Bars push for nightlife reopening
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Entertainment operators will reiterate their request for their businesses to reopen on Thursday as the Health Ministry considers designating certain provinces as "green zones" where nightlife can resume.
Khathawut Thongthai, president of the Association of Entertainment Professionals, said entertainment operators and related businesses will meet on Thursday with General Supoj Malaniyom, chief of operations of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), to discuss the reopening. of their companies.
He says that while operators have appreciated the emergency measures and financial support provided to them by the state during the pandemic, such assistance is temporary and not sustainable.
“With daily Covid-19 infections reduced and the national vaccination campaign expanded to all age groups, now is the time to ease restrictions on entertainment venues and get the industry back on its feet,” said Khathawut. Previously, hospitality operators had urged the government to reopen their businesses in “tourist blue zone” provinces from June 1, following the scrapping of the Test & Go access scheme on May 1.
A Health Ministry source said the ministry will review Covid-19 zoning, with some counties likely to be classified as “green zones.” Currently, there are two color-coded zones: 65 "yellow zone" provinces with high surveillance and 12 "blue zones" promoted for tourism. Alcoholic beverages can be served nationwide until midnight, but only in restaurants that meet Safety and Health Administration (SHA) Plus or Covid-Free Setting standards. The government will likely allow entertainment venues in the "green zones" to resume operations, and the plan is expected to be submitted to the CCSA for consideration on Friday.
Thanakorn Kuptajit, an advisor to the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association, said the nightlife and tourism industry are pushing for a full reopening on June 1. “The reopening will bring about 300 billion baht to the economy,” he said, noting that reopening nightlife would benefit chefs, musicians, artists and taxi drivers, among others.
Source: Bangkok Post
Anutin announced last week that the face mask will remain mandatory everywhere for the first few months, even if it is endemic with regard to Covid and demands that the police ensure that people also wear it, with the consequences of fines for violation.
Now it must be possible to serve drinks until late at night again, because it actually brings in money.
For me, letting go of the nightlife rules is incompatible with what Anutin wants (going out and having fun, eating and drinking with a face mask?? on and off with that thing????).
The government now also wants to focus more on the rich tourists, because the less wealthy together yield more than the horde of "ordinary" tourists.
Nothing more is expected from Chinese tourists for a while because there are too many cities in China in lockdown (the latest number is 30 cities according to The Thaiger) and now the attention is focused on India, Germany, UK (there is apparently no war in Ukraine with all the financial consequences for the world and Europe in particular), these should generate billions of THB (this is the latest news today).
I have known for years that TAT always calculates everything with rose-colored glasses, and that they are always wrong with their predictions, but it is getting crazier every day because the predictions and expectations of this government and TAT are a bit contradictory with everything. but it is proclaimed as the solution.
In 2024, more than 30% more tourists will come to Thailand than before Covid, this brings in billions of THB, but now the government contradicts itself because they want fewer "ordinary" tourists, because the rich will discover Thailand and with less in number spending more money is the prediction.
What does this government really want, just shouting about the billions that are coming in and hoping that one of their predictions will come true and then shouting that they were right?
Confidence in the government needs to be boosted because it is in a sad state for the average Thai, so now proclaiming that the people who work in the hospitality industry will earn gold thanks to this policy is a laughing stock for many and a proof of inability for the incumbent government.
But I hope I'm wrong because I, too, will benefit if the predictions of these "shivers" come true.
The weather is now hopeless but this predicted sunshine in the sky from the government may help, although I have my doubts.
Life in Thailand is good for me as a farang because I am not bound by time, but you will be here for a few weeks on vacation and play ball of this policy.
The rainy season has started early, what this will mean again for the tourist sector is a question for me, but Prayut will come up with an explanation that still hits the spot.
We (I) keep laughing and enjoying this beautiful country, life is short enough, so living here pessimistic is not a solution for me.