Pattaya Walking Street business owners hold meeting, officially request an opening plan before New Year’s Eve

[webfact]

 

By Goong Nang(GN)

 

Pattaya – Pattaya Walking Street operators plan to officially file a letter to the Pattaya City Mayor, Governor, health department, Covid center, and other relevant agencies formally requesting for reopening in some manner before the New Year festival.

 

First, as a reference to their request, our prior coverage around the current alcohol sales ban at venues and closures in Pattaya, which has led to hundreds of local business owners protesting the decision to keep them closed:

 

Prominent Pattaya business operators in the nightlife, entertainment, and bar sector have continued to call for support from local, regional, and national Thai government leaders after their businesses have been essentially frozen by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, after previous announcements that the nightlife, bar, and entertainment sector would not be allowed to open until after the holiday season in 2022.

 

Now, for an update:

 

A meeting between Pattaya Walking Street operators, law enforcement, and government officials was held yesterday (November 22nd) at King Café and was led by Mr. Naris Petcharat the president of the Pattaya Walking Street Association, which represents dozens of business owners, many in the nightlife and entertainment industry, but also in the hotel, retail, and restaurant industry. Nearly every venue on the street is currently closed, most by government mandate shutting bars and entertainment venues but some due to the lack of traffic and customers caused by the shutdown of the nightlife venues.

 

 

Mr. Naris told the roughly two dozen people at the meeting, “Our businesses have been closed for about eight months currently straight, and five months prior to this since March of 2020. We don’t have any income but we still have expenses. Thousands of people are unemployed in the nightlife and entertainment industry still and much more are indirectly affected in Pattaya with this sector closed. The government continues to keep us shut without significant, or in some cases any, financial aid for the ongoing closures.”

 

“Meanwhile, other tourist-reliant areas like Bangkok’s Khaosan Road or Phuket’s Bangla Road have been allowed to reopen their venues with rules or as “restaurants”.

 

Pattaya, according to the Department of Public Health, is over 85% vaccinated against Covid-19 and Chonburi is the third-highest vaccinated place in Thailand. We want to know why has Pattaya not been given the same exception that Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok, Samui, and a few other places have?

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/11/23/pattaya-walking-street-business-owners-hold-meeting-officially-request-an-opening-plan-before-new-years-eve/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-11-24

 

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[Gold Star]

Legs....

The best possible opening plan.

[RichardColeman]

If the government had to furlough and pay decent furlough money  to everybody and every business as they should, all the bars, gogos and restaurants would be open and serving alcohol 24/7 within minutes

[hereforgood]

Walking street looks like a war zone so many businesses boarded up. The street its self in terrible shape no Tourists other than the Hardcore sex tourists will  spend any time there. That crowd is shifting to LK Metro and the Soi Boukow area already. Walking street has had its time seen its day. Never will be like it was pre covid 19. 

[HappyExpat57]

To quote Captain Obvious:

 

"Too little too late."

[spidermike007]

Please, stop putting on such a show about your purity, and your fake disdain for sex. We know it is not real. Let us make a living. Let the people get back to work. 

[blackprince]

34 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Please, stop putting on such a show about your purity, and your fake disdain for sex. We know it is not real. Let us make a living. Let the people get back to work. 

Currently. I would suggest that people who are engaged in the sex trade from either side of the counter are more likely to be "making a dying" than "making a living", especially when one considers the age of some sexpats.

 

Nothing to do with moral purity. Just common sense.

[ChrisY1]

Fat chance they'll be open before Xmas unfortunately....there's 40,000 girls need work!!

[Danderman123]

As long as alcohol is served just about everywhere now, due to police inaction, the ban on alcohol makes no sense.

[Danderman123]

43 minutes ago, blackprince said:

Currently. I would suggest that people who are engaged in the sex trade from either side of the counter are more likely to be "making a dying" than "making a living", especially when one considers the age of some sexpats.

 

Nothing to do with moral purity. Just common sense.

Just about all of them are vaccinated now.

[smedly]

like I have mentioned many times - Treetown soi Buakeow was fillied to overflowing this week - we now have crowds of people probably now well over 1000 all crammed into that area and onto the road and street - treetown has been serving alcohol for weeks  if not months - it is the only show in town and quite frankly absurd that they will not open anywhere else to relieve the pressure

 

I wouldn't normally name such activity but this is so bad - they have to realise there is no choice but to open other venues urgently - a possible solution might be to open LK metro - it is a single street and could easily be controlled in terms of covid as it has only one way in and out at either end and of course they need to allow restaurants to legally serve alcohol 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Prominent Pattaya business operators in the nightlife, entertainment, and bar sector have continued to call for support from local, regional, and national Thai government leaders after their businesses have been essentially frozen by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, after previous announcements that the nightlife, bar, and entertainment sector would not be allowed to open until after the holiday season in 2022.

Some of these owners must have deep pockets. They've been sitting around all these months waiting for a re-opening of the old Walking street.

No new business model or idea to open as something else.

Just wait for the old to return.

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Mr. Naris told the roughly two dozen people at the meeting, “Our businesses have been closed for about eight months currently straight, and five months prior to this since March of 2020. We don’t have any income but we still have expenses. Thousands of people are unemployed in the nightlife and entertainment industry still and much more are indirectly affected in Pattaya with this sector closed. The government continues to keep us shut without significant, or in some cases any, financial aid for the ongoing closures.”

If your business model is failing ... CHANGE IT !

 

[blackprince]

31 minutes ago, Danderman123 said:

Just about all of them are vaccinated now.

They may well be, and vaccination does a very good job in suppressing transmission, but it doesn't eliminate transmission. And sino---,which is what most of the sex workers would have been offered, is known to be the least effective of the vaccines.

 

Given the, how shall I put it, "close proximity" required for sex work, and the natural desire for sex workers to maximise income via maximising the number of clients (particularly on the walking street end of the sex trade), it's a mug's game.

 

Many sex workers believe they have no choice. But their clients have many options, not least of all their wrist.

 

Nothing to do with moral purity, just common sense and basic hygiene.

 

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, blackprince said:

Currently. I would suggest that people who are engaged in the sex trade from either side of the counter are more likely to be "making a dying" than "making a living", especially when one considers the age of some sexpats.

 

Nothing to do with moral purity. Just common sense.

All forms of exercise are beneficial... use it or lose it!

[blackprince]

4 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

All forms of exercise are beneficial... use it or lose it!

I'd question that ALL forms of exercise are useful. Jumping  out of Jomtien high rises certainly isn't, or jayrunning, or swimming in effluent.

 

But as for this particular form of exercise - one wo/man's wrist is as good as another's.

 

 

[Gsxrnz]

56 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Some of these owners must have deep pockets. They've been sitting around all these months waiting for a re-opening of the old Walking street.

No new business model or idea to open as something else.

Just wait for the old to return.

 

Good business advice, but when the primary purpose of your business is money laundering, you need a secondary purpose as the front for the laundry. If the doors are shut the washing machines can't run.

 

If the doors are open and you have next to no customers, no problem for the laundry.  As long as they can display paperwork for the outputs and inputs that never occurred they can wash the money, pay their tax and have 50-70% free and clear.

 

Not being allowed to open the doors and turn on the lights presents them with legitimacy issues that are difficult to hide, even in Thailand.

[hotchilli]

10 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

Good business advice, but when the primary purpose of your business is money laundering, you need a secondary purpose as the front for the laundry. If the doors are shut the washing machines can't run.

 

If the doors are open and you have next to no customers, no problem for the laundry.  As long as they can display paperwork for the outputs and inputs that never occurred they can wash the money, pay their tax and have 50-70% free and clear.

 

Not being allowed to open the doors and turn on the lights presents them with legitimacy issues that are difficult to hide, even in Thailand.

Can you imagine what would happen if they allowed casino's in Thailand.

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

If your business model is failing ... CHANGE IT !

 

Some will be forced to change as words from the ground tell of bar licenses not renewed and new applications not entertained. There will be much change to Walking Street looking forward. 

[Gsxrnz]

1 minute ago, hotchilli said:

Can you imagine what would happen if they allowed casino's in Thailand.

Yeah that would be fun for sure.  I suspect the laws of supply demand would dictate the outcome as it always does.

 

The supply of black money would still be the same or would at least only increase with inflation and improved productivity. Demand would follow within the bounds of one statistical standard deviation and that would be self balancing over time.

 

However it is the vehicles of production and consumption that would change.  X billion baht now laundered through activity A if offered better returns through being laundered via activity B will move to activity B,  Activity A must then reprice to compete with B, and so on and so forth. Capitalism in motion.

 

In reality, the businesses of graft and corruption are probably the only remaining activities that truly reflect Adam Smith's capitalist theory - the reason being that governments get less of a chance to interfere.

 

Let's not discuss the legitimacy of government because governments are not legitimate.

[elgenon]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

like I have mentioned many times - Treetown soi Buakeow was fillied to overflowing this week - we now have crowds of people probably now well over 1000 all crammed into that area and onto the road and street - treetown has been serving alcohol for weeks  if not months - it is the only show in town and quite frankly absurd that they will not open anywhere else to relieve the pressure

 

I wouldn't normally name such activity but this is so bad - they have to realise there is no choice but to open other venues urgently - a possible solution might be to open LK metro - it is a single street and could easily be controlled in terms of covid as it has only one way in and out at either end and of course they need to allow restaurants to legally serve alcohol 

How do I find Treetown Soi Buakeow? Not familiar w it.

[bkk6060]

Yes, for now it looks like its old self only much much worse.  Old and Dilapidated WS is a major tourist trap the locals rarely go there unless they have a friend in town who is curious about it.  If it opens New Years, people will go to check out the "new WS" but I bet it won't last long.  They will eventually need many more foreign tourists who are willing to pay those 2,000 b bf.

[WEBBYB808]

1 hour ago, blackprince said:

They may well be, and vaccination does a very good job in suppressing transmission, but it doesn't eliminate transmission. And sino---,which is what most of the sex workers would have been offered, is known to be the least effective of the vaccines.

 

Given the, how shall I put it, "close proximity" required for sex work, and the natural desire for sex workers to maximise income via maximising the number of clients (particularly on the walking street end of the sex trade), it's a mug's game.

 

Many sex workers believe they have no choice. But their clients have many options, not least of all their wrist.

 

Nothing to do with moral purity, just common sense and basic hygiene.

 

But if large crowds, and its packed, continue  to meet at Tree town, and Soi buakow,  vaccinated  with whatever,  and no one is getting sick, no new cases, wouldn't  that show proof that it's safe to open.  It seems to be working there and putting lots of money into Thai pockets there.

[smedly]

17 minutes ago, elgenon said:

How do I find Treetown Soi Buakeow? Not familiar w it.

it is not hard to spot - huge gathering of people near LK Metro going North

[elgenon]

3 minutes ago, smedly said:

it is not hard to spot - huge gathering of people near LK Metro going North

Thanks

[Walker88]

I don't think the financial pain came as news to anyone to whom these petitions were addressed.

 

"What? You're losing money? People have been thrown out of work? Bangkok can serve booze? Goodness, I didn't know!" was never spoken.

 

There seems to be some other reason why Patts has been placed in a special category, and it doesn't seem likely it's related to Covid.

 

Maybe the authorities give in, maybe they stick to their guns for whatever reason they have been sticking to them up to now.

[4737 Carlin]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

We want to know why has Pattaya not been given the same exception that Phuket, Krabi, Bangkok, Samui, and a few other places have?

They want you all out of business. Its been fairly obvious for some time, even pre-covid, that Pattaya's days were numbered as a sexpat and sex tourist destination.

[Harveyboy]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

like I have mentioned many times - Treetown soi Buakeow was fillied to overflowing this week - we now have crowds of people probably now well over 1000 all crammed into that area and onto the road and street - treetown has been serving alcohol for weeks  if not months - it is the only show in town and quite frankly absurd that they will not open anywhere else to relieve the pressure

 

I wouldn't normally name such activity but this is so bad - they have to realise there is no choice but to open other venues urgently - a possible solution might be to open LK metro - it is a single street and could easily be controlled in terms of covid as it has only one way in and out at either end and of course they need to allow restaurants to legally serve alcohol 

im in Pattaya this weekend ill have a little stroll down soi Buakeow..just out of curiosity of course 

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, blackprince said:

I'd question that ALL forms of exercise are useful. Jumping  out of Jomtien high rises certainly isn't, or jayrunning, or swimming in effluent.

 

But as for this particular form of exercise - one wo/man's wrist is as good as another's.

 

 

You are talking nonsense for a reason that escapes me.....

[blackprince]

15 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You are talking nonsense for a reason that escapes me.....

So you think this is nonsense...

 

"I'd question that ALL forms of exercise are useful. Jumping  out of Jomtien high rises certainly isn't, or jayrunning, or swimming in effluent.

 

But as for this particular form of exercise - one wo/man's wrist is as good as another's."

 

Good luck with that.

 

Why anyone would want to engage in sex tourism at this particular point in time is totally beyond me, especially when they complain about the Thai government's new rules on health insurance for foreigners!

 

Even at the best of times, sex tourism has never appealed to me, not because of moral puritanism, or because of the sex workers, but simply from looking at the state of the sex tourists.