Pattaya Nightlife News and Reviews

Thailand's covid control agency has now designated Pattaya as belonging to the blue zone. By official definitions this means that restaurants can now resume selling alcohol. And of course being Pattaya, the food and drinks can be served by friendly service staff , often, with a arther more full service in mind.

So many Pattaya's bars are now reopening with full service in mind. Gentlemen's clubs are reopening in the daytime as are the evening beer bars. GoGos, pubs and nightclubs are still not able to open at this time.

This zone change also means nearly all mainstream businesses and activities continue to open with New Normal operations. These include all shopping venues, convenience stores, markets, cinemas and theatres, sports venues, hair salons and barbershops, massage and spa shops, beauty and aesthetic clinics, and tattoo shops.

The Thai Cabinet has decided that the reopening date for entertainment venues, pubs, bars and karaoke joints across Thailand will be on Jan 16.

The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) argued that the date will yield the highest benefit to the country.

The Chonburi Provincial Police held a meeting om November 4th with Pattaya business owners in the hotel, restaurant, bar, service, and entertainment industry to address concerns about a continued ban on alcohol sales at restaurants and the closure of bars and entertainment venues.

Entertainment venues have been closed for almost seven months straight in Pattaya due to Covid-19 concerns.

Business owners in Pattaya have been growing increasingly frustrated over the closure, even as other areas in the country like Phuket or Krabi have been given exceptions to allow alcohol sales in restaurants. Police have continued regular raids in Pattaya, normally well known for its nightlife, to any business daring to attempt to break the rules.

Just days after what appeared to be a watershed announcement by Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha that the country would reopen on a blanket basis to visitors from an initial list of 10 countries without quarantine and a suggestion that both alcohol and nightlife may be allowed after December, comes news that stronger controls will be maintained.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, in recent days, there will still be a mandatory one day quarantine requirement for all visitors while he also suggested that there was no going back to the former tourism market with busy nightlife scenes as Thailand seeks a new more sober type of tourism.

The one day quarantine will surely be a miserable time has one is locked up in a hotel room cell contemplating the dreadful consequences should the test result prove positive.

There seems little easing of the onerous restrictions requiring pre-booked tests, covid insurance, quarantine hotel bookings and installing a tracking app.

The current news about bar openings suggests that bars can open from 1st December but only until 11pm and it seems that nightclubs and GoGos could be shuttered for some months yet.