hank75

Bars and clubs can re-open soon, but with a list of 22 requirements Well, there’s some good news and there’s some bad news if you’re the owner of an entertainment venue in Thailand. You CAN re-open… soon. BUT, the CCSA has put together a list of 22 requirements you’ll have to meet when you re-open your doors. Not surprisingly the owners and representatives are unhappy about the long list of encumbrances on venues who will re-open under the new phase 5 guidelines. The list of rules is being submitted to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration this Friday. Of businesses left to re-open in Thailand, the entertainment industry includes pubs, karaoke outlets, massage parlours and other types of adult entertainment venues. Shuttered since March, the venues are eager to open in July. Here’s some of the main restrictions, among the long list… • Restrict the number of customers • Check body temperature of patrons and provide hand sanitiser • Groups of people sitting together – maximum 5. They will have to sit 1 metre away from each other. • At least 2 metres between tables, or install barriers • No singing or dancing (that includes your club team song after the 9th beer) • Drinks in glasses only, not bottles • Staff must wear face masks AND face shields • No ‘gathering’, ‘shouting’, or ‘wandering’ • Musicians and performers must wear face shields (who wants to hear those silly lyrics anyway!?) • No competitions or group activities, including pool and darts • Ensure social distancing in smoking areas • Ban ‘product presenters’ from sitting with guests (huh?!) Last week the country’s musicians and entertainers pleaded with the the government to allow them to return to work. They told officials that they were in dire financial straits. Operators say limiting customers to five in a group may keep them from coming and are complaining that the rules for entertainment venues are stricter than the ones imposed on eateries and filming crews. But, keen to pry their doors open again, operators admit they will have no choice but to comply with the new rules. In the meantime they are urging the CCSA to reconsider the draconian list of restrictions and consider relaxing the rules, either before Phase 5 starts or a few weeks after. There is no doubt the country’s battered entertainment industry will take time to recover. In towns around Thailand the locals will likely trickle back as more confidence is gained in social gatherings again. But for the tourist spots, many former businesses will simply go broke as the government delays opening borders for international tourists. Many will never re-open. Some 2 million people are employed in the country’s entertainment and nightlife business. Meanwhile, Deputy PM Wissanu Krea-ngam says the government will consider the lifting of the emergency decree by this Friday. Mr Wissanu says the decision whether to lift or extend Thailand’s emergency decree will be made based “on the assessment of Covid-19 risks”. “If the country does not face a second wave of infections, then the Communicable Disease Control Act is adequate to contain the virus.”

Looks like the verdict will be out today. From The Pattaya News. CCSA to meet with leading nightlife, entertainment, bar, Alcohol industry representatives and musicians on Sunday to discuss unlocking entertainment venues Bangkok- Dr. Taweesin Visanuyothin, spokesperson of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration, stated this weekend that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha has stated that he wishes to see all professions return to work and making an income. This follows a public and increasing petition and pleading from musicians, the entertainment industry, The Tourism Authority, the Thai Alcoholic Beverage Industry and even members of Parliament to allow Thailand’s world famous nightlife and entertainment industry to begin to re-open and allow people to return to work. The entertainment industry is essentially the only major exception to being closed currently as Thailand has relaxed restrictions on what they state is 95 percent of previous closure orders. However, with the Thai Tourism Authority starting a renewed push for domestic tourism, having the entertainment and nightlife industry re-open is a substantial part, even without international flights allowed into the country with foreign tourists. According to some industry estimates the domestic Thai entertainment industry, or bars and nightlife catering only for Thai’s, is as much as 80 to 90 percent of the overall entertainment industry. Additionally some parts of the country, like Pattaya, Koh Samui and Phuket rely on entertainment venues for the majority of their attractions and appeal. As a result, a large meeting has been scheduled with all relevant parties and the CCSA tomorrow, Sunday June 21, 2020. This meeting is expected to directly address when and how entertainment venues can re-open. It is important to note that there is no promise or firm date ahead of the meeting on when venues will reopen. However, with wheels in motion and Thailand expected to hit 28 days Monday without a single confirmed locally spread case of Covid-19 recorded, the date is likely in the near future.

I saw this a few days ago but did not realize it was new....I thought it had been there all along and I was getting old. Checked my own Line but this option wasn’t activated, unsure why. And now it has disappeared off my contact’s pages too. But you can still opt to “Follow” them

Today’s news... Bars may reopen sooner than expected The government’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported today that pubs, bars and entertainment facilities would be permitted to reopen in the coming weeks if the regular count of new Covid-19 cases remains in single digits. Dr Taweesilp has confirmed that the Covid-19 situation in Thailand continues to improve and has dropped to single digits for the past 22 days. “The CCSA will continue to assess the situation every 14 days and if the single digit trend continues, the reopening of “red” businesses (medium to high risk) is likely to come faster.” He added, that everyone should keep their guard high to maintain the low infection rate, which would help everyday life to return to normal and boost customers’ confidence in “red” businesses. And whilst the re-opening of bars and pubs will be welcome, businesses are wondering who will be be visiting them. Bars in the tourists strips of Bangkok, and in tourist locations like Pattaya and Phuket, will likely be running on empty until the tourists start flying back into the country.

Thanks, my question wasn’t if the sex trade will continue (it will, luckily for most of us) but if the bar scene that most of us are used to will survive after the owners have several months of close to zero income. Especially some of the venues that have undergone recent expensive renovations after moving from Soi Twilight. Perhaps they will and this is just temporary. Or perhaps owners may decide it’s just too costly to run a full go go, while beer bars or massage shops makes better financial sense. These are unpredictable times indeed.

As Thailand starts to reopen, a quick straw poll to see where members’ opinions lie about the recovery of go go bars. I am referring mainly to the Silom scene as Pattaya bars have already been besieged by other issues even pre pandemic, but opinions on Pattaya too are welcome. A couple of boys and bar staff I spoke to have suggested, based on current government policies, a mid June reopening of bars seems realistic. However most of you will also have read the latest news that international inbound flights are now banned until 1 July. No word yet if a lengthy quarantine will be imposed even after the ban is lifted. This means tourism will be impacted until at least end July or early August, the start of the rainy season and the usual low income period for bars. Should bars reopen in June, they will be dependent on expats and the rich foreign customers who weathered the lockdown in Bangkok for at least six to eight weeks if flights do not resume. Right now the bars are not paying salary to their staff, most of whom have returned to their hometowns. Based on social media posts they are all keen to get back to work, so diminished numbers should not be a problem. Those who have not left Bangkok are already active on apps and for private massages. Bar owners have incurred at least 2-3 months of rent (perhaps some are still repaying bank loans) with no income. Does it make sense to reopen bars despite lack of tourists, and take on salary and operation costs on top of rent? As we all know, bars only make income from cover, drinks, and off fees.

There is another “Mr Eak” whom I have never seen before. Also a “Mr Party” whom I have seen many times before and is not interested in gay custom

And Mr Boom! Jupiter FB also has a slideshow of Spai and the full performance of the drag queen and boys on chains. First time I can recall them uploading a performance as they don’t like putting the boys on social media. Must be desperate to get back to business. IMG_6459.MP4

Well this explains why I saw a couple of boys posting on social media that they were off to the gold shop yesterday and then proudly showing off wads of 1000 baht bills. Despite the lockdown they are quite comfortable and not in desperate need of cash, so it confused me until I saw this. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30385978?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

Are masks still easily available in Bangkok? I was wondering if I should send some to friends (both friends and boys alike), also hand sanitizers if I can find a way to post them.

If this isn’t stupidity I don’t know what is. Far too soon surely? https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/chinese-tourist-packing-their-bags-to-come-back-to-thailand

Well, a partial answer to my question. https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/bangkok-closes-shopping-centres-and-markets-from-tomorrow

I heard restaurants are subject to closures too? My expat friend is planning to head to Pattaya where these restrictions are not in place. Will street food vendors be affected?

As the video is embedded I don’t know how to link to it directly, but click here for “Bangkok nightlife goes quiet” with very brief glimpses of some familiar spots. https://www.straitstimes.com/videos

Rather, I think this has proven Anutin’s stupidity and lack of understanding of healthcare systems in other countries. Pity the Thai students having to explain to overloaded NHS clinics they are not unwell, only requiring a fit-to-fly letter. https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/returning-thais-face-being-turned-away-if-they-cant-show-fit-to-fly-health-certificate

https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/army-disinfecting-bangkok-streets Rather a pointless move? But government has never been less popular so perhaps they are trying to prove their efficacy.

One Moonlight boy is staying with a Korean customer in Bangkok for a full month.

The ones I was told about are Jupiter and Moonlight customers. ps: I haven’t been following the travel regulations quite so closely and was surprised to hear Chinese customers could still apply for short and long stay visas, no quarantine. Is this really true? Only the completion of a health declaration form?

I agree with you that definitely there are some wonderful hardworking boys, who strive hard to help out families back home. I have nothing but respect and good wishes for them during this difficult period. But I will also politely point out that equally, there are some boys who are working this job for the lifestyle, the easy money, the partying, and are fortunate enough to be in bars where they don’t have to bang cock against a metal pole.

Not singling out. Didn’t mean it to come across in any other way apart from factual. Just quoting what boys and mamasans told me, that customers from China, Singapore etc are still arriving, as in entering Thailand this week and making bookings. They didn’t say customers from UK, USA or elsewhere. That could be the case too. I don’t know. At least two boys I know of have secured long term offs while their bars are shut, one customer is flying in to take the boy out of Bangkok since he didn’t have to work. I asked “customer have discount, no bar fee” and was replied to with smiley faces.

I like to take a more optimistic point of view. If the closures are really only two weeks, the boys on enforced holiday will likely be out of cash by then and only too happy to return to work. However if longer than two weeks, many of them will have severe income difficulties. Some may return to work on the family farm but the economy is contracting everywhere. Finding alternative jobs on short notice especially when they have zero other skills will be close to impossible. They will weather the storm somehow but when bars reopen in a month or several months (some leeway expected of course for situation to stabilise and not immediately the day after opening) they will flock back in droves searching for customers, desperate to get back to their former easy lifestyles. And likely they will have friends in non-bar jobs who now find themselves jobless and come with them. We may well be spoiled for choice after this is all over. Right now some Chinese and Asian regulars are still landing in Bangkok to visit the bars or making external bookings, rather irresponsibly IMO as they may pass the virus on.

This is compulsory correct, not voluntary? All bars will shutter for two weeks?

I couldn’t load the video. Is this Spai or the other dark-skinned guy who recently moved to Jupiter at the same time?

I heard the same. Apparently this news isn’t fully confirmed yet. Behind this is again the same farang-hating idiot, Anutin, who caused a furore over his premature announcement of quarantine orders. So far he has only said that he will propose the closure of bars and clubs to Prayut on Monday. Somehow this has been interpreted by boys and mamasans as “all bars are definitely closing on Monday” and thrown them into a complete panic. The truth of the matter is, we have to await Monday to see how Prayut reacts and if they can in fact impose this across small bars and big super clubs alike or there will be exceptions. Note also they see this as being enforced on a zone-by-zone basis. https://thethaiger.com/coronavirus/286064

Moonlight’s latest “Bat” I hope he doesn’t cost too many “bat”