Three bars shut down in Bangkok lacking licenses, Covid safety

Possibly in the wake of the deadly fire at Mountain B Pub which prompted inspections of entertainment venues across Thailand, particularly in Bangkok, police shut down three bars in popular capital hotspots for operating illegally. Otto Bar in Sukhumvit Soi 22 and Emerald Club and Krystal Club, both in Thong Lor were shut down yesterday.

Otto Bar was shut down for one month after police investigated and found that the venue was opened without a license or a liquor permit to sell booze. The Deputy National Police Chief ordered the shutdown of the unpermitted bar as it was operating illegally.

The two bars in Thong Lor were in hot water for similar violations, as investigators confirmed that they did not have proper licenses to operate in the manner they were. Aside from serving liquor, the bars also had dance shows and live music which requires permits as well.

If those bar names sound familiar, it was the Krystal and Emerald clubs that were widely blamed for sparking a resurgence of the virus that spread across the kingdom in April 2021, which damaged tourism reopening plans and further decimated the already-fragile economy. Both managers faced charges of operating a nightlife venue without permission and violating the emergency decree but both denied any wrongdoing.

The two bars are in additional hot water after they were once again cited for not following proper Covid-19 safety measures. The rules laid out by the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority require employees to wear a mask while serving customers and are also supposed to be enforcing one metre between guests for social distancing. They also didn’t maintain the maximum number of customers in the venue properly.

Both Emerald Club and Krystal Club were ordered to shut down for two months because the bars flagrantly disregarded Covid rules and licensing requirements.

SOURCE: Thai Newsroom