Phuket –
Phuket officials last night (July 18th) announced another measurement and temporary closure of places to "prevent the spread of Covid-19". The order was issued by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew which takes effect tomorrow (July 20th) until at least August 2nd.
1. Places to remain temporarily closed are:
- All entertainment venues, pubs, bars, and karaoke establishments in Phuket. Officials have begun to crack down, according to them, on bars "pretending" to be restaurants. See the end of this article for more information.
- All animal fighting courts and fields, boxing, legal gambling dens, and other similar places.
- New restrictions are:
- All department stores and shopping malls or similar places must close at 9pm.
- Alcohol sales and drinks are allowed in restaurants only until 9:00 P.M.The restaurant should be a proper restaurant and not a bar selling crisps and claiming they are a restaurant, according to officials.
- Convenience stores (normally open 24 hours) are allowed to open from 4:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.
- Sport stadiums, gyms and fitness can still be open.
- Billiards and snooker venues can open from 3:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Internet and game cafes can open until 9:00 PM
- Cinemas and theaters and waterparks can open as normal time, except amusement parks and outdoor playing machines areas can open from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M..
- Gathering for activities, parties, and drinking in public places including beaches are banned.
- Activities with more than 150 people are prohibited
- Celebration events are being REQUESTED not to be held (such as birthday parties or other parties, especially at restaurants, etc)
- Traditional events and religious ceremonies such as weddings and funerals can be held under strict measurements.
The orders in Thai are below, followed by a note on bars pretending to be restaurants.
Over the past weekend, local officials in Rawai, Phuket cracked down on nine entertainment venues they claimed were pretending to be "restaurants" but were actually bars and primarily selling drinks and entertainment. Officials have warned that restaurants must be properly licensed and the primary activity should be selling and consuming food. Officials have warned they will continue to inspect local venues and ensure they are actually restaurants and not just bars.
TPN media notes Phuket is one of the few provinces legally selling alcohol in restaurants currently, primarily due to the "Sandbox" program allowing in-vaccinated foreign tourists without a strict quarantine.
