Thailand reopening: 9pm booze ban in certain areas could be lifted by mid-November

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The head of the National Security Council in his capacity as CCSA chief indicated there could be good news regarding the ban on alcohol sales in 15 days, reported Thai Rath yesterday.

 

Supoj Malaniyom said that the 9 pm limit in pilot provinces for reopening would stay in place at restaurants for now but there were reviews as to how this was going every 2 days.

 

The bigger picture was that by November 15th he hoped to have better news.

 

He stressed that whether places were allowed to open - and this could be pubs and clubs soon - all depended on the compliance and the Covid-19 situation. 

 

Elsewhere media was speculating that a change to the rules was in the offing that could pave the way for the opening of clubs in 17 provinces.

 

Supoj noted that early signs were good that Covid protocol compliance was good in Bangkok and he asked for this to continue otherwise things could take a step back. 

 

Supoj had met with restaurateurs and retailers calling for the ban to be eased.

 

In a wide ranging article that quoted all the leading figures in Thailand's Covid battle there was much rhetoric and little detail, notes ASEAN NOW.

 

Thai Rath quoted PM Prayuth Chan-ocha who is attending the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow as saying that he was delighted with Thailand's reopening on Monday. 

 

Noting that the speed with which tourists are processed needed to be upped a little he thanked the Thai people and visitors for their forbearance. 

 

He said that the reopening of the country was for all people not just the rich as he implored his countryfolk to be good hosts. 

 

Heath Minister and DPM Anutin Charnvirakul said that the opening of the country had been seamless. 

 

The Thailand Pass site processed 4,000 people and early glitches had been sorted.

 

Government spokeswoman Traisuree said that transport problems associated with taking tourists to AQ and SHA+ hotels were being addressed. 

 

Meanwhile the Thai Chamber of Commerce said that they hoped 10 million people would visit Thailand in 2022. 

 

Such pronouncements would normally make the top of the news but Thai Rath went with the easing of the booze ban as did many other local media. 

 

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[mokwit]

So if you took 1st Nov as the opening date and booked a 2 week holiday you will be leaving just as it all opens up. I just don't know what more the Thai authorities could do to make Thailand more of an "avoid" destination.

[Thaiwrath]

9pm booze ban in certain areas could be lifted by mid-November

 

Very, very few people are going to commit themselves to a holiday here on the strength of "could be" cheap promises. Until you have the balls to say "definitely will be", it's probably better to say nothing !

[petermik]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

9pm booze ban in certain areas could be lifted by mid-November

 

Very, very few people are going to commit themselves to a holiday here on the strength of "could be" cheap promises. Until you have the balls to say "definitely will be", it's probably better to say nothing !

It is known as clickbaiting......

[actonion]

They are waiting to see what arrival numbers  are like, if they are way down then they will open pubs bars etc .. if numbers reach what they are  prediciting  then i think the opening of bars pubs etc will be delayed again 

[Gandtee]

Prayut said 'it's not just for the rich as he implored his country folk to be good hosts.' ? Perhaps he has not been listening to his tourism and immigration ministers whose aim seems to be to attract wealthy foreigners, and to discourage back packers. Back packers who are the future high end tourists, that help the low priced accommodation venues and food vendors. It seems this government is like like a tug of war team. Pulling in opposite directions. ☹️

[ChipButty]

10 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Prayut said 'it's not just for the rich as he implored his country folk to be good hosts.' ? Perhaps he has not been listening to his tourism and immigration ministers whose aim seems to be to attract wealthy foreigners, and to discourage back packers. Back packers who are the future high end tourists, that help the low priced accommodation venues and food vendors. It seems this government is like like a tug of war team. Pulling in opposite directions. ☹️

Back packers who put Thailand on the map, especially Phuket

[Walker88]

More or less connected to this....the requirement that restaurants have an SHA cert in order to serve alcohol....

 

Speaking with a few restaurants, it seems this came as a surprise, and the website where one could apply was unreachable for a few days because of heavy traffic. Some almost completely filled out the onerous application, then were bumped from the site, forcing them to go back to square one.

 

Venues must send a few dozen photos of their place, including the various signs asking for social distancing, instructing folks how to wash their hands, photos of the temp gauge, photos of all the containers of hand gel, etc. Venues also had to relate how they 'teach' customers about the need for all the Covid mitigation measures, as if the customers had been on the moon for the last 2 years and hadn't yet heard of Covid.

 

Some people who successfully completed the form were called and told to do it again another day, because the health ministry lacked the staff to look over all the applications, and some were likely to get lost.

 

When finally and irrevocably completed, applicants got a message saying the certificate of SHA approval would come anywhere from within a few weeks to a few months, but simply filing the application---and showing the "Done!" message to cops if needed---would give them authority to sell alcohol until 9PM.

 

Quite the process, which seems to be being created on the fly...and there are flies in the ointment.

 

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Noting that the speed with which tourists are processed needed to be upped a little he thanked the Thai people and visitors for their forbearance. 

Waffle

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

He said that the reopening of the country was for all people not just the rich as he implored his countryfolk to be good hosts. 

More waffle

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Heath Minister and DPM Anutin Charnvirakul said that the opening of the country had been seamless. 

With less than 4,000 people arriving, one would think it would be seamless, 860 or so were Thai's

[HaoleBoy]

Upping the "last call" time for restaurants  to 10pm sounds good.

But, do this for ALL the sandboxes and not just BKK and Phuket.  There's no reason Chiang Mai shouldn't have alcohol in restaurants now too.  Yes, Covid cases are rising in CM at the open markets but still no where close to the BKK numbers.

[Hayduke]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Supoj noted that early signs were good that Covid protocol compliance was good in Bangkok and he asked for this to continue otherwise things could take a step back. 

 

Translation: "Bangkok businesses' brown envelope protocol compliance has been good. They need to keep it up....or else."

 

 

 

[Gandtee]

2 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

9pm booze ban in certain areas could be lifted by mid-November

 

Very, very few people are going to commit themselves to a holiday here on the strength of "could be" cheap promises. Until you have the balls to say "definitely will be", it's probably better to say nothing !

Say nothing? What.? Miss the opportunity to have your name on the media, even if you turn out to be shown as a buffoon?

[Geoffggi]

3 hours ago, Gandtee said:

Prayut said 'it's not just for the rich as he implored his country folk to be good hosts.' ? Perhaps he has not been listening to his tourism and immigration ministers whose aim seems to be to attract wealthy foreigners, and to discourage back packers. Back packers who are the future high end tourists, that help the low priced accommodation venues and food vendors. It seems this government is like like a tug of war team. Pulling in opposite directions. ☹️

Maybe our illustrious leader should get a Thai Visa account then we could advise on a good and sound way forward as his present advisors are doing a terrible job of it ..........................LOL 

[rickthompson]

Whether Thailand likes it or not, reopening is a function of who wants to come here, not what they hope will happen. Some countries still strongly discourage travel here.  US CDC for example, still lists Thailand as a "Level 4 - Do Not Travel" destination. This certainly has to impact potential arrivals.

[JonnyF]

Good idea. Time to continue opening up. These silly restrictions are played. Soooo played.

[Antiparovian]

4 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Back packers who put Thailand on the map, especially Phuket

Personally, I would have carrying a suitcase as a condition of entry,,,,,

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He stressed that whether places were allowed to open - and this could be pubs and clubs soon - all depended on the compliance and the Covid-19 situation.

So what happens when the "suspected" rise in infection rates climbs back to where it should be.. will the closures remain?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, actonion said:

They are waiting to see what arrival numbers  are like, if they are way down then they will open pubs bars etc .. if numbers reach what they are  prediciting  then i think the opening of bars pubs etc will be delayed again 

The problem of opening bars & clubs to 50% vaccinated Thais is the issue...

NOT double vaxxed PCR tested tourists.

[DefaultName]

Another non-announcement.  Wake me up when there's actual news.

 

[wombat]

until then kiddies...

[crazykopite]

To little to late people will be booking Christmas holidays they won’t book on Maybe Bars will be able to open later than 9 pm how some of these people got into such high positions is baffling most of them are as thick as two short planks they allow walk in street markets where hundreds gather but don’t allow the sake of alcohol after 9 pm .I’ve yet to hear that drinking alcohol is the cause of Covid 

[Flink]

5 hours ago, actonion said:

They are waiting to see what arrival numbers  are like, if they are way down then they will open pubs bars etc .. if numbers reach what they are  prediciting  then i think the opening of bars pubs etc will be delayed again 

All of which is moot to the majority of the population who DON'T livein the 17 places they've selected. What WILL happen is if they open the bars and clubs there will be a tidal wave of unvaccinated heading into those areasfor a night out.

[Clarkey611]

5 hours ago, Walker88 said:

More or less connected to this....the requirement that restaurants have an SHA cert in order to serve alcohol....

 

Speaking with a few restaurants, it seems this came as a surprise, and the website where one could apply was unreachable for a few days because of heavy traffic. Some almost completely filled out the onerous application, then were bumped from the site, forcing them to go back to square one.

 

Venues must send a few dozen photos of their place, including the various signs asking for social distancing, instructing folks how to wash their hands, photos of the temp gauge, photos of all the containers of hand gel, etc. Venues also had to relate how they 'teach' customers about the need for all the Covid mitigation measures, as if the customers had been on the moon for the last 2 years and hadn't yet heard of Covid.

 

Some people who successfully completed the form were called and told to do it again another day, because the health ministry lacked the staff to look over all the applications, and some were likely to get lost.

 

When finally and irrevocably completed, applicants got a message saying the certificate of SHA approval would come anywhere from within a few weeks to a few months, but simply filing the application---and showing the "Done!" message to cops if needed---would give them authority to sell alcohol until 9PM.

 

Quite the process, which seems to be being created on the fly...and there are flies in the ointment.

 

This was the same for their stopcovid mailbox back in mid 2020. I helped a number of restaurants apply for the scheme (remarkably like the above, but under another guise) and they have yet to receive their certificates. Amazing Thailand! 

[Leif Kullberg]

All news talk about alcohol sales in restaurants and still forbidden in bars and nightclubs.
But in Phuket and parts of Bangkok the bars are open and selling alcohol until 10 pm or later.
Does this fly under the governments radar ?? Same as with the beer in coffee cups ??

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

37 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

.I’ve yet to hear that drinking alcohol is the cause of Covid 

 

Well, in Thailand, it probably actually is... because of the nature of the typical Thai nightclub/pub for Thai patrons.

 

Bunches of people clustered closely around tables (no social distancing), not wearing masks, often sharing glasses of drinks, and utensils for food plates/bowls.  Typically poor ventillation relative to the numbers  of patrons packed inside.

 

Exactly the kind of things that contributed to the original 2021 outbreak that clustered around the various Thong Lor nightclubs in Bangkok, and then spread throuughout the country from there.

 

[Farmerslife]

54 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The problem of opening bars & clubs to 50% vaccinated Thais is the issue...

NOT double vaxxed PCR tested tourists.

Yes, but banning Thais from their own bars would seem a bit harsh.????

 

What's more, I don't know about you but I'm not overly keen on seeing a group of obese, elderly, balding, sweaty farang guys pole dancing in my favourite haunt. 

Think I'll give that one a miss. ????

[CANSIAM]

8 minutes ago, Leif Kullberg said:

All news talk about alcohol sales in restaurants and still forbidden in bars and nightclubs.
But in Phuket and parts of Bangkok the bars are open and selling alcohol until 10 pm or later.
Does this fly under the governments radar ?? Same as with the beer in coffee cups ??

Brown envelopes are handed over to the men in brown in some areas........

[Tmoney]

14 minutes ago, Leif Kullberg said:

All news talk about alcohol sales in restaurants and still forbidden in bars and nightclubs.
But in Phuket and parts of Bangkok the bars are open and selling alcohol until 10 pm or later.
 

You can add Samui (thankfully) to that as well.

[Benmart]

Another days comedy.

[Thujone]

21 minutes ago, Farmerslife said:

What's more, I don't know about you but I'm not overly keen on seeing a group of obese, elderly, balding, sweaty farang guys pole dancing in my favourite haunt. 

Think I'll give that one a miss. ????

How about if they've got a full head of hair?

Or is that still a no from you?