Phuket officially allows drinking and selling alcohol in restaurants, effective October 1st

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket – The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) yesterday, September 28th, has initially approved selling and drinking alcoholic beverages in dine-in restaurants to economically support the Phuket Sandbox project and to alleviate the financial hardship among local entrepreneurs

Good god alive, at last.

Mind you, rumour has it bars have been open in certain locations for a while so nice to see it being shared around.

[spidermike007]

An adult must have shown up for the meeting of the CCSA. That is the only reasonable explanation for this change of policy. Beer does not cause covid. Enjoying a glass of wine with dinner poses no danger to humanity. Many restaurants allowed booze anyway, as nearly everyone saw this as overbearing, overreaching, the height of zombie apocalyptic fear mongering, and completely lacking in science. And I have spoken to countless restaurants who say they serve anyway, and even the police know it. And some were being forced to pay fees to the crooked cops. So, this is a good thing, and for once, sensible policy from the clowns. 

[fredqx5]

"Strict"

 

The Thai government's favorite word.

[ronster]

Giving one place the right to sell alcohol surely defeats the purpose of keeping all the rest closed , as this then makes people travel from other areas to drink and then return to the areas they came from therefore more likely to spread any covid . 
If they allow this and then in a few weeks stop alcohol sales again then they may as well just shut the country for good as nobody will come and any business that was hanging on will give up or already have gone under !

[Mike k]

The Phuket govener gave out thicker envelopes 

[Burma Bill]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

as if a bar has a restaurant license they are able to operate.

[Kwasaki]

1 minute ago, Burma Bill said:

Looks perfectly OK to me. 

[Kwasaki]

36 minutes ago, ronster said:

Giving one place the right to sell alcohol surely defeats the purpose of keeping all the rest closed , as this then makes people travel from other areas to drink and then return to the areas they came from therefore more likely to spread any covid . 
If they allow this and then in a few weeks stop alcohol sales again then they may as well just shut the country for good as nobody will come and any business that was hanging on will give up or already have gone under !

You can't travel in and out of Phuket the govt has to start somewhere even if it's experiment.

[Jiggo]

Still would not go back there if they gave it away (Alcohol)... 

[pagallim]

Just have to hope that this change will be sustainable, and there won't be any need to reverse this decision later.   I'm thinking particularly of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival that's also been given the go ahead, from 5th to 15th October.   Traditionally lots of crowds and it remains to be seen if the daily numbers of new infections are going to rise because of this.

[paddyfield7]

7 hours ago, sirineou said:

I hear you, we all had enough of these covid restrictions.Wait a couple of months for your trip, things with covid are improving daily ,and by that time you will have more options towards ????

I am not in Phuket, But Yes they are closed everywhere. Which was a good Idea during the Height of covid, but prohibiting having a glass of wine and a beer  with your food is IMO arcanine. 

 

The idea of a sadist, not of a leader.....

[Jiggo]

(Alcoholic beverages will now be sold and consumed)....

OK put the cups away till the next Buddha Day.???????? 

[xylophone]

8 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Stiletto shoes are not considered de rigueur.

That's good, because I can't remember where I put mine!

[terryofcrete]

5 hours ago, pagallim said:

Not really.   Certain areas can be over zealous in this (I'm thinking particularly of Rawai), where local officials were visiting restaurants and checking individual bills for signs of no food being ordered.

That's almost gestapo stuff.... immediately sends a " don't succumb to this sort of insult to your intelligence " thought to my brain... No ! And pay dearly for the privilege .... not on yer Nelly ! 

[sambum]

Maybe Koh Samui next?

[beechbum]

42 minutes ago, Jiggo said:

Still would not go back there if they gave it away (Alcohol)... 

It's ok, given how relevant you are you won't be missed.

[pagallim]

8 minutes ago, terryofcrete said:

That's almost gestapo stuff.... immediately sends a " don't succumb to this sort of insult to your intelligence " thought to my brain... No ! And pay dearly for the privilege .... not on yer Nelly ! 

With respect to Rawai, it isn't the police that have been leading the various 'purges' that have taken place this year, it's the local authorities aided and abetted by their civil defence volunteers.    They hog the limelight in all of the media photo coverage of various raids, the police keeping a discreet distance in the background.  It's almost a sport "lets get dressed up in our paramilitary clothes and hunt for farangs to hassle".

[sambum]

2 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

The local shop bar has a restaurant license, never sold food but has a menu to fool tourists,

Lucky I'm local

In the cases of emergency the local operator will put her Som Tum plate full of delicious Chile on your table, when a BMW passes

"Chile"? With a slice of "Argentina" or "Peru" for afters? ???? 

[pagallim]

6 minutes ago, sambum said:

Maybe Koh Samui next?

One would think so, however that Samui is a part of the greater Surat Thani province could be a stumbling block.

[sambum]

5 minutes ago, pagallim said:

With respect to Rawai, it isn't the police that have been leading the various 'purges' that have taken place this year, it's the local authorities aided and abetted by their civil defence volunteers.    They hog the limelight in all of the media photo coverage of various raids, the police keeping a discreet distance in the background.  It's almost a sport "lets get dressed up in our paramilitary clothes and hunt for farangs to hassle".

It was the Police "purge" that led to 3 pensioners in Samui being jailed and heavily fined for having a drink in a bar! 

[sambum]

9 minutes ago, pagallim said:

One would think so, however that Samui is a part of the greater Surat Thani province could be a stumbling block.

You are right - even though Koh Samui has been self govrning since 2012.

 

But being part of the "Phuket Sandbox" package might just sway it as I can't see people wanting to spend half of their "Sandbox" holiday in one resort where they can get a drink with a meal and the other half in a resort  where you can't!

[MrJ2U]

Who really wants to go to Phuket at the moment?

 

News is there running close to full on hospital rooms and the pandemic is out of control.

 

Beautiful beaches but most businesses are closed--permanently. 

 

Fine if you're holed up in 5 star resort on the beach though--I can live with that.

 

 

 

 

[VBF]

6 hours ago, pagallim said:

Not really.   Certain areas can be over zealous in this (I'm thinking particularly of Rawai), where local officials were visiting restaurants and checking individual bills for signs of no food being ordered.

Lets be honest - with a tiny bit of lateral thinking, that's easily overcome....not that I'm suggesting anyone should break the law, you understand! 

[VBF]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

An adult must have shown up for the meeting of the CCSA. <snip>

I am laughing so hard, my desk now has second-hand coffee stains!!!!!!! ????????????????????

[VBF]

1 hour ago, sambum said:

"Chile"? With a slice of "Argentina" or "Peru" for afters? ???? 

Following which, you leave via the Ecuador.

This isn't the jokes thread is it? 

[sambum]

17 minutes ago, VBF said:

Following which, you leave via the Ecuador.

This isn't the jokes thread is it? 

Anything to lighten the day!

[lanng khao]

18 minutes ago, VBF said:

Following which, you leave via the Ecuador.

This isn't the jokes thread is it? 

Sounds like a load of Bolivia's to me .

[dougiemac52]

It's a complete joke. So a bar puts up a paper sign to say its a restaurant and hey presto.

I've been here for nearly 10 days and never been so bored in my life. Be glad to get away

[sambum]

2 hours ago, lanng khao said:

Sounds like a load of Bolivia's to me .

As long as Uruguay you should be OK!

 

(Sorry, I'll get my coat on the way out!) 

[pagallim]

2 hours ago, dougiemac52 said:

It's a complete joke. So a bar puts up a paper sign to say its a restaurant and hey presto.

I've been here for nearly 10 days and never been so bored in my life. Be glad to get away

So tell us where you've been staying and help others with your insight.