pubs charging what they do for their food and beverage, do you actually believe that they make huge profits? I doubt that the cost of the food and drinks have gone down in price for the eating and drinking places. It is only the foolish who think that any business who has survived the pandemic so far, is still full of filthy rich owners and workers. Discounts are given when a business is doing great and times are good. Look around, do any of you see this situation today? Just wondering? Geezer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fex Bluse Posted May 31, 2021 Share Posted May 31, 2021 17 hours ago, smedly said: people are now allowed in restaurants - has it changed anything ? Thailand is nothing without foreign tourists, that is blatantly obvious, yes it is a result of covid but just being allowed to open doesn't solve the problem Yes. Foreign Tourism HJs Massage Food consumption Remittances from Farangs to Issan Rice and durian export Assembly for manufacturing bits and bobs That is the bulk of the Thai economy. It's a loss of face for Thailand to admit, however, but it's becoming clear that much of the economy fails when those dirty, nasty foreign tourist don't contribute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jud Canada Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 15 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said: Yeah...that post was unbelievable...as well as untrue. Just about everywhere I eat has been offering lots of pricing deals and specials during Covid. My Thai wife calls it promotion...although correct it makes me smile every time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 22 hours ago, WineOh said: However, what really bothered me about the previous reopening post lockdown was the amount of Pubs and restaurants that were refusing to give discounts. I must admit, I took a trip to Bangkok after Lockdown 1 from Pattaya and had a couple of nights there. There were some special offers being advertised, but they were laughable compared to Pattaya..... hard to find value in Bangkok, although I got a great hotel deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattaya Spotter Posted June 1, 2021 Share Posted June 1, 2021 4 hours ago, Fex Bluse said: Foreign Tourism HJs Massage Food consumption Remittances from Farangs to Issan Maybe the foreign tourism you and your friends/associates partake in...the tens of millions of couples, families, and single adventure travelers not so much. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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