By Adam Judd

 

Pattaya, Thailand-  Chonburi officials have been non-committal about any potential reopening of Pattaya’s popular bar, nightlife, and entertainment industry in October, despite a proposal to reopen the city to foreign vaccinated tourists similar to the Phuket Sandbox increasingly likely to happen in some way, shape, or form.

 

The aforementioned proposal from the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Chonburi leaders goes before decision-makers at relevant Covid-19 agencies in Bangkok this weekend, we aren’t going to cover it in-depth in this article, but you can read more about it by clicking here.

 

Although this would be a major step forward for Pattaya and the first time since early March of 2020 in which tourists would be allowed to roam the area freely without a strict in-room hotel quarantine, they may find that Pattaya’s world-famous entertainment industry is not yet open. In fact, it is not even sure if restaurants would be able to sell alcohol. Phuket has been open for several months, but its own nightlife industry is still not open despite the island’s population being highly vaccinated and all tourists/visitors vaccinated. This is despite repeated pleas from the sector, shut nationwide for about five months currently in a row, to be allowed to open with strict rules and regulations similar to restaurants.  The sector also states they, as a whole, have received little to no financial aid.

 

The decision, to be fair, is not that of the Pattaya Mayor or Chonburi Governor. The closure of nightlife and bars and banning of alcohol at restaurants is a mandate from the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, in Bangkok. Although it is true that enforcement differs greatly across the country, Pattaya, as a whole, has been fairly strictly enforced with authorities well aware that Pattaya is the epicenter of nightlife and bars in Thailand.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/09/15/no-guarantees-of-entertainment-nightlife-opening-for-october-tourism-reopening-proposal-in-pattaya-officials-want-to-focus-on-cultural-and-natural-activities/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-09-16

 

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Give everyone a chance to come together again.  The economy will prosper due to the trickle down effect.

I hope that works out for them, but I have my doubts.  I had rather elderly relatives who visited some years back and I took them on all the tours, everywhere from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.  They finally reached a point where they wouldn't get off the bus.  They were really, really tired of seeing temples.  

They enjoyed the markets and some shopping, but the highlight was an (early) evening trip to Patpong.   Both the market and a drink in one of the bars was a treat and they felt like they saw what Thailand was famous for.  They were a little too conservative to take them to anything too seedy, but they enjoyed what they saw.  

The Temples and culture is nice and interesting, but it's the vibrant night life that is a major attraction, even for people who are older, not too adventurous and cautious.

 

Quote

 

officials want to focus on cultural and natural activities

 

Wow. I give it one month, maybe two. Then they will remember why people visit Pattaya.

Edited September 15, 20214 yr by timendres

If all entertainment venues will remain shut, you can take all your lofty dreams of millions of tourists coming back and throw them to the bin, i'm yet to meet any tourists whom, when in Thailand, didn't ventured out at night for a look see and to 'walking streets' throughout Thailand and sit somewhere for a cold beer and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the bars, restaurants and cafe scene and the atmosphere of the place that's make Thailand so unique...

32 minutes ago, timendres said:

Wow. I give it one month, maybe two. Then they will remember why people visit Pattaya.

Well they simply must ride the baht bus from Klang to the famous Walking St entrance, take in the odour of raw sewage as they realize their pockets have been picked!

Gosh, it's like they WANT the reopening to fail.

Tourists don't, IMO, go to Pattaya for Thai culture, and the city is IMO a grot hole with terrible traffic. Other than Temple of Truth, Mini Siam, Alcazar and Tiffany, what is there to see that can't be seen elsewhere that doesn't involve staying in a grot hole?

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Gosh, it's like they WANT the reopening to fail.

Tourists don't, IMO, go to Pattaya for Thai culture, and the city is IMO a grot hole with terrible traffic. Other than Temple of Truth, Mini Siam, Alcazar and Tiffany, what is there to see that can't be seen elsewhere that doesn't involve staying in a grot hole?

The haunted tower on the beach......

The all pervasive sewer stink at the entrance to Walking St.

The famous vanishing beach of sandbags.

The moon-like surface of Soi Chaiyaphum.

The Tussauds and dancing silly old falang show at Bamboo Bar.

Walking St at 3am.... makes New Orleans Boogie St look dull.

 

All they care about is getting as many bus loads of Chinese lemmings as possible and fleecing them to the bone - Sandbox 101

 

The whole SHA hotel experience is exactly what they did with Chinese pre covid excluding of course the mandatory multiple expensive PCR tests which they are ditching 

 

Western independent free minded tourists - forget it for now unless you like looking at flowers temples and shopping Malls for 3 weeks

This has failure written all over it - nobody's coming.

Here we go.... it's the grand reopening... without any opening.

????

 

It was so predictable : "Bangkok's reopening to be postponed" (!)

 

Now they say october 15...

 

And apparently there will still be a quarantine...

16 minutes ago, cclub75 said:

Here we go.... it's the grand reopening... without any opening.

????

 

It was so predictable : "Bangkok's reopening to be postponed" (!)

 

Now they say october 15...

 

And apparently there will still be a quarantine...

Perhaps they learned from what happened in NZ. We opened to quarantine less travel with Australia and got delta and more lockdowns to our despair.

Quarantine less travel is IMO a bad idea.

Well , after all its a family resort and a sporting hub. What more could you expect from those in authority.

 

The Chinese take over of a big chunk of Pattaya seems almost inevitable. Time to get out of girly bars and into dimsum and seafood buffets.

29 minutes ago, cclub75 said:

Here we go.... it's the grand reopening... without any opening.

????

 

It was so predictable : "Bangkok's reopening to be postponed" (!)

 

Now they say october 15...

 

And apparently there will still be a quarantine...

That's a month - it'll change 3-4 times in that timeframe.

1 hour ago, timendres said:

Wow. I give it one month, maybe two. Then they will remember why people visit Pattaya.

You mean for the many temples, beautiful beaches and fishing trips. Right?

How can a tourist ever book a trip if everything changes day by day... no quarantine, but stay in the city for 7 days and than allowed to travel to a few other places... restaurants not sure to sell alcohol and now again postponing to 15 October who knows how many times more they change the date

2 hours ago, Credo said:

They finally reached a point where they wouldn't get off the bus.  They were really, really tired of seeing temples. 

Then do not plan a trip to Burma for them. Plus not only do you have to take your shoes off in each temple ( 10's of thousands of them) you have to take your socks off, too. And many temples are inhabited with monkeys - and there excrement. 

Oh dear, the temples and culture again. Ramp up that culture.

 

Who was watching the Thai Rath news last night, about 5 pm? A rather sexy, older lady was caught on CCTV, robbing a used car dealer. Her haul was a pack of car wax bottles. She said she was hoping to get about 300 baht for them. She said she had no money.

 

Cute outfit, and the usual back of bar girl tattoos. Gotta reopen those bars, man.

Entire cabinet has been on the glue if you ask me coming up with policies like this!

46 minutes ago, Denim said:

Well , after all its a family resort

Quite a family tourist attraction, especially for Russians. I've seen many YouTubes of Russian families on Walking Street, with husband, wife, and 2-3 kids around 10 years old. They walk right in front of the bars with big smiles on their faces.

 

They very well can't take the kids in the bars, yet they're still quite an attraction. "Look son, look at those ladyboys! Oh, look dear at those go-go dancers! Aren't they so beautiful? Look how they move! Wow!" ????????

Edited September 16, 20214 yr by CrunchWrapSupreme

So funny - Pattaya - without its sex industry. Just a dirty old town.

There goes the neighborhood! As well as the any tourist arrivals. ????

There are the usual comments here..

- open the bars & girly bars and sell booze because that's what all tourists want

- it will fail. Thailand is a failure

- Chinese this, temples that

 

But although I tend to agree in part, there is some sense in opening for people who don't just come for some local flesh and Chang beer, and are likely to kiss and grope girls & boys who then go to kiss and grope many others, all under the influence.

 

If the government screw it up, the same people will complain and say 'told you so.'

 

I love a beer, in a special bar as well as a restaurant, but these establishments should be the last to open. So, there's some sense in opening other places first, at least to test the water and get SOME tourists through the door.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket has been open for several months, but its own nightlife industry is still not open despite the island’s population being highly vaccinated and all tourists/visitors vaccinated.

So why are the hospitals at 90% occupancy with Thai patients?

At the moment the hospitals are ahead of the hotels as far as inmates are concerned.

Something doesn't add up?

3 hours ago, Gold Star said:

Give everyone a chance to come together again.  The economy will prosper due to the trickle down effect.

With a certain firms dominance in food, agriculture, transportation and god knows which sector , more a trickle up effect I'm afraid.

Seen one temple you've see them all

It's not gonna happen. Bars are the first to close and the last to open. And for good reason. It's just not safe. Neither is dining really. I'd love to see them open, but it just won't happen this year and maybe not for another 12 months or so. The way this government is mis-handling the pandemic, the bars are all screwed. Few will survive.

 One day is all you need!  Once you see one temple you have seen them ALL,  once you see a elephant <deleted> you not need to see it AGAIN! Now when it comes to the night life a BAR OR GOGO need I say more?????  NOW I'm sure the brain dead leaders of this country can understand!

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The haunted tower on the beach......

The all pervasive sewer stink at the entrance to Walking St.

The famous vanishing beach of sandbags.

The moon-like surface of Soi Chaiyaphum.

The Tussauds and dancing silly old falang show at Bamboo Bar.

Walking St at 3am.... makes New Orleans Boogie St look dull.

 

I agree mostly with the last one,  I had to make a 24 hours stopover in N.O. the best was the food at Chef Paul? restaurant there after to Boogie St. interesting but the talent was so bad they give stripping a bad name!????

4 hours ago, Credo said:

They enjoyed the markets and some shopping, but the highlight was an (early) evening trip to Patpong.   Both the market and a drink in one of the bars was a treat and they felt like they saw what Thailand was famous for.  They were a little too conservative to take them to anything too seedy, but they enjoyed what they saw.  

 

555. I took my parents to Patpong in 2000, mum said "that bar is full of naked women", dad's response "let's go in!".

 

Mum was slightly confused when a lady handed her a balloon on a stick and told her to hold it up. The look on her face when is was burst by a dart from a "blow pipe" was priceless!