Calls for restaurants in Pattaya to be allowed to serve alcohol

[webfact]

A restaurant. File photo for reference only

 

From Monday (Nov 1), restaurants in four provinces will be allowed to serve alcohol - but not in Pattaya.

 

The easing of the ban on alcohol only applies to restaurants and eateries in four ‘blue zone’ provinces: Bangkok, Krabi, Phangnga, and Phuket.

 

However, Boon-anant Pattanasin, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association has called for the ban on alcohol to also be eased for restaurants in Pattaya.

 

Mr Boon-anant said that because Pattaya is one Thailand’s leading tourism destinations, restaurants in the city should also be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages.

 

He said that keeping the ban on alcohol sales in Pattaya will mean the city loses out on tourists during Thailand’s reopening, with visitors likely to opt for other destinations.

 

Mr Boon-anant added that the number of new COVID-19 cases are lower in Pattaya than in Bangkok, yet restaurants in the capital have been given permission to serve alcohol.

 

He said that most of the cases found in the province are linked to factory clusters located in other areas of Chonburi and not in Pattaya.

 

Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2021-10-30

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

[Andycoops]

No logic in Thailand as we already know, hence the drip drip mumbo jumbo from the Muppets.

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling reference to the Thai PM has been removed.

[MarcelV]

It's all up to the government!

No amount of begging by any 'president' of whatever organization is going to help speed that up.

[Chivas]

We can be pretty certain now that no boozers will be open this year in Pattaya.

 

Common sense should indicate restaurants will now get the green light on December 1st  and general bars probably in January/February 2022

 

People say Thailand cant afford to miss another high season. Utter nonsense simply because Thailand is still sat on around $244 Billion of foreign currency reserves literally only $14 Billion below the all time high

 

I agree Thai people involved in the tourist industry wont give two hoots about those numbers, but this sadly is the reality

 

Thailand doesnt particularly need that tourist Dollar and these restrictions are all about "face"

Edited October 30, 2021 by Chivas

[Geoffggi]

IMO the government do not want Pattaya to open, not until there is concrete proof that it is dead, they are afraid everyone will flock back to Pattaya and revive the old place ...........

[Chivas]

1 minute ago, Geoffggi said:

IMO the government do not want Pattaya to open, not until there is concrete proof that it is dead, they are afraid everyone will flock back to Pattaya and revive the old place ...........

Yep I dont disagree with that either

[ezzra]

45 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

No logic in Thailand as we already know, hence the drip drip mumbo jumbo from the Muppets.

Logic is a very hard commodity to come by in this country, had the used logic from the get go of this Covid and not bury their heads in the sand, Thailand will be in much better place now and not the mess we keep reading of every hour that passes...

[ukrules]

The reopening will be a massive failure, nothing is going back to normal any time soon.

[Crusader]

Planning a drive around Bangkok tomorrow, just to see which places are preparing to re-open.

[KhruGin]

So booze in a couple of places but not Patts. Its all garbage policy tbh. I live in a province next door to Bangers so to get <deleted> of an evening is a bit of a travel ....lol all the Thai drivers too eh doing the same from neighbouring provinces so keep an eye on the drink driving death toll for November.

 

In the meantime 6 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days later since the bars were closed in my town, about half have already gone out of business never to return ...well done PM and the Thonglor civil servants that made this possible to take the the moral high ground.

 

Lol yet the mukataa eateries are open here and rammed with everyone sharing stuff ....go figure sat in a bar having a beer or in a rammed mukataa, which is more covid risky?

[hotchilli]

Considering the "clout" the Pattaya governor has he's been remarkably quiet regarding all the knock-backs Pattaya has had to endure.

This latest slap-in-the-face will upset many.

[Skeptic7]

2 hours ago, Crusader said:

Planning a drive around Bangkok tomorrow, just to see which places are preparing to re-open.

Why not just wait until open and see which are actually open? Maybe even stop at an old fave and give them some much needed business! ????

[AllanA]

It’s very obvious that the previous Thailand nightlife will never return which is ok . . . but for tourism to succeed you need tourists who want to enjoy day activities plus go out at night, have a meal, go to a bar or a club and enjoy your holiday . . if you cannot why would you go. . just about every other country you can do all the above with no restrictions.

[kidneyw]

No Lisa, no booze.

[wombat]

4 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

IMO the government do not want Pattaya to open, not until there is concrete proof that it is dead, they are afraid everyone will flock back to Pattaya and revive the old place ...........

Pattaya is chockers with domestic tourists at the moment...its got me beat what  they do but the traffic here says they are here

[Bangkok Barry]

4 hours ago, Chivas said:

Thailand is still sat on around $244 Billion of foreign currency reserves literally only $14 Billion below the all time high

None of which is being spent on helping the poor or unemployed or businesses. Because the politicians who hold the purse strings are neither poor or unemployed or businesses, so they don't care.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Considering the "clout" the Pattaya governor has he's been remarkably quiet regarding all the knock-backs Pattaya has had to endure.

This latest slap-in-the-face will upset many.

Suggests a power struggle, perhaps.

[The Hammer2021]

It's in the interests of the police to booze illegal.

[Leaver]

5 hours ago, Chivas said:

Thailand doesnt particularly need that tourist Dollar

 

With tourism being around 17% of GDP, I disagree.  

 

Whilst wealthy Thai's won't go hungry due to no tourism, the same can't be said for millions of other Thai's.  

[petermik]

7 hours ago, wombat said:

Pattaya is chockers with domestic tourists at the moment...its got me beat what  they do but the traffic here says they are here

Seriously....I must be walking with my eyes closed as I see very few visitors here?

[PB172111]

52 minutes ago, petermik said:

Seriously....I must be walking with my eyes closed as I see very few visitors here?

Yep your eyes are closed. Jomtien is packed at the weekends and getting busier during the week.

[Leaver]

1 hour ago, petermik said:

Seriously....I must be walking with my eyes closed as I see very few visitors here?

 

Haven't you noticed the increase som-tam and sangsom sales?  ????  

[kaneko86]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that keeping the ban on alcohol sales in Pattaya will mean the city loses out on tourists during Thailand’s reopening

Yes I own an apartment in Pattaya but this latest 3 months holiday I am almost all spend it on Phuket...

[madmen]

9 hours ago, Chivas said:

We can be pretty certain now that no boozers will be open this year in Pattaya.

 

Common sense should indicate restaurants will now get the green light on December 1st  and general bars probably in January/February 2022

 

People say Thailand cant afford to miss another high season. Utter nonsense simply because Thailand is still sat on around $244 Billion of foreign currency reserves literally only $14 Billion below the all time high

 

I agree Thai people involved in the tourist industry wont give two hoots about those numbers, but this sadly is the reality

 

Thailand doesnt particularly need that tourist Dollar and these restrictions are all about "face"

Resteraunts and beach vendors have never stopped serving here in Jomtien and they not even hiding it. 

 

[kiwikeith]

15 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

IMO the government do not want Pattaya to open, not until there is concrete proof that it is dead, they are afraid everyone will flock back to Pattaya and revive the old place ...........

I wonder if the factory clusters are still drinking rice whyskey, and working away 12 hours a day while infected. 

[kiwikeith]

6 hours ago, madmen said:

Resteraunts and beach vendors have never stopped serving here in Jomtien and they not even hiding it. 

 

They are part of a testing experiment, for the grand opening, until now, it was top secret 

[jacko45k]

11 hours ago, petermik said:

Seriously....I must be walking with my eyes closed as I see very few visitors here?

Anywhere near a weekend or holiday it is pretty busy with Bangkok visitors in Pattaya and Jomtien..... and I doubt that will change simply because Bangkok eateries can serve drinks. Most visitors are families looking for somewhere for their kids to play.

I do expect Pattaya to make a fuss over this, and I also do not see why the place that started this last wave, Bangkok, should be allowed to open up and not here. I may be confused but didn't something similar happen during a past 'opening up'. Reality is, if restaurants are allowed in Pattaya, the bars will be trying it on too. 

[Henryford]

18 hours ago, ukrules said:

The reopening will be a massive failure, nothing is going back to normal any time soon.

Yes, for a start there won't be any Chinese, Russians, Indians or Aussies for quite some time, and they were what 80% of previous tourists.

[nobodysfriend]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr Boon-anant added that the number of new COVID-19 cases are lower in Pattaya than in Bangkok

If that is true , there is no reason to not allow alcohol consumption in Pattaya ...

 

Just imagine that they find out that drunken people will not become infected so easily by Covid .... everybody has to be drunk all the times then ... 55

 

 Anyway , I do not see any direct relation between alcohol consumption and Covid infections yet .

 

It is just the gathering and talking together that favors the spread ... but is that any different from having a meal together in a restaurant ?

 

That is pure hypocrisy .

 

Having a drink in a bar is prohibited , but having one together with a meal in a restaurant is allowed ?