Thailand-
The following is a weekly feature in which we take a look at the week ahead and the top stories developing or taking place to keep an eye on. These stories have been chosen by our editorial team and reflect stories that will see future development over the following week as well as things going on locally in Pattaya for our readers to be aware of. These are specifically chosen for the week of December 27th-January 2nd
1. Rayong has large cluster of Covid-19 cases
The announcement that Rayong has had a large cluster of Covid-19 cases stemming from a person who was reportedly positive for Covid-19 after visiting a shrimp market in Samut Sakhon that is the epicenter of a recent series of infections in Thailand has rocked Rayong. The Rayong Governor has put the Mueang Rayong sub-district into a strict highly controlled status which sees the closure of basically all “non-essential” services and business such as bars, movie theaters, retail stores and entertainment. Restaurants may only sell take away. The restrictions last until at least January 10th. The Pattaya News will be keeping a close eye on the situation as we have many readers in Rayong and Pattaya is just North of the area.
2. New Year safety precautions begin
Despite the cancellation of large scale New Years events it is still expected by authorities that a large number of smaller events and gatherings will take place. These are not illegal in provinces that are not under high control measures and many smaller bars and clubs plan “Covid-19 safe” events. Police are anticipating drunk drivers and an increased number of people but have also said they will be limiting breathalyzer tests due to Covid-19 concerns and instead taking suspected drunk drivers to police stations for more in depth testing. We will keep an eye on this over the week as more checkpoints and announcements are likely to come. This is on top of Covid-19 inspections likely to take place around Pattaya and checks on entertainment venues by law enforcement.
3. Despite cancellations of major events, will Pattaya business owners still manage to succeed over New Year?
The Pattaya City Mayor has urged people who had booked to Pattaya over New Years not to cancel their plans and still visit the city as bars, islands, beaches, restaurants and tourist attractions remain open, albeit under Covid-19 precautions. As of press time, Chonburi province has only had two confirmed cases of Covid-19 linked to the recent cluster of infections and it appears there is not a widespread precaution. Many business owners were hoping the New Year holidays would bring thousands of domestic tourists to Pattaya like the fireworks festival and Loy Krathong events, however, it is likely with many afraid of the Covid-19 situation that this year will be much quieter. We will be livestreaming and reporting from the ground on what New Year’s will look like throughout the week and welcome you to tune in on Tiktok, Youtube and Facebook Watch.
That is it for this week! Stay tuned for our recap of the years news later this week and our most popular articles of 2020, as well as a look at what our plans are for next year. Thank you for reading The Pattaya News!