Hopes Dashed for BKK Bars and GoGo’s

[Gaybutton]

It's very possible (and logical) that the Cabinet Ministers & CCSA are using todays reopening, as well as the designation of 4 blue zones which now allow alcohol to be served under highly controlled conditions, AS A TEST..

If that is what is going on, then I have two questions:

1. Why don't they say so? What would be the point of keeping it a secret?

2. Considering the high numbers of people likely to visit Pattaya - sooner or later, why is Pattaya excluded from their test?

[Dodger]

If that is what is going on, then I have two questions:

1. Why don't they say so? What would be the point of keeping it a secret?

2. Considering the high numbers of people likely to visit Pattaya - sooner or later, why is Pattaya excluded from their test?

1.) My nickel (for what it's worth): Too much in-fighting and political maneuvering going on between the Ministries and other interested parties right now. They're probably fearful of even being transparent with each other, let alone have the capacity to be totally open and transparent with the general public. And that's aside from the fact that Thailand's level of competence when dealing with large complex strategies like this leaves a lot to be desired, and that's putting it mildly.

2) I think Pattaya measures too high on the "Risk Scale" right now for them to start serving alcohol - with only 5 hospitals to fend off a possible (or probable) increase in Covid, it looks like they felt Bangkok was lower risk with its 50 hospitals. From a Risk Management perspective, this seems to make sense. The fact that Bangkok has a much larger population than Pattaya could be the reason they're only permitting the more up-scale SHA approved restaurants to serve alcohol, which you wouldn't expect to be located in any large clusters.

For us, this is really no big deal. If they serve alcohol, we can drink if we want to. If they don't, we don't. Not the end of the earth. But, for the bar owners (and other entertainment venues) this is like Apocalypse Now. I don't know how any of them have the patience (or finances) to deal with this. I know if it were me I would have shuttered the doors permanently 20 months ago and called it a day.

For the tourists planning to come here, the effects of these changes (or non-changes) will have the same effect. If the bars are open - they can go. If they're not - they don't go. If they can live with that, it would make sense that they would "Reshape" their holidays, as arsenel so cleverly describes this in another thread, and continue on with their holiday plans. If they can't accept those results, they shouldn't be planning their holiday right now. Ay least that's the way I see it.

[Patanawet]

Not only Bangkok's bars and discos.
Also the headlines ' restaurants able to sell alcohol' looked a little promising until the small print.
The local policeman in my usual restaurant soi had NO IDEA what SHA certification is when questioned last night.

[Gaybutton]

From a Risk Management perspective, this seems to make sense.

I can't believe you said that. Is something wrong with you, thinking the Thai powers-that-be might do anything that even seems to make sense . . . ?

Whatever makes the least sense or, better still, no sense whatsoever - therein lies the most likely answer to why Pattaya has been excluded . . .

[Dodger]

Not only Bangkok's bars and discos.

Also the headlines ' restaurants able to sell alcohol' looked a little promising until the small print.
The local policeman in my usual restaurant soi had NO IDEA what SHA certification is when questioned last night.

Your local policeman probably doesn't know what SHA Certification is because the SHA program, at least from what I've been reading, is still a work-in-process and hasn't been fully developed and/or communicated to the broader Bangkok business sector yet. Go figure!

For clarification:

SHA (Safety & Health Administration) is a certificate given by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to hotels and services that meet pandemic-level safety and health standards. These include things like cleaning regularity, placement of sanitizers, table arrangements, adequate signage and several staff procedures. SHA Plus is a certificate awarded to an organization proving that they have approved Covid-19 health and preventative protocols in place and that 70% or more of all employees have been fully vaccinated.

The last information I saw published regarding SHA mentioned that the work that was still in process included establishing the SHA criteria, introducing the committee, preparing the application and selection process, and planning marketing and publicity for the SHA-certified tourism establishments and services.

You can see from the SHA/Bangkok Map linked at the bottom of this post that SHA certificates have already been granted to numerous Bangkok hotels and restaurants, but as far as how many are still in the application phase - that remains to be seen.

How did they screw up by using SHA as a basis for code blue selection? Very easy to explain. They are using a Certification Program which is not fully developed and/or implemented as the basis for code blue selection. Ready - Fire - Aim.

No wonder this was left in small print.

https://www.google.com/search?q=SHA+...hrome&ie=UTF-8

[goji]

They started SHA registration, then introduced SHA+.

I guess hotels rushed to join up to be ready for 7-day sandbox programmes. However, by the time a sandbox scheme has been introduced in Pattaya and Babgkok, people from over 60 countries are also entitled to one night quarantine.
So sandbox demand will be low.

Meanwhile, in the case of Bangkok, visitors can already book their one night stay in an ASQ hotel on Agoda. Easy and with refund rights. Since we are confined to the room (ie Quarantined), one night in ASQ is the same as one night in SHA+.

I hope the hotels didn't pay too much to register for the daft SHA+ scheme, as I wouldn't count on it generating much business.

[Nirish guy]

China has closed Shanghai Disneyland, tested people on exit and kept them isolated until the results come through. They may well have to go into lockdown after returning to their home cities. .

So the results are in re that ( quite literally in this case) and the final total was ZERO persons tested positive in the whole of the park ( if their numbers are to be believed). It certianly seems that the Chinese take their testing and enforcment to a whole other level and way more seriously than the rest of the world that's for sure.

The one notable thing perhaps being that it wasn't that visitors were just tested "on leaving" but the fact that visiitors weren't ALLOWED TO LEAVE the park and in fact were kept there for several hours just SO that they could be tested before then being allowed to leave for home !

Meanwhile here in the UK we have nightclubs re opened, people with no requirement to wear masks and testing not being mandatory to gain access to anywhere for fear we offend someones civil liberties" - oh and our covid numnber rising daily to match of course - go figure eh !

Here's the BBC link to that story....
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-59119621

[Manforallseasons]

I don’t believe the numbers I know 3 people here that have had or have Covid.

[Brad the Impala]

I don’t believe the numbers I know 3 people here that have had or have Covid.

Had they been to Shanghai Disneyland?

[Manforallseasons]

Had they been to Shanghai Disneyland?

Not unless it was moved to Pattaya.