Pattaya –
Pattaya tourism and business operators are urging the Thai government to allow drinking alcohol in restaurants in Pattaya.
The President of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association Mr. Boonanan Pattanasin told The Pattaya News and other associated media this past weekend, “Pattaya should be a “BLUE” (Business, Leisure, Ultimate Experience) zone like Bangkok and other provinces. We don’t have many new Covid -19 cases now. Most of the new Covid-19 cases in Chonburi are being found in factories, migrant worker camps, army bases, and other sub-districts that are not part of the ‘Pattaya Move On tourist pilot area or even involved in tourism at all. Many of the Chonburi cases have actually been found in Rayong and have been transferred here, but count towards the local area.”
“We (Pattaya business owners) should be allowed to sell alcohol in restaurants too, following Bangkok’s approval this weekend. Business operators have prepared and are ready more than other provinces, we have been closed for almost seven months now and the majority of business venues affected report little to no financial aid for the closures that were no fault of their own.” Boonanan continued.
“Pattaya has lost many opportunities for not allowing drinking alcohol in restaurants. Pattaya is one of the most famous tourist cities in Thailand. In 2019, Pattaya was the 19th most visited city in the world, and just slightly behind Phuket and behind Bangkok for the most visited place in Thailand. Many tourists had visited Pattaya before and they want to visit Pattaya again. Pattaya is famous for its fantastic tourism attractions, beaches, islands, and yes, the famous nightlife and entertainment scene. Many foreign tourists have no interest in returning to Pattaya, which hurts every single other industry in the city if there continues to be a force mandate to close the nighttime economy, entertainment venues, and ban alcohol sales at all venues and restaurants.’ Boonanan stated.
Indeed, multiple hotel and tourism associations based in Pattaya and Chonburi have also cried foul over the continued alcohol ban over the weekend and planned to file formal requests with the governor and city officials over the next week to determine if and how Pattaya can get an exception like Phuket, Samui, Bangkok, Krabi, and a few others to at the very least allow alcohol sales at some venues for tourists.
“We want the government to be fair with us. We are the third most vaccinated place in Thailand, ahead of some of the places open with exceptions for alcohol sales. We are one of the top tourism destinations in the country. What possible reason is there for this continued total ban?” Boonanan concluded.
As of last night, October 30th, 2021, Bangkok was approved to sell alcohol in restaurants from November 1st, however, the decision came with restrictive rules such as a 9:00 P.M. cutoff time and the fact that venues had to be SHA certified (some reports have said +, there appears to be mixed messaging here) which many restaurants do not have and which bars cannot apply for at all. Bars, nightlife, and entertainment venues remain closed in Bangkok despite the lifting of an almost four-month-long nighttime curfew as of today, Halloween. The curfew is also being lifted in Pattaya, a piece of good news for both tourists and residents.
Regardless, according to multiple letters and messages sent to TPN media from local business owners, at the very least they wish to have the option to open if they were certified or if other rules were developed. As of now, they don’t even have that.
Some other areas, such as Phuket, Samui, Krabi, and Phang-nga have been given permission to sell alcohol at restaurants although the rules vary widely by area. Samui, for instance, has a special “Vaccine Green Zones program” that requires individual certification of venues. The island even held its first full moon party in a year-and-a-half last week without much fanfare, according to videos shared widely on TikTok and posts on social media.
Phuket, officially, allows licensed restaurants (not just SHA certified) to sell alcohol and, technically, does not allow bars to open but many reports on the ground state that is, at best, loosely enforced and the island has seen many long-closed and dormant areas, like Patong, start to spring to life once again, according to media reports from the island. This has been in place since October 1st, granted by a special “exception” from the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration. (CCSA)
The CCSA announced a relaxation of Covid-19 rules on Friday, October 29th, but to the confusion and frustration of many, it was not immediately clear if tourist “districts” within provinces, like parts of Chiang Mai, Pattaya/Banglamung, Cha-Am, or Hua Hin could sell alcohol even as four provinces were announced as “BLUE” zones and able to sell from November 1st. (Most which had been selling for some time already). Pattaya business owners are far from the only ones angry, as restaurant and entertainment owners in these areas, especially Hua Hin, have also expressed their disappointment and anger.
TPN media notes that it is possible that the Chonburi Governor or officials, who so far have officially been quiet after Friday’s announcement from the CCSA, are working behind the scenes to get some sort of exemption or program together for Pattaya and that no Chonburi specific orders have yet been released. This could happen anytime, although, of course, the orders are not guaranteed to contain anything about alcohol sales.
One possible reason for holding off alcohol sales in Chonburi, however, is the continued delay in school openings for public schools and in-person learning. We announced this was delayed from November 1st as well until at least mid-month as many students 12-17 were still due their second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine early this month and officials were leery of opening schools without this completed. TPN media notes, however, that being vaccinated is not a mandate for children to return to school and was opt-in from parents, although according to Pattaya City officials over 80% of public school parents chose to opt-in their children to a vaccine. Getting children back to school, who have been out since April of this year, is also a major priority for Chonburi officials.
Indeed, Prime Minister Prayut Chan O’Cha had only previously stated that bars and nightclubs would only be “considered” for opening by December 1st, without promising anything, in a reopening speech for foreign tourism earlier this month.
That being said, foreign tourists returning early this month to Pattaya may be surprised if things stay the way they are to find that the majority of venues are either not serving or closed entirely and may be very disappointed by this from a city with a reputation for its nightlife and parties. Of course, some venues and places are reportedly selling illegally or attempting to skirt the system, but regular raids by law enforcement which also feature arresting customers and giving them stiff fines for having a beer likely won’t please tourists either.
However, Pattaya has planned some major events this month regardless of any potential alcohol sales ban (which as stated, could always change rather quickly if the CCSA and/or governor decide to do so) and these HAVE been confirmed. The Pattaya Music Festival, expected to draw thousands of fans, starts this weekend and will continue over four separate weekends.
Loy Krathong, approved yesterday officially by the Prime Minister, will also take place in the middle of November. Other events, like a fireworks festival, food festival, and New Year’s events, are also planned for later this year by Pattaya City.
For now, frustrated and angry business owners continue to vent online and the decision to leave their venues closed or ban alcohol sales have caused a “domino-effect” to hotels, tourism associations, and even retail associations who are concerned that keeping Pattaya “dry” and shutting its entire nighttime economy will drive away many customers from their venues as well. TPN media will continue to follow this story and provide any updates as they become available.
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