Hua Hin bars request permission to reopen on trial basis

In what could set a precedent for the rest of the country, representatives of bar owners in Hua Hin, accompanied by the Mayor of Hua Hin, have submitted a request to authorities, requesting permission to reopen for a trial period. Citing the apparently successful suppression of the Covid-19 virus around Thailand, and the fact that most other businesses have been allowed to reopen, Hua Hin’s bars are promising to adhere to rigid hygiene and social distancing measures.

The seaside resort on the Gulf of Thailand has about 300 nightlife establishments, normally employing around 1,500 workers, all of whom are currently jobless. The president of the Hua Hin Beer Club, Ms. Punyanuch Woranuch, says they have agreed strict rules and hygiene measures for customers, in addition to those already laid down by the government. She says all customers would be required to sign in and wear face masks, as well as observing social distancing rules. Premises would be disinfected hourly and all bars and pubs have agreed they would close at 10.00pm during the trial period.

A report in The Pattaya News says the Mayor of Hua Hin, Nopporn Wuttikul, appears to back the request, and has agreed to present it to the provincial governor for submission to the Thai Government. As the country is still under Emergency Decree laws, such a request can only be granted with permission from the government’s Covid-19 task force. Were this to happen, it sets a precedent for the rest of the country, and it would seem highly likely that other tourist hotspots, not least Pattaya and Phuket, would submit their own requests.