closing

  • Thailand NewsThai road safety groups challenge extended bar hours over drink-driving fears

    Thai road safety groups challenge extended bar hours over drink-driving fears

    Alcohol temperance and road safety groups are challenging the new government decision to allow late-night bars and clubs in major Thai cities to extend opening hours until 4am. The critics argue that the authorities failed to make necessary arrangements to avert potential alcohol-related mishaps. This protest follows an announcement made by the Interior Ministry nearly a week ago, permitting bars…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya to trial Thailand’s new 4am bar closing time initiative

    Pattaya to trial Thailand’s new 4am bar closing time initiative

    Pattaya’s legal entertainment zones are gearing up to pioneer the Thai government’s new 4am bar closing time initiative, starting from December 15. The announcement was made by Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches. Ngampiches, in his announcement on Saturday, November 4, stated that establishments within the legally designated nightlife zones in Pattaya would be the first to trial the extended operating hours…

  • Thailand NewsOPINION: Why restaurants are so f**ked

    OPINION: Why restaurants are so f**ked

    Article by Guest Blogger Joelle Parenteau (This article contains some strong language that may offend some people) Covid 19 is about to kill restaurants by the thousands. This pandemic is the ultimate pressure test and restaurants are failing hard. Think about it: when we come out of this, your favourite food spots might not be there any more. Why are…

  • Covid-19 NewsThousands of restaurants could close due to Covid restrictions, many others struggling

    Thousands of restaurants could close due to Covid restrictions, many others struggling

    Thailands newest wave of Covid, as well as the most virulent, and the lockdowns and restrictions because of it, is set to ruin hundreds of restaurants. One restaurant owner, 79 year old Kamol Trisitthichet, who owns Arlek Ratchawongse, spoke to Thai media about his ongoing struggles. He says that his business has lost 500,000 baht since the pandemic started. Further, despite…

  • Covid-19 News16 more Covid infections reported today in Phuket

    16 more Covid infections reported today in Phuket

    Phuket is reporting 16 more infections today. It follows visits from Bangkok and last weekend’s Kolour Beachside parties that have resulted in a number of new Covid infections. The number of new infections has reached 26. But deputy governor Vikrom Jakthee says the province has been successful in containing the new outbreak “due to its quick response measures which now include…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid lockdown in Pathum Thani district, just north of Bangkok | VIDEO

    Covid lockdown in Pathum Thani district, just north of Bangkok | VIDEO

    Whilst migrant dormitories and parts of the seafood markets in Samut Sakhon remain either in complete lockdown or as restricted areas, and the affected gambling dens in Rayong have magically disappeared, the focus of the current Covid outbreak has now turned to Pathum Thani… just north of Bangkok and probably better known as the province that hosts the Buddhist Dhammakaya…

  • Tourism NewsTourism sector facing massive closures

    Tourism sector facing massive closures

    Thailand’s tourism sector, long seen as a lifeline for the nation’s battered economy, is in a meltdown; more than 30% of tourism-related businesses have left the market with many more expected to follow, according to the Tourism Council of Thailand. The president of the TCT says the tourism industry predicts further deterioration after 6 months of the Covid-19 crisis, as…

  • World NewsHong Kong shutters schools again amid new virus transmissions

    Hong Kong shutters schools again amid new virus transmissions

    Hong Kong’s education minister says that all schools will close again from Monday after a spike in locally transmitted Covid-19 infections. The move will bring forward the start of the summer holidays, after the city recorded an “exponential growth” of locally transmitted cases in the past few days. The city recorded 38 new confirmed cases yesterday alone, 32 of which…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok’s legendary Scala cinema is closing

    Bangkok’s legendary Scala cinema is closing

    Bangkok’s venerable Scala cinema announced yesterday that it will stop its movie showing operations and let other businesses rent the venue for their activities or special screenings until the end of 2020, when its land contract expires. Scala, located in Pathumwan district, is the last standalone movie theatre in Bangkok. The 1,000 seat cinema was built in 1969 and named…

  • Covid-19 NewsBangkok’s five surrounding provinces also enforce closures, supermarkets stay open

    Bangkok’s five surrounding provinces also enforce closures, supermarkets stay open

    Five provinces neighbouring the Thai capital are now following suit and ordering the temporary closure of some shops and stores from today up to April 12. The five provinces are Samut Prakarn, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi and Pathumthani. The efforts are designed to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus in and around Greater Bangkok. Yesterday 89 new cases…

  • Covid-19 NewsThousands laid off, millions of baht lost as Chiang Mai elephant camps close

    Thousands laid off, millions of baht lost as Chiang Mai elephant camps close

    Elephant businesses in Chiang Mai and elsewhere in Northern Thailand are being wiped out in their dozens by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Most have closed their doors and laid off thousands of staff. Those that remain open are haemorrhaging money. According to Boonthachai Lert, chairman of Mae Taeng Elephant Camp and a spokesperson for the industry, 85 of Chiang Mai’s…