Cheers! Chiang Mai restaurants can now serve alcohol until 11pm

Crack open a beer and don’t worry about hiding it in a paper cup. Restaurants in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand are now permitted to serve alcoholic beverages until 11pm, according to the Chiang Mai Communicable Disease Committee. The new rule is effective from today, April 1. And no, it’s not an April Fool’s joke.

Under Thailand’s colour-coded zoning scale based on local Covid-19 infection rates, Chiang Mai was recently changed from an “orange” zone to a “blue” zone with less stringent disease control measures. The northern province is also open to travellers entering the countries under the Test & Go and Sandbox quarantine exemption schemes.

To serve booze, restaurants must first pass a “Covid Free Setting” assessment and must not have more than 500 people present at any time. Restaurants may also play live music.

Pubs, bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues are still ordered to remain closed. If venues of this kind wish to open, a loophole exists whereby the venue can serve food and apply to change the format of their venue to a restaurant. All shops may sell alcohol at the times specified by the law as usual.

SOURCE: Ch7