Getting a lot of questions about vaccination to eat at restaurants, required antigen test kits, staff vaccinated etc. The CCSA spokesman just clarified these after mixed messages from the Bangkok Governor and others over the past day. Pattaya News

Getting a lot of questions about vaccination to eat at restaurants, required antigen test kits, staff vaccinated etc. The CCSA spokesman just clarified these after mixed messages from the Bangkok Governor and others over the past day.

According to the CCSA, all the new universal prevention measures are trials and pilot programs through at least the end of September as the country learns to live with Covid19. They will not be enforced (at a national level)at this time due to lack of supply and people vaccinated. They are aimed to eventually be permanent policy but are in a pilot period.

The CCSA will continue to work with restaurant partners throughout this time as more test kits are supplied and people vaccinated and work on adjustments to the plan. According to the CCSA they do not want to make people's lives difficult or raise expenses.

Restaurants will need to follow all existing rules like social distancing, check in, temperature checks, as well as 50 percent capacity in air con, 75 percent no air con or outside in dark red zones. No alcohol at restaurants. All this will be enforced. There will not be enforcement around rapid atks or everyone being vaccinated, including customers at this time as it is a pilot program (universal prevention). Of course, if a restaurant chooses to implement these rules they have the choice but if they are unable to do so due to supply of vaccines or kits (the case almost everywhere) then they can still open. The Bangkok Governor also confirmed this today.

Importantly, Chonburi has not yet released their provincial orders allowing anything to ease September 1st, we are still waiting for this. They can also strengthen rules if they wish.

Also keep in mind that local law enforcement could interpret the admittedly confusing rules differently than national announcements during this transition period. However, the overall message is the widely panned vaccination and testing rules are not yet to be enforced and a trial/pilot, welcome news for restaurant owners.

This is however eventually the direction they are going and high risk business owners should be working on a long-term plan to get all their staff vaccinated and expect regular testing in the future. Customers should be focused on getting their own vaccinations when they can knowing that, eventually, the pilot program will likely become policy.

Disclaimer; As always subject to change and interpretation of different provinces and municipalities. We will provide the Chonburi rules when they come out.