You can now drink alcohol in Pattaya restaurants but nightclubs, massage parlors, and bars will remain closed for now. The restaurants will still have to follow Covid-19 protocol to help limit the spread of the virus. The Chonburi Communicable Disease Committee has placed an order allowing alcohol consumption in restaurants starting on 6 December 2021. The Committee has received many complaints from locals requesting for the right to sell drinks in restaurants.
The order allows drinks to be sold in businesses from 11.00-14.00, and 17.00-23.00. The business wanting to sell alcohol must have a Hygiene and Safety Health Certificate. Businesses such as nightclubs, bars, karaoke, and massage parlors must remain closed for now. The main reason why locals have requested to sell alcohol is due to tourists avoiding Pattaya city due to the fact. The business owners have questioned why other provinces are allowing alcohol consumption even though their Covid-19 numbers are higher.
As a result, income in these restaurants have decreased by 60%. After Pattaya opened back up for tourism on 1 November 2021 about 9,437 tourists have visited the province. This number is very low compared to the previous years before Covid-19. At that time more than 1 million tourists visited the province per month. 7 tourism provinces started to allow drinking inside of restaurants and this included Bangkok, Krabi, Kanchanaburi, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Phang Nga, and Phuket. Customers are allowed to drink alcohol inside of hotels and restaurants. This also includes designated blue zones approved by the provincial governors. The main goal of this permission is to promote tourism back into Thailand. The new order has now made it possible for tourists to enjoy a drink in Pattaya City and Chonburi Province.
FB Caption: Restaurants in Pattaya have lost about 60% of their income after nearby provinces allowed alcohol sales.
Source: Khaosod
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