Coming Up: Test & Go breathes life into Bangla, Patong’s tourism barometer

[webfact]

Tourists are starting to return to Bangla Rd, Patong. Photo: PPHO

 

By The Phuket News

 

PHUKET: Tourists have started to return to Bangla Rd, Patong, which has been deemed to be a barometer of how many tourists are in Phuket’s traditionally busiest tourism town, with Patong hotel and restaurant businessman Preechavude ‘Prab’ Keesin this week offering cautious praise and thanks going to the Test & Go tourism scheme.

 

Test & Go, launched on Nov 1 along with other tourist entry schemes, allows vaccinated tourists to enter Thailand by spending just one night in hotel quarantine while waiting for their COVID test results after landing.

 

“Patong is already well known as a popular area, but Bangla Rd is like an index that measures how crowded it is,” Mr Prab said this week.

 

Full story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/coming-up-test-go-breathes-life-into-bangla-patong-tourism-barometer-82094.php

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2021-11-20

 

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[Pedrogaz]

But TAT don't want the type of tourists that patronise Bangla.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

But TAT don't want the type of tourists that patronise Bangla.

I'm sure they'll put up with the riff-raff until the billionaires start showing up.

[thecyclist]

29 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I'm sure they'll put up with the riff-raff until the billionaires start showing up.

Just millionaires for the time being 

[connda]

The new Fail The Test And Spend Your Vacation Locked In An Expensive Hospital will put the brakes on that.

[London Lowf]

6 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

But TAT don't want the type of tourists that patronise Bangla.

You clearly have not been to Bangla in the last month or so - the traditional pay-to-play sex tourist that I assume you are referring to has been dwindling in numbers over the last few years and most punters on Bangla now are young party-seekers. Sad to see the perplexed expressions on their faces when they get kicked out of the bars at 11pm, but I would imagine they are having far more fun than they would be back home.

 

It is now much rarer to see a fat ugly old farang walking along Bangla arm in arm with a hottie than it was five years ago.

[London Lowf]

Also, the Phuket News would have been far better taking a photo at a time other than during a rain shower!

 

(Admittedly, very difficult on most nights this week apart from yesterday)

 

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by London Lowf
To make it better!

[Rhacsyn]

Nice to read on another thread about activity finally arriving farther north in Bangkok with Thais in abundance. Meanwhile, as per the OP, Patong in Phuket has picked up even more than previously reported. Nearly all outlets on Bangla open and full to "Covid" capacity evening time over the weekend, especially Friday night. Soi Sea Dragon and Soi Freedom occupied now also but not as busy as the main street. Outlets were allowed to open an extra hour for the weekend.

 

Covid is here, of course, and ATK tests are done regularly and are followed up with PCR if positive. In the event that staff are genuinely infected, they are asked to self isolate at home. The rest of the staff in that outlet are then tested with ATK kits and again after 3 days. Today over 500 ATK Covid tests were performed, under instruction, on Bangla staff as part of a weekly routine.

 

Most people our group have met have been from the US, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Scandinavia and UK.

[Deli]

Was asked THB 130.- for a small beer in a crappy bar. Screw them.

[Rhacsyn]

2 hours ago, Deli said:

Was asked THB 130.- for a small beer in a crappy bar. Screw them.

Interesting and unlucky. Regulated bars (most) charge 80 or 90 THB for a bottle of local beer and add Heineken to the list. Any chance you remember the name of the bar and the beer you asked for?

[MrJ2U]

On 11/20/2021 at 7:32 PM, connda said:

The new Fail The Test And Spend Your Vacation Locked In An Expensive Hospital will put the brakes on that.

Your not kidding!

 

Expect a minimum of 30,000 baht a night!

 

I had the pleasure of a false positive.

[jak2002003]

On 11/20/2021 at 8:02 PM, London Lowf said:

You clearly have not been to Bangla in the last month or so - the traditional pay-to-play sex tourist that I assume you are referring to has been dwindling in numbers over the last few years and most punters on Bangla now are young party-seekers. Sad to see the perplexed expressions on their faces when they get kicked out of the bars at 11pm, but I would imagine they are having far more fun than they would be back home.

 

It is now much rarer to see a fat ugly old farang walking along Bangla arm in arm with a hottie than it was five years ago.

Really? I walked through there last week (we went to Phuket from CM for a short break). Most of the customers in the bars there were the stereotypical kind...fat, old, Chang vest wearing men covered in tattoos.

 

However, the street has had a nice makeover, resurfaced, clean, no litter and no stinking drains....so was much nicer.  Also the bar workers and people selling tuff no longer grab your arm and drag you about....they have to keep social distancing. ????

Edited November 21, 2021 by jak2002003

[London Lowf]

12 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

Really? I walked through there last week (we went to Phuket from CM for a short break). Most of the customers in the bars there were the stereotypical kind...fat, old, Chang vest wearing men covered in tattoos.

 

However, the street has had a nice makeover, resurfaced, clean, no litter and no stinking drains....so was much nicer.  Also the bar workers and people selling tuff no longer grab your arm and drag you about....they have to keep social distancing. ????

Really? When I learnt English "most" meant "the majority, more than half, over 50%". It is your statement is stereotypical, not the punters on Bangla.

 

Really? Yes - I arrived on the 3rd October and, thunderstorms permitting, I have been on Bangla at some point every single evening since then.

 

Really? The (masked-up) bar girls do constantly grab your arm as you walk past - and I am old and ugly!

[Deli]

On 11/21/2021 at 7:54 PM, Rhacsyn said:

Interesting and unlucky. Regulated bars (most) charge 80 or 90 THB for a bottle of local beer and add Heineken to the list. Any chance you remember the name of the bar and the beer you asked for?

Star Bar, small Singha.

Regulated bars... you mean run by the BiB's ?