Bangkok-
Following a morning meeting between prominent members of the Thai entertainment and Nightlife Industry, Thai musicians, Alcoholic Beverage Industry and members of the CCSA and Thai Government, a proposal for re-opening of entertainment venues will be discussed during full meetings of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) later this week.
All entertainment venues, which includes bars, clubs, pubs, sports bars, karaokes, live music venues, hostess bars and other forms of Thailand’s world famous nightlife have been closed since March 18, 2020 due to precautions taken over the Covid19 Coronavirus situation.
However, as of press time, Thailand has had no confirmed or recorded cases of Covid-19 locally spread in 27 days nationwide. Pattaya City is well over two months without a new confirmed and recorded case locally spread. This has caused the multi billion dollar entertainment industry to increasingly ask the Thai government why they remain closed when every other business venue has been allowed to open.
A heartfelt plea from a group of fifty popular Thai musicians who rely on live performances at bars and clubs to make a living went viral late last week and appear to have caused the government to finally take more notice of the situation. Some of the musicians who are part of this movement have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media and are well known throughout Thailand.
This group said they represent a larger group of nearly 100,000 Thai musicians and performers out of work due to the continued entertainment industry shutdown.
The meeting today went over multiple ideas for hygiene and safety measures to ensure bars and clubs and similar venues could open safely. Multiple ideas and proposals were brought forth by the entertainment industry in their bid to re-open.
The ideas and proposals will be brought to the CCSA and Thai Government officials on a committee that is handling easing restrictions and reopening bars later this week. An expected final answer and possible guidelines could come Friday, according to Deputy General Nattapol Nakpanit, a key CCSA advisor.
Both sides seem pleased following the meeting, although despite some reports to the contrary no definitive date on reopening entertainment venues was given nor decided upon. It is possible, however not guaranteed nor promised, that it could be as early as July First based on discussion in the meeting.
It is worth noting that even if the Thai Government approves nightlife reopening nationwide that it will also need approval of Provincial Governor’s locally, some who have had already hinted that they may reject the proposal.
A final answer on if bars and entertainment will be able to reopen, even partially, should be made clear by Friday of this week, the 26 of June, but possibly earlier.
