Bars along Bangla Rd in Patong, pictured here last night (Sept 13), have re-opened as ’restaurants’. Photo: The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: Bars along Patong’s famed Bangla Rd have re-opened as restaurants, with some venues selling alcohol, in order to serve some customers and make a living in open defiance of a national order for all pubs, bars and other “entertainment venues” to remain closed as a COVID-19 prevention measure.

 

The move comes after the venues owners were last ordered closed by Phuket officials in April, followed by a nationwide ban brought into effect by the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) in Bangkok that is still in effect.

 

With the order to remain closed, the Phuket Sandbox scheme has brought no relief to bar staff and other workers, and venue operators in Phuket have not received any assistance from the national government, Weerawit Kreuasombat, President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) told The Phuket News.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/patong-bars-defy-national-order-to-open-as-restaurants-81397.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-09-14

 

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Break the law or go bust. It's a bleak choice.

The most important thing to be opened in order to restore the local economy are 'Legs'.

 

Everything else will benefit due to the trickle down effect.

5 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the Phuket Sandbox scheme has brought no relief to bar staff and other workers,

Bars, their staff and similar business were not the aim of the sandbox programs, hotels, food outlet, and local tours operators were the main target, bars and restaurants owners knew that this program was meant for them as serving alcohol and food indoors were not allowed from the start...

48 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Bars, their staff and similar business were not the aim of the sandbox programs, hotels, food outlet, and local tours operators were the main target,

I think the primary target was/is high end ASQ hotels. Interestingly, I hear that cheaper boutique/guesthouse style hotels have recently been deleted from the ASQ database. I'm sure the fact some were enjoying 100% occupancy rates is totally unrelated.

have to admire them for making a stand 

4 hours ago, nausea said:

I think the primary target was/is high end ASQ hotels. Interestingly, I hear that cheaper boutique/guesthouse style hotels have recently been deleted from the ASQ database. I'm sure the fact some were enjoying 100% occupancy rates is totally unrelated.

Most of them in Phuket were SHA+ scheme lots of the smaller hotels and guest houses are getting booted out, the reason Im told is they dont have the correct licenses 

Is it cost effective to upgrade from a bar license to a restaurant license? 

It wasn't long ago the orbortor in Rawai recommended the bars install kitchens and serve food to survive, the big problem is the alcohol ban

My Issan farang bar has been doing this the past few months. Just how can I enjoy my burger without a few beers? ????????

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Is it cost effective to upgrade from a bar license to a restaurant license? 

A lot of places did it where I live, if they made any money I dont know,

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

PHUKET: Bars along Patong’s famed Bangla Rd have re-opened as restaurants, with some venues selling alcohol, in order to serve some customers and make a living in open defiance of a national order for all pubs, bars and other “entertainment venues” to remain closed as a COVID-19 prevention measure.

A bag of crisps and 10 bottles of lager please.????

11 hours ago, champers said:

Break the law or go bust. It's a bleak choice.

They've had enough of the lunacy, now they're biting back.

Like to see how the governors going to handle this one.

11 hours ago, Gold Star said:

The most important thing to be opened in order to restore the local economy are 'Legs'.

 

Everything else will benefit due to the trickle down effect.

Snail trails down Bangla road, that's a distant memory.

42 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Is it cost effective to upgrade from a bar license to a restaurant license? 

It's cost effective NOT to have  a license.

19 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

It's cost effective NOT to have  a license.

My thoughts exactly did they bother to get one...............?

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

With the order to remain closed, the Phuket Sandbox scheme has brought no relief to bar staff and other workers, and venue operators in Phuket have not received any assistance from the national government, Weerawit Kreuasombat, President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) told The Phuket News.

Appears it was well organized. 

23 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

My thoughts exactly did they bother to get one...............?

A few outlets on Bangla already had restaurant licences and one or two others made the effort of obtaining such and were first to open.

2 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Is it cost effective to upgrade from a bar license to a restaurant license? 

The first place to open on Bangla did just that as well as installing a kitchen. It was "checked" regularly by local, Phuket town and BKK authorities. Was it cost effective? No, but it did get the place moving, get staff some work and get the other places going too.

Mass civil disobedience. People have had enough and I cannot blame them. When critical mass shifts to the disobedience side, the economy effectively opens itself. That is why America is open.

It wouldn't be a bad idea if the local governments gave out some kind of grants to local business to get them going and help to convert to a restaurant 

Good for them.

 

As a tourist its nice to see a little action.

 

And also get a bite.

2 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Is it cost effective to upgrade from a bar license to a restaurant license? 

If you don't your doomed.  Be nice to know the costs.

 

Pay for a nice new kitchen and then the landlords raise your rent.

 

 

2 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

If you don't your doomed.  Be nice to know the costs.

 

Pay for a nice new kitchen and then the landlords raise your rent.

 

 

Not cheap setting up a kitchen, with all the bits and pieces you need 

15 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Not cheap setting up a kitchen, with all the bits and pieces you need 

I can imagine.

 

Maybe just start with a BBQ and a brown envelope.

14 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Not cheap setting up a kitchen, with all the bits and pieces you need 

do they need to install a new kitchen

friends bar in Bangkok reopened to sell food, but just orders it with delivery from a place across the street

Not sure how they make any money, customers are rare, but they are so desperate to get income, while having to pay high rents

Wrong choice as the government can still close and fine them. However totally understandable if you don't support your populace but keep it close you are doing it wrong and are part the problem.

 

In my country we kept things closed but people got compensation to stay afloat in most of the cases. You can't close something down and not give grants / loans and so on. Then people will starve in the end. 

 

 

Aren't half of them owned by police anyway?

6 minutes ago, Joinaman said:

do they need to install a new kitchen

friends bar in Bangkok reopened to sell food, but just orders it with delivery from a place across the street

Not sure how they make any money, customers are rare, but they are so desperate to get income, while having to pay high rents

Im not sure how they are doing it, but a few places where I live did install kitchens

3 minutes ago, DefaultName said:

Aren't half of them owned by police anyway?

No, the police own half of all of them