News Forum - BMA allows alcohol in restaurants in Bangkok with some rules

[Thaiger]

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has finally agreed to let the plan to lift the alcohol ban in restaurants for Blue Zone tourist areas proceed in Bangkok with some caveats. The CCSA created a new addition to their Covid-19 colour-coded zones for the 4 key tourist areas of Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga, based on tourism need more than Covid-19 data, that eases many health and safety restrictions including the beginning of allowing booze back in the provinces, starting with restaurants. The BMA has decided that alcohol will be allowed to be served and consumed in restaurants in Bangkok, but […]

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[EdwardV]

While certainly better than nothing, it’s also not enough to move the needle. The November numbers are going to be very soft. 

[gummy]

7 minutes ago, yetanother said:

"They will also limit which restaurants can serve alcohol, only allowing those who have received SHA certification."

so typically thai: more senseless restrictions leading to red tape, paperwork and payoffs

Absolutely kick-backs rule you this country from the top down.

[Jason]

50 minutes ago, yetanother said:

"They will also limit which restaurants can serve alcohol, only allowing those who have received SHA certification."

so typically thai: more senseless restrictions leading to red tape, paperwork and payoffs

Shhhh.... don't tell anyone!! The SHA + thing is meant to be a secret!! That's only to be revealed AFTER tomorrow when the tourists have arrived.....

[Jason]

It's a good thing I can still go to 7 eleven or Family Mart to buy up. I wonder if the alcohol ban includes BYO?? The restaurants would probably want to charge corkage!!

[ozvenision]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

It's a good thing I can still go to 7 eleven or Family Mart to buy up. I wonder if the alcohol ban includes BYO?? The restaurants would probably want to charge corkage!!

Most them don't have a corkscrew so difficult to charge corkage 

[Stonker]

5 hours ago, EdwardV said:

While certainly better than nothing, it’s also not enough to move the needle. The November numbers are going to be very soft. 

Let's hope so -

"better than nothing" for the big restaurants, hotels and bars that can afford SHA+ certification, but useless for the smaller operators that can't.

Not enough to attract enough foreign tourists in any numbers, but enough to attract Thais to work and to party.

The worst possible solution for everyone, except a very, very few.

[Stonker]

8 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Live bands will now be allowed to play, but – bad luck for ska bands – the groups are limited to 5 band members maximum.

No ska bands?

One of my favourite genres, from Fats Waller to Fishbone, many only have five in the group.

It's not Phil Spector!

Edited October 31, 2021 by Andrew Reeve
Comment about the writer removed

[Jason]

Ozvenison, ok ok..... just arm yourself with a bottle opener and a corkscrew!!! Surely you already fitted them to your keys, before leaving Oz??

[Jason]

What's with the obsession about alcohol ?? It's not as if you can contract Covid from a six pack of Singha?? 

[Soidog]

22 minutes ago, Jason said:

What's with the obsession about alcohol ?? It's not as if you can contract Covid from a six pack of Singha?? 

Come on @Jason, you know why. It’s not the alcohol, it’s the environment and behaviours of people where it is sold. With alcohol people become forgetful, start talking and shouting loudly and getting closer than they perhaps should. This is the logic behind keeping it to registered restaurants and limiting the time of sale. There has to be a threshold and the debate is always over where the line is drawn. 

[ozvenision]

16 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Come on @Jason, you know why. It’s not the alcohol, it’s the environment and behaviours of people where it is sold. With alcohol people become forgetful, start talking and shouting loudly and getting closer than they perhaps should. This is the logic behind keeping it to registered restaurants and limiting the time of sale. There has to be a threshold and the debate is always over where the line is drawn. 

I'm with @jason... just spent 4 days in Hua Hin and 2 hotels on the beach serving alcohol no problem, and up market.. its all about the brown paper bags in the end 

 

[Soidog]

27 minutes ago, ozvenision said:

I'm with @jason... just spent 4 days in Hua Hin and 2 hotels on the beach serving alcohol no problem, and up market.. its all about the brown paper bags in the end 

Yes I agree. But as you say. Serving alcohol on the beaches. Nothing wrong with that in small outside groups and makes the point it’s not the alcohol. If however that became an inside bar packed with people or even a packed beach like a full moon party, then problem. 

[kmc]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

What's with the obsession about alcohol ?? It's not as if you can contract Covid from a six pack of Singha?? 

Yup...tis madness.  Additionally, getting a bunch of young health drunks to contract covid (and survive) is likely to get to herd immunity fastest.  No1 ever considers attempting to get to herd immunity. 

Why do people who are vaccinated have to wear masks?  Is it because the vaccine doesn't protect them?  When are they going to explain that conundrum to us...

Edited October 31, 2021 by kmc
edit

[Bob20]

8 minutes ago, kmc said:

Yup...tis madness.  Additionally, getting a bunch of young health drunks to contract covid (and survive) is likely to get to herd immunity fastest.  No1 ever considers attempting to get to herd immunity. 

Why do people who are vaccinated have to wear masks?  Is it because the vaccine doesn't protect them?  When are they going to explain that conundrum to us...

I am sure it has been explained to you before, but we will not reach herd immunity with the current vaccines.

You can reach herd immunity only if we have a vaccine that prevents diseases as well as transmission. The latter doesn't happen with the current vaccines.

And that is also why the vaccinated wear masks. Because they can just as easily contract the virus as any other person and pass it on. 

The vaccine only protects the vaccinated person to a high degree from getting sick or dying.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, kmc said:

Yup...tis madness.  Additionally, getting a bunch of young health drunks to contract covid (and survive) is likely to get to herd immunity fastest.  No1 ever considers attempting to get to herd immunity. 

Why do people who are vaccinated have to wear masks?  Is it because the vaccine doesn't protect them?  When are they going to explain that conundrum to us...

@kmc  I’m not sure how much reading you have done on Covid and herd immunity in recent months?  Herd immunity is something that most people have given up on with the current vaccines. If you are still unsure or don’t trust what people are telling you on this forum, then please read this:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00728-2
 

If you can’t be bothered or don’t have the time to read it all, then an extract relating to herd immunity and current vaccines says the following:

 

It’s unclear whether vaccines prevent transmission

The key to herd immunity is that, even if a person becomes infected, there are too few susceptible hosts around to maintain transmission — those who have been vaccinated or have already had the infection cannot contract and spread the virus. The COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech, for example, are extremely effective at preventing symptomatic disease, but it is still unclear whether they protect people from becoming infected, or from spreading the virus to others. That poses a problem for herd immunity.

 

[DiJoDavO]

11 hours ago, Jason said:

Shhhh.... don't tell anyone!! The SHA + thing is meant to be a secret!! That's only to be revealed AFTER tomorrow when the tourists have arrived.....

They are right on time. Late enough so tourists can't really cancel. Early enough to say: We told you before you came, so don't complain. 

[Jason]

Oh well, at least it's some concession. I think it will ease again if we tourists, act responsibly. And I get the social distancing point. It's only recently here that we could stand while drinking. Removal of masks only when seated, lower seating capacities for all restaurants and pubs. 

[gummy]

50 minutes ago, Jason said:

It's only recently here that we could stand while drinking

Never heard of that before so could you tell us where you live ?

[HiuMak]

i don't understand the logic. What is the relationship between alcohol in restaurant and covid? As long as there is social distancing in restaurants and limited number per table should be fine

[Malc-Thai]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Oh well, at least it's some concession. I think it will ease again if we tourists, act responsibly. And I get the social distancing point. It's only recently here that we could stand while drinking. Removal of masks only when seated, lower seating capacities for all restaurants and pubs. 

"I think it will ease again if we tourists, act responsibly".

I was in bangla Road last night patong and this certainly was not the case.. extremely over crowded bars with thais and tourist going crazy.. 

[Bob20]

21 minutes ago, Jamey27 said:

But it’s already been proven that transmission outside is less than 1%… c’mon man get a grip 

https://jonathanturley.org/2021/05/11/cdc-admits-that-it-miscalculated-the-risk-of-outdoor-covid-transmission/

No, that's not proven at all. 

You can easily walk past an infected person at 1m distance in the street at no risk.

But it becomes a different matter if you walk past an infected person at 3m distance and they sneeze in your direction.

No generalisations can be made like "1%", as it all depends on the circumstances. 

You can control what measures you take, but not what others may do. That's why recommendations are in place (that many completely ignore).

BTW, if it's all nonsense, why do thousands of outside working market-vendors test positive? I suppose that's not true either and yet another conspiracy...

[Paulw]

I wonder why there still appears to be an alcohol band in restaurants in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan & Koh Tao, unless you are SHA Green Zone affiliated which is just complete BS you cannot legally serve alcohol. But once affiliated how many actually follow the ridiculous rules, I bet none so why introduce such a stupid system in the fist place that isn't going to be monitered. I guess somewhere along the way it produces brown envelopes which will no doubt be what this is all about! Unless of course you are connected like a certain Bamboo club in Samui and you can serve alcohol & stay open as long as you wish despite being a Club! Obviously the advantage of being CONNECTED! one law for them and another for the rest. Now you know why Thailand is in much deeper S--t then we need to be. 

[Soidog]

6 hours ago, Jamey27 said:

But where is the line? I don’t understand why a bunch of vaccinated people can’t go to a bar and enjoy themselves.. what’s the point of the vaccine if you’re still restricted and people like you that support these restrictions are why Thailand will take until 2025 to get back to normal… stop being so scared 

The thing that’s wrong with it @Jamey27 is that not enough people are vaccinated.  So a group of people go to a bar. One or more is carrying the virus and is unaware and then pass it on to 10 other people in the room. Those 10 then go about their life over the coming days each pass it on to other people, many of which are not vaccinated. When vaccination levels are up at the 85% then it’s safer (note safer not safe) to go about your daily life as the risk becomes more manageable. 
 

If everyone in the bar is vaccinated and the vast majority of people they come in to contact with are vaccinated, then crack on, get back to normal life as the U.K. and other countries have done. But for Thailand it’s simply too soon unless you want to risk another major wave of infections.