Today marks two months of Covid-19 restrictions in Pattaya with many business owners and residents getting frustrated

[Polang]

Import taxes are there  for eliminate the competition dangers for  the made in Thailand products...... 

Import taxes  sounds as a good idea for the country economy and employment but in reality it is a monopoly for the elite that do not have to compete against products and companies outside of Thailand.......it is a monopoly.... 

Same 10 families own the 500 biggest companies in the country they can produce any products that they want without worrying about globalization and competition. 

As long as they are also owning all the big supermarket and they control the supply even if baht getting stronger and taxes stay the same they can rise the price of import products so people have to pay more or buy from local factories. 

Many things  that are made in Thailand are more cheap in Europe even thow we add a 24% in sales tax. 

Monopoly is the name. 

As for legalize gambling  the drugs and prostitution.......really.......i suppose you can do it......if...... you could find billions if not trillions of baht to put in hundreds of millions of brown envelops for the people with uniforms and the authority who benefit by the situation as it is now. 

 

[ukrules]

No end in sight either.....

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Mike k said:

Then it turns into Burma 

What is your solution? Let the army have their way with the people and lead forever? Let the nation become a SE Asian version of Burundi? 

[fulhamster]

6 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Anutin said it will all be back to normal in 2 to 3 weeks, back in late April. However as you say only those with common sense said nothing.

He also said not to worry about covid, the wind will blow it away

[mrfill]

6 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

This clearly demonstrates the risks that are associated with a single large dependency on once source of revenue - tourism. Entire local economies are impacted. If you invest in an area (business, real estate) this is a clear lesson in what happens when that source dries up. It will happen again in the future. make sure your business is not reliant on a single source of revenue - period.   

 

So, something like a gogo bar with submarine workshop?

[zhounan]

Unfortunately, the situation will not change.

 

There are too many people pushing for the maintenance of a perpetual global state of emergency as a way of controlling people.

 

We will probably live in a society regulated through the "yo-yo strategy".

[pepi2005]

"1x1: How to destroy a world-renowned tourism brand"

 

The Thais were successful in sterilizing Khao San Road until no one wants to visit it anymore except out of some nostalgic interest, same plans exist for Pattaya. Of course it will never become "clean" (just look at the horrible road reconstruction activities that are now already taking 3 years and just created a whole new nightmare of potholes, traps and vehicle wear zones), let alone more friendly (almost no green vegetation left, beaches look like architect's model landscapes) or interesting / exciting / satisfying traditional Pattaya visitors (many beer bars removed, Walking Street ongoing destruction - in both senses - of businesses etc.), it's just sad. Even expats are starting to leave, they miss their nightlife.  Good luck to the delusional politicians who actually want to increase expat numbers, doing it this way is just ridiculous.

[Knobby37]

I’m happy, booze has stopped, eating and cooking at home only, saving money hand over fist, new way of life. The new normal is fine by me

[madmen]

9 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Could go on for a few more months before gearing up for the awesome promising Pattaya sandbox in October. 

It's been renamed to siht box 

[Excel]

5 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

I know some posters will crucify me for this post.

But its all now down to Natural Selection.

The Business's that have been able to adapt, to offer different, and not the same same as seen everywhere, will survive and prosper.

The Bossiness's that have been able to cut outgoings, and raise their profile will prosper.

OK, maybe not next week, but as soon as the Tourists arrive back, these Business's will be ready to welcome them back with something new and fresh.

Pattaya needed this badly, and so does the rest of the Country, it needs all the dead wood cutting out.

The whole Tourist Industry is stale, its made of Plastic, and is shoddy at best sometimes.

Its all so false and tacky, and needs something like this to wake it up, where actual effort has to be made to get the Tourist Dollar.

 

And what would your proposals be to revitalise the tourist industry ?

[madmen]

1 hour ago, fulhamster said:

He also said not to worry about covid, the wind will blow it away

If they were smart they would build wind mills pointing to Vietnam 

[herfiehandbag]

7 hours ago, robblok said:

Its up to the government to help them not members. Small businesses have been hit all over the world. Back in my country the government helped. Here there is a lot less help. 

 

That being said bars are just too dangerous to open period. Anyone not understanding that is just really bias and in need of a drink or an owner of a bar. The 3rd wave started in a bar, bars all over the world have been shut down first as all governments realise they are one of the most dangerous places for covid. Because of the drug called alcohol that is a social lubricant and makes people do stupid things. 

 

Anyone who has been drunk in the past knows they don't make the best decisions when drunk or follow the rules when drunk. You can blame the government for not supporting the owners of bars and the staf but not for keeping bars closed.

 

The problem is not that bars are closed (expect for those that need the bar scene) but that the people working there have not been supported enough. 

You will not be surprised, I am sure, to find that I actually don't agree with you.

 

I am neither biased, nor in need of a drink. I declare that I do have a small share (not really any more than an interest really) in a small bar (a very long way from Pattaya!).

 

However, this could have been infinitely better handled and controlled right from the start. Yes. this wave may have originated in a bar (along with a variety of other places); a large, very crowded bar, full of a large number of reckless people who believed that, because of their status in this society, the rules did not apply to them. Perhaps, initially, a blanket closure was necessary, but it should have been followed by the introduction of rules and procedures to be followed for reopening. Restrictions on the numbers allowed in premises, on the quantities consumed and behaviour in the bar. Unpopular yes, difficult to police perhaps but feasible. Lets face it, a small single shophouse bar with a couple of staff and half a dozen customers is no more risky than a noodle shop or a passenger van! Better a business which is just turning over because of such restrictions than a row of shuttered businesses most of which will probably never reopen.

 

As it is, these blanket closures are causing immense hardship to some of the most vulnerable in the nation's workforce. Very many bars and other establishments will not reopen. "My bar" will probably survive, not least because I have negotiated a drastically reduced rent, which we (I) can afford whilst it is closed. I did this by persuading the landlord that if he insisted on the full rent (or the 15% reduction he suggested) he would be left with empty premises, which e would find difficult to let for quite some time.

 

Anyway, to get back to my main point, policies were and are needed for reopening. Whether or not you like or approve of the "bar scene", and I am ambivalent about many of the practises which go on, you cannot escape the reality that wholesale closures will do a lot of damage. I estimate up here it has put over 800, maybe over 1000 out of work. That is over 800 families that were probably supported by the business. If you look at many of the resorts and "entertainments" zones that number is probably in hundreds of thousands.

 

Yes of course the government should be providing support. They never have, do not and never will. These draconian restrictions, imposed by a group which will be paid at the end of the month come what may, and are effectively not accountable for their rulings, are doing great harm, it is long past time for a rethink.

Edited June 11, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[robblok]

24 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

You will not be surprised, I am sure, to find that I actually don't agree with you.

 

I am neither biased, nor in need of a drink. I declare that I do have a small share (not really any more than an interest really) in a small bar (a very long way from Pattaya!).

 

However, this could have been infinitely better handled and controlled right from the start. Yes. this wave may have originated in a bar (along with a variety of other places); a large, very crowded bar, full of a large number of reckless people who believed that, because of their status in this society, the rules did not apply to them. Perhaps, initially, a blanket closure was necessary, but it should have been followed by the introduction of rules and procedures to be followed for reopening. Restrictions on the numbers allowed in premises, on the quantities consumed and behaviour in the bar. Unpopular yes, difficult to police perhaps but feasible. Lets face it, a small single shophouse bar with a couple of staff and half a dozen customers is no more risky than a noodle shop or a passenger van! Better a business which is just turning over because of such restrictions than a row of shuttered businesses most of which will probably never reopen.

 

As it is, these blanket closures are causing immense hardship to some of the most vulnerable in the nation's workforce. Very many bars and other establishments will not reopen. "My bar" will probably survive, not least because I have negotiated a drastically reduced rent, which we (I) can afford whilst it is closed. I did this by persuading the landlord that if he insisted on the full rent (or the 15% reduction he suggested) he would be left with empty premises, which e would find difficult to let for quite some time.

 

Anyway, to get back to my main point, policies were and are needed for reopening. Whether or not you like or approve of the "bar scene", and I am ambivalent about many of the practises which go on, you cannot escape the reality that wholesale closures will do a lot of damage. I estimate up here it has put over 800, maybe over 1000 out of work. That is over 800 families that were probably supported by the business. If you look at many of the resorts and "entertainments" zones that number is probably in hundreds of thousands.

 

Yes of course the government should be providing support. They never have, do not and never will. These draconian restrictions, imposed by a group which will be paid at the end of the month come what may, and are effectively not accountable for their rulings, are doing great harm, it is long past time for a rethink.

I am 100% pro bar scene. I am not some sort of prude. Been in bars have been with bar girls in the past. No problems with the bar scene or sex tourism. 

 

Thing is bars are NOT essential but the noodle shop and transport are, its about limiting exposure. So by closing a bar you limit exposure. You completely forgo the fact that drunk people are far more likely to spread and catch covid because hof how drunk people are. You wont see people mixing with the staf at a noodle shop nor bar girls going from guy to guy safely. Just can't compare.

 

I don't have a thing against drinking but im a realist unlike many who seem to think that drunk people act the same as those eating in a restaurant. Hell i been drunk enough in my life to know i don't care about rules and distance when drinking. So the risk is much higher. 

 

Though if your talking about half a dozen people in a bar and one or two staff then the risk is of course not super high. But how many bars are like that. Certainly not the bars that I have seen. 

 

Policing will be impossible and bribes and such will make it even harder so a full closure is safest. Plus like i said they do the same thing all around the world so it seems the people in the know agree about the risks.

 

I do feel your a bit funny about policing the amount of alcohol drank and amount of customers. That will never happen and the bar will never limit customers from drinking. If you think that is a realistic thing then I got a bridge for you to sell ????

 

Anyway i do feel that the government should help the people who got caught out because of this. That is what should happen not opening and risking more spread. Anyway in 4-5 months things can go back to normal. 

 

 

 

 

[thailand49]

8 hours ago, chalawaan said:

They need to forget tourism for a few years, and start repurposing the entire economy.

 

There are several emerging industrial opportunities as companies are forced to pivot away from a belligerrent China that's starting to "punish" the west for daring to call them on their BS.

 

If they dropped the alcohol import tax to a sensible level too, they'd sell much more of it, and probably actually make more in duty overall. 

 

Fully legalize weed, and mushrooms, fully legalize sex work, and start work on some Casinos.

 

So that after this is over, if they did these 4 things, you'd have to beat Tourists off with a stick.

 

 

You make a good Thai politician!  " Dreaming "????

[natway09]

If they used their brains they would let small bars open from 4pm until 11pm with 

the protocols in place like before, limit the amount of people & let some of us at least pay the rent that the greedy landlords still insist on charging.

Similar to the big shopping malls that have never had to close because they are the mighty rich & in collusion with the powers that be

[James105]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

I am 100% pro bar scene. I am not some sort of prude. Been in bars have been with bar girls in the past. No problems with the bar scene or sex tourism. 

 

Thing is bars are NOT essential but the noodle shop and transport are, its about limiting exposure. So by closing a bar you limit exposure. You completely forgo the fact that drunk people are far more likely to spread and catch covid because hof how drunk people are. You wont see people mixing with the staf at a noodle shop nor bar girls going from guy to guy safely. Just can't compare.

 

I don't have a thing against drinking but im a realist unlike many who seem to think that drunk people act the same as those eating in a restaurant. Hell i been drunk enough in my life to know i don't care about rules and distance when drinking. So the risk is much higher. 

 

Though if your talking about half a dozen people in a bar and one or two staff then the risk is of course not super high. But how many bars are like that. Certainly not the bars that I have seen. 

 

Policing will be impossible and bribes and such will make it even harder so a full closure is safest. Plus like i said they do the same thing all around the world so it seems the people in the know agree about the risks.

 

I do feel your a bit funny about policing the amount of alcohol drank and amount of customers. That will never happen and the bar will never limit customers from drinking. If you think that is a realistic thing then I got a bridge for you to sell ????

 

Anyway i do feel that the government should help the people who got caught out because of this. That is what should happen not opening and risking more spread. Anyway in 4-5 months things can go back to normal. 

 

Would I be correct in assuming that you do not get invited to many parties, which would explain why it is that you think simply closing the bars stops people socialising together and drinking?  

[Andycoops]

On 6/11/2021 at 6:25 AM, bkk6060 said:

Could go on for a few more months before gearing up for the awesome promising Pattaya sandbox in October. 

Won't be any good if it follows the Phuket model, with no bars or entertainment venues allowed to open.

[atpeace]

14 hours ago, pepi2005 said:

"1x1: How to destroy a world-renowned tourism brand"

 

The Thais were successful in sterilizing Khao San Road until no one wants to visit it anymore except out of some nostalgic interest, same plans exist for Pattaya. Of course it will never become "clean" (just look at the horrible road reconstruction activities that are now already taking 3 years and just created a whole new nightmare of potholes, traps and vehicle wear zones), let alone more friendly (almost no green vegetation left, beaches look like architect's model landscapes) or interesting / exciting / satisfying traditional Pattaya visitors (many beer bars removed, Walking Street ongoing destruction - in both senses - of businesses etc.), it's just sad. Even expats are starting to leave, they miss their nightlife.  Good luck to the delusional politicians who actually want to increase expat numbers, doing it this way is just ridiculous.

I doubt it very much! Thailand has made great decisions in regards to tourism from their vantage point.  During the financial crisis more effort was put into attracting non-westerners.  It seems to have worked and they do spend money as many fail to grasp.  

 

 Nothing seems to stop the growth and would love it if the politicians made some atrocious errors and tourism growth leveled out after the post pandemic recovery.  Doubt it but it could happen. 

 

What is  apparent is politicians aren't concerned in the slightest  about the old timers that put Thailand on the tourism map. Been here, since 1998, minus 6 years, and consider myself part of this group and am currently looking at alternatives and haven't found one as of yet.

[atpeace]

10 hours ago, James105 said:

 

Would I be correct in assuming that you do not get invited to many parties, which would explain why it is that you think simply closing the bars stops people socialising together and drinking?  

You really think it hasn't had a huge impact on limiting social situations that cause the spread of Covid in Pattaya?   Not being a jerk, just wondering.

[impulse]

If the public had foreseen this mess when the gub'ments of the world convinced them to "shut down for a few weeks to flatten the curve" well over a year ago, there would have been blood in the streets. 

 

And not just in Thailand.

[atpeace]

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

If the public had foreseen this mess when the gub'ments of the world convinced them to "shut down for a few weeks to flatten the curve" well over a year ago, there would have been blood in the streets. 

 

And not just in Thailand.

I wasn't hearing a few weeks but we all hear what we want at times.  I was hearing months and then follow-up lockdowns if new waves arise.  I was upset and lost the ability to be objective.   Just saw it as an extreme overreaction.  Guess I was wrong and it won't be the last time.

 

If we were all socially responsible and intelligent enough to comprehend what is stupid , lockdowns would not have been needed but humans seem have an inherent desire to be dumbasses.  In February last year, I would have gone to an orgy in a sauna just to make a point.  Maybe next pandemic we can just lockdown the stupid people - sucks for me but "stupid is as stupid does".

[Mike k]

19 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

What is your solution? Let the army have their way with the people and lead forever? Let the nation become a SE Asian version of Burundi? 

I don't have a solution the masses are trained from birth to grovel before certain people so they follow like sheep and yes the army has always had it's way. How many coups has there been and the one that is supposed to protect the people stands by and watches 

[Mike k]

2 hours ago, Andycoops said:

Won't be any good if it follows the Phuket model, with no bars or entertainment venues allowed to open.

Or alcohol sold in restaurants 

[Mike k]

17 hours ago, zhounan said:

Unfortunately, the situation will not change.

 

There are too many people pushing for the maintenance of a perpetual global state of emergency as a way of controlling people.

 

We will probably live in a society regulated through the "yo-yo strategy".

It's like some of those si fi movies coming true ????

[spidermike007]

It is an effective plan, for attracting 2,000 to 5,000 tourists to both Samui and Phuket, between July 1st and the end of September.

 

It is also an effective plan if you are intentionally trying to bankrupt small businesses, hotels and the entire tourism industry, build a grave, and bury the entire industry permanently. Congratulation to Phiphat, Prayuth, Anutin and the other spectacularly incapable and unprepared men, if this was your intention.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2021 by spidermike007

[JayClay]

19 hours ago, Knobby37 said:

I’m happy, booze has stopped, eating and cooking at home only, saving money hand over fist, new way of life. The new normal is fine by me

 

All of this was possible before the restrictions were imposed...

[Benmart]

Having been coming here since 1993 and living here full-time since 2013, I imagine that little will be done to diversify and lessen dependency on tourism. Greed, corruption and reliance upon the "Giant of the North", will stall any true and long term change. Those in power will reap prosperity on the backs of the masses as proven by history.

[BernieOnTour]

On 6/11/2021 at 5:09 AM, J Town said:

Three friends of mine got arrested two nights ago at a small bar near Big C Extra. I warned them this could happen and stopped going there myself. I get it - we love the bar owner, just a gal struggling to put food on the table, and we want her to stay in business, but clearly the BiB are getting into the weeds. They were fortunate, 2,250 baht fine each, and now the bar is shuttered.

 

Well, the BiB are also suffering, aren’t they ? ????

 

Support our friends, who are here „to serve“ !

They also have mia nois to support, pay the loans for the Fortuner, ...

????

[petermik]

On 6/11/2021 at 4:09 AM, J Town said:

Three friends of mine got arrested two nights ago at a small bar near Big C Extra. I warned them this could happen and stopped going there myself. I get it - we love the bar owner, just a gal struggling to put food on the table, and we want her to stay in business, but clearly the BiB are getting into the weeds. They were fortunate, 2,250 baht fine each, and now the bar is shuttered.

It,s a pity the BIB did not look in at a wonderfully named bar on second rd...they could have chatted with their fellow BIB who are allowing others to enjoy a brew or two behind dark curtains therein.

[Leaver]

On 6/11/2021 at 8:42 PM, James105 said:

which would explain why it is that you think simply closing the bars stops people socialising together and drinking?  

 

It stops large numbers of people socialising and drinking, and that is the purpose of the lockdowns.