Restaurants are being targeted unfairly for a big jump in Covid Cases in Pattaya

[webfact]

File photo for reference only

 

 It seems it is the season for shifting responsibility, as the hospitality industry and businesses are becoming the scapegoats for the current dramatic rise in Covid cases around Pattaya City.

 

Pattaya town hall has suggested that the city’s many restaurants are the main reason for Pattaya’s massive jump in the number of Covid-19 cases.

 

Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome was quoted as saying although not all break the rules, “restaurants” that ignored disease-control rules, are causing problems.

 

However, many residents feel the actual jump in cases lies with city hall itself.

 

It is exceedingly difficult for restaurant staff to monitor the customer’s testing results, as anyone can borrow a negative result and then enter the restaurant. Also, there is no practical method of putting an exact date to the tests shown.

 

Over the past few months, the term “restaurant” has been used as a quick route for bars to open either illegally or by using dubious certifications and licenses to operate as eateries. 

 

Many do not even have kitchens on the premises!

Last week Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome intimated that many of these fake restaurants with their limited space to allow for real social distancing, and coronavirus testing, were the reasons for the current outbreak. 

 

However, it was the Town Hall staff who had the role of licensing, inspection, and enforcement, so the mayor should talk to his officials responsible first.

 

It was also reported that Covid testers based at Pattaya’s Tree Town confirmed that over 25% of staff and visitors had tested positive over the holiday period.

 

File photo

 

Defended the Countdown

 

The mayor defended his entertainment programme of weekly music festivals, including the Pattaya Countdown, claiming none of the infections came from there.

 

However, many residents were surprised that the News Years countdown actually still went ahead, resulting in large numbers of out-of-town visitors who came.

 

With Omicron already in Thailand, even with testing on-site, these events naturally helped fuel the spread of the virus.

 

Faced with exploding numbers of cases – Pattaya saw another 374 cases on Saturday, taking the week’s total to nearly 2,500.

 

These figures do not include the many people who bought Antigen test kits at the pharmacies and tested positive and stayed in self-isolation at home.

 

What is certain is that like other countries such as the UK and Germany, the Omicron virus will spread rapidly.

 

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[jacko45k]

So they have acknowledged that there has been a dramatic rise in cases in the Pattaya area.....

Now we play the blame game as everywhere shuts?

[spidermike007]

You impose silly and draconian restrictions on hard working people just trying to eek out a living, provide them with an embarrassing lack of assistance, and rules are going to be broken. 

 

Easy for overly rich, self entitled, "so called leaders"  to criticize and scapegoat anyone they can. 

Edited January 10, 2022 by spidermike007

[sandyf]

9 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

So they have acknowledged that there has been a dramatic rise in cases in the Pattaya area.....

Now we play the blame game as everywhere shuts?

It cannot be disputed that the risk of transmission is proportional to the distance between the infected and the uninfected.

The blame lies with those that refuse to acknowledge that fact, unfortunately voluntary separation is not in the DNA of the majority.

[tomyami]

outing the resturant owners as villians by well paid officials leaving them and staff with no financal support abdicates responsibility

 

[smedly]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Last week Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome intimated that many of these fake restaurants with their limited space to allow for real social distancing, and coronavirus testing, were the reasons for the current outbreak. 

The reason for the outbreak is pretty clear 

 

1. Opening borders and Pattaya to foreign tourists without opening up enough venues to support them which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area of Pattaya that was clearly not equiped to handle the numbers

 

2. Telling foreign tourists that Thailand (Pattaya) was open when it clearly wasn't (see above), as I said before - either open up or don't - this was clearly a massive error to create some sort of half way house with pubs still being forced closed - how on earth was that going to work - it created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

3. who to blame - well the authorities and their stupid restrictions and opening up to tourists when they clearly were not ready which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

4. Do I blame the few venues that tried to pack em in - not one bit - not their fault that they became overwhelmed.

 

5. Do I blame the tourists who swamped the place - not one bit, they were told Thailand was open when it clearly wasn't 

 

 

Like I have said before - either open up or don't - no half measures, and they should have opened up to locals weeks before accepting foreign tourists 

 

What next - likely a ### lockdown  of their own making because of their stupid insistance on control and not allowing the place to fully open in the first place - you cannot defeat stupidity like that

[Kevin Taylor]

When is it going to end ？This is endemic and we are all going to be exposed to it. Whether you are exposed in a bar or a supermarket it makes no difference. If the officials are worried about hospital beds stop forcing people who are not sick into hospital for quarantine. It makes zero sense.

[bbko]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

However, many residents feel the actual jump in cases lies with city hall itself.

 

It is exceedingly difficult for restaurant staff to monitor the customer’s testing results, as anyone can borrow a negative result and then enter the restaurant. Also, there is no practical method of putting an exact date to the tests shown.

But the restaurants can limit the number of customers they allow in right?  I visited tree town not too long ago just to see what's it's like, and the place was PACKED, zero social distancing,  hundreds of mask-less people sitting within arms reach of each other.  Took me all of 5 seconds to determine it's not worth risking catching covid and quickly left. 

[Lucky Bones]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

The reason for the outbreak is pretty clear 

 

1. Opening borders and Pattaya to foreign tourists without opening up enough venues to support them which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area of Pattaya that was clearly not equiped to handle the numbers

 

2. Telling foreign tourists that Thailand (Pattaya) was open when it clearly wasn't (see above), as I said before - either open up or don't - this was clearly a massive error to create some sort of half way house with pubs still being forced closed - how on earth was that going to work - it created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

3. who to blame - well the authorities and their stupid restrictions and opening up to tourists when they clearly were not ready which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

4. Do I blame the few venues that tried to pack em in - not one bit - not their fault that they became overwhelmed.

 

5. Do I blame the tourists who swamped the place - not one bit, they were told Thailand was open when it clearly wasn't 

 

 

Like I have said before - either open up or don't - no half measures, and they should have opened up to locals weeks before accepting foreign tourists 

 

What next - likely a ### lockdown  of their own making because of their stupid insistance on control and not allowing the place to fully open in the first place - you cannot defeat stupidity like that

Yes Smedly. As I have said before,.....Thailand is not "Open", maybe an airport or 3 and then danger awaits.

[LivinLOS]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

4. Do I blame the few venues that tried to pack em in - not one bit - not their fault that they became overwhelmed.

How is it not thier fault. They assured everyone that if they would be allowed to open they would respect all the rules, maintain the distancing and order, etc. It was thier job not to be 'overwhelmed'. 

They got what they wanted (opening) and did none of what they promised and were obligated to do (because it had a cost). 

[chilly07]

City Hall did their own version of super spreading by running festivals for the last 2mths especially over Xmas and NY. Bars just followed suit and covidiots from outside as well as expat barflies jumped on the bandwagon

[MrMo]

I just wonder from where the blame is being shifted.   It can't be from the government as they have never accepted any responsibility for anything that was not a wonderous achievement.

[MrMo]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

The reason for the outbreak is pretty clear 

 

1. Opening borders and Pattaya to foreign tourists without opening up enough venues to support them which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area of Pattaya that was clearly not equiped to handle the numbers

 

2. Telling foreign tourists that Thailand (Pattaya) was open when it clearly wasn't (see above), as I said before - either open up or don't - this was clearly a massive error to create some sort of half way house with pubs still being forced closed - how on earth was that going to work - it created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

3. who to blame - well the authorities and their stupid restrictions and opening up to tourists when they clearly were not ready which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

4. Do I blame the few venues that tried to pack em in - not one bit - not their fault that they became overwhelmed.

 

5. Do I blame the tourists who swamped the place - not one bit, they were told Thailand was open when it clearly wasn't 

 

 

Like I have said before - either open up or don't - no half measures, and they should have opened up to locals weeks before accepting foreign tourists 

 

What next - likely a ### lockdown  of their own making because of their stupid insistance on control and not allowing the place to fully open in the first place - you cannot defeat stupidity like that

What do you expect ?   Good management is difficult to find in Thailand, particularly near the top of the money tree.

 

And as for visualising the future from actions taken (or not taken) now, well, the study of cause and effect has yet to reach Thailand.

[Bernietravelling]

Nothing else than another “blame the others” game and looking for scapegoats:

 

1) Since end of November until New Years countdown: weekly music festivals and fireworks, with 10.000s of local Bangkok tourists flooding Pattaya, getting drunk and crazy without social distancing, tightly packed on the beaches.

 

2) Checking the official “Covid” statistics (in Thai of cause), one could easily see that the number of tourists testing positive from Test&Go and Sandbox on the second test after 1 week were approximately 7 times higher than those testing positive at the first test on day 1 :
So they caught it here !

 

3) The explosive increase in using antigen test self test kits, partly enforced by rules for the restaurants, Public Health test points and urging people to constantly test themselves had an immense effect on the statistics: 

It showed, what likely was already there long before. The ATK worked like a preselection filter, filtering out those without any SARS-Cov2 effects, concentrating and funneling those likely positive to the PCR tests, driving up the numbers in the official statistics based on the PCR tests.

 

4) The statistical effect described in 3) might also have an effect on their evaluation of OMICRON.

(… I would really like to know, how many genetic sequences they made, just a negative PCR test probe for the S-protein and positive probes for N- and E-proteins doesn’t necessarily prove, it’s the Omicron variant…)

However, by increasing the number of tests, increasing the likelihood of positive PCR tests, but assuming a similar total number of hospitalizations as in former “waves”, the percentage of serious cases is automatically falling.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Bernietravelling

[BestB]

Mayor is 100% correct BUT he is also just as responsible as well as police.

Everyone turned a blind eye for a donation from all the bars that are open with ZERO measures taken

 

Furthermore, most of the restaurants are NOT SHA certified 

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

It is exceedingly difficult for restaurant staff to monitor the customer’s testing results, as anyone can borrow a negative result and then enter the restaurant. Also, there is no practical method of putting an exact date to the tests shown.

 

Over the past few months, the term “restaurant” has been used as a quick route for bars to open either illegally or by using dubious certifications and licenses to operate as eateries. 

 

Many do not even have kitchens on the premises!

Welcome to the loony-bin.

Take a seat & fit right in.

[WEBBYB808]

Yeah!  Wasn't the restaurants.   It was the the bars. Pleasure  and money before saftey. 

[WEBBYB808]

3 hours ago, bbko said:

But the restaurants can limit the number of customers they allow in right?  I visited tree town not too long ago just to see what's it's like, and the place was PACKED, zero social distancing,  hundreds of mask-less people sitting within arms reach of each other.  Took me all of 5 seconds to determine it's not worth risking catching covid and quickly left. 

And then 30% of people tested there had the Vid.  Sure they were spreading it for weeks.

[mran66]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

The reason for the outbreak is pretty clear 

 

1. Opening borders and Pattaya to foreign tourists without opening up enough venues to support them which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area of Pattaya that was clearly not equiped to handle the numbers

 

2. Telling foreign tourists that Thailand (Pattaya) was open when it clearly wasn't (see above), as I said before - either open up or don't - this was clearly a massive error to create some sort of half way house with pubs still being forced closed - how on earth was that going to work - it created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

3. who to blame - well the authorities and their stupid restrictions and opening up to tourists when they clearly were not ready which created mass overcrowding in a very compact area

 

4. Do I blame the few venues that tried to pack em in - not one bit - not their fault that they became overwhelmed.

 

5. Do I blame the tourists who swamped the place - not one bit, they were told Thailand was open when it clearly wasn't 

 

 

Like I have said before - either open up or don't - no half measures, and they should have opened up to locals weeks before accepting foreign tourists 

 

What next - likely a ### lockdown  of their own making because of their stupid insistance on control and not allowing the place to fully open in the first place - you cannot defeat stupidity like that

 

the stupidity and double standard/hypocrisy of the officials is a continued guaranteed source of entertainment here, will never stop.

 

Bars and clubs are not allowed to open because of obvious increased risk of transmission. Next action is to allow conversion of bars to become restaurants, either officially or unofficially by turning a blind eye to them having full of customers sipping drinks.

 

So whats the point of not allowing clubs and bars to be open in the first place? Just cant get it.

 

Then, yesterday read a news headline top cop of Pattaya saying that must take covid test prior to entering a bar...but bars are all closed, need to take a test to enter a closed closed place! These clowns are making themselves real entertainers.

 

And if they let bars to be called restaurants and turning blind eye of them being open, why the heck close the test and go - risk of that being open is substantially lower risk for spread than letting bars be restaurants, and mandating tests to enter bars that are not allowed be open.

 

Anyway, substantial amount of girls working in bars in Buakhao are now bored with their phones in Pattaya Nua quaratine hotel after testing positive, messaging their 'friends' to kill time 555. 

 

Hard to understand what is the problem to just decide the strategy and then just take actions accordingly and follow them - oh <deleted> I forgot I am in Thailand...even clear things must be changed to double standard and muddy.

[WEBBYB808]

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

So they have acknowledged that there has been a dramatic rise in cases in the Pattaya area.....

Now we play the blame game as everywhere shuts?

Yes! Yes! Yes!  You get it.  How do they not lose face when everyone can see their tactics?

[saintbangkok]

It was never going to be about fair. It is quite obvious that the target for closures will be anything to do with social. Thailand wants bars and sex trade closed from public view and will use Convid as an excuse to close them all down and keep them under control until they mostly go bankrupt. 

[Broken Record]

1 hour ago, MrMo said:

I just wonder from where the blame is being shifted.   It can't be from the government as they have never accepted any responsibility for anything that was not a wonderous achievement.

The government conveniently allows provincial Governors a say in what happens, the closure of all bars will be coming soon, by Order of The Governor of Chonburi.

 

The Government will wash their hands of the decision.

 

Went to shops today, on the way back I went down Naklua Soi 18, a group of 5/6 looked like Russians walking towards Naklua Road, nobody wore a Mask, another Farang walking alone, no mask, further a couple, no masks, Near Centara 3/4 people, no masks, towards Tops, 3 people, no masks, Towards 7Eleven 1 Farang, mask on chin. 

 

Bar closures are imminent.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Broken Record

[stigar]

And nobody understood why pattaya open alot of hospitels????

Im surprised how stupid some people are.

[losername]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Pattaya town hall has suggested that the city’s many restaurants are the main reason for Pattaya’s massive jump in the number of Covid-19 cases.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

testers based at Pattaya’s Tree Town confirmed that over 25% of staff and visitors had tested positive over the holiday period.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The mayor defended his entertainment programme of weekly music festivals, including the Pattaya Countdown, claiming none of the infections came from there.

So major events produce no cases at all.  Restaurants are to blame for the outbreak and, at one location 25% of tests were positive.  Now Mr Mayor, if you want to be believed, show us the real numbers.

[stigar]

7 minutes ago, losername said:

So major events produce no cases at all.  Restaurants are to blame for the outbreak and, at one location 25% of tests were positive.  Now Mr Mayor, if you want to be believed, show us the real numbers.

Ha-ha..do u belive that?He will be quiet..wait for the full lockdown!!!!Same in BKK alot of more hospiels.

[Andycoops]

Was always going to be somebody else's responsibility as anyone here in authority doesn't accept the responsibility for which they are paid for, scape goat Thailand, it's alway somebody else fault.

[Muzzique]

Too little...too Late...

[tomyami]

The SHA is a stupid idea you open all bars and resturants under strict limits of customers and hygiene excluding rats who tend to part of the pattaya landscape

Like in normal times certification is for tea money collection under the

"operating illegal tag"

 

[ExpatDraco]

Had (probably) Omikron. Tested positive after my symptoms were gone. While I had symptoms my test was negative. Had worse colds from dirty aircons than that. Better make hotel aircon cleaning mandatory every 3 months!

[ArcticFox]

You don't see them shutting down any of the malls, do you?