Pattaya-
As dine-in restaurants began to slowly reopen in Pattaya yesterday for the first time in nearly a month business owners began to adjust to the many new rules and regulations designed to prevent the potential spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus.
The Pattaya News visited several well known noodle shops in the Old Naklua Market area today, such as the Two Bandit Noodle shop that has been operating for thirty two years and is very popular with local residents.
Here is a video we took below:
The owner, Mrs. Yaowarat Tripetchkul, 58, stated that she has never seen an incident like this in her thirty two years of running the noodle shop. She told the Pattaya News that she has a strong local customer base and business has still been steady since reopening as she does not depend on tourists, however the adjustment to new rules will take time.
The restaurant has set up temporary partitions to meet government guidelines of proper space.
They are also providing temperature checks, hand sanitizer and throughly cleaning the premises after every customer. Staff wear face masks and gloves and all customers must wear masks when not eating.
Alcohol is not allowed to be sold at restaurants at this time either out of concern that it could encourage gatherings and socializing.
Critics on social media, meanwhile, are stating that many of the measures seen around town, although while meaning, are ineffective and even silly as partitions between groups of people that arrive and leave together or gathered elsewhere don’t have any real purpose.
Pattaya has had no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in three weeks, The Pattaya News notes.
Many restaurants also remain closed as staff members are not in town and there is limited domestic transportation and no busses at this time. Larger restaurants and the popular mookata, or Thai BBQ style places remain closed as well for fear of people gathering and lack of physical distancing.
Some media reported dine in at Chonburi restaurants was not allowed, however, that is incorrect. Restaurants at malls and department stores, however, remain closed. The reason is also for concern of people socializing or gathering at the malls or stores.
