Foreign Tourists Flock to Entertainment Venues in Phuket

Foreign tourists flocked to pubs, bars, and karaoke shops, especially those that reopened on Phuket’s Patong beach, when entertainment places were allowed to reopen on the night of June 1.

The government of Thailand allowed entertainment venues to reopen and sell alcoholic beverages until midnight after they had been closed for about two years due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Phuket’s Bangla in Patong beach is a well-known nightlife walking street for foreign tourists because it has many entertainment venues including pubs, bars, karaoke shops, and massage parlors.

The nightlife area was revived by tourists, mainly from India, Australia, and Europe.

Phuket has actually had that atmosphere for quite some time because it is a tourism-orientated area where pubs-turned-eateries obtained a green light to operate and sell alcohol earlier.

Phuket eases mask-wearing

Phuket officials have allowed healthy people to remove their face masks during outdoor activities, at the beach, in parks, and in stadiums, and Bangkok will follow suit as soon as possible.

The governor of Phuket on Thursday signed an order allowing people to wear face masks in certain places and in certain situations, easing the restrictions of the Covid-19.

A resolution passed by the provincial communicable disease committee led to the order.

As part of the order, masks are still required to reduce the risk of the virus spreading, especially in enclosed spaces that are poorly ventilated or where there is a large number of people gathered for an activity.

Mandatory mask-wearing is not required when eating, drinking, showing their faces to state officials, exercising outside, and at beaches, public parks, and other areas where people can remain at least two meters apart.

It will take effect on June 1 until further notice.

Under Section 51 of the Communicable Disease Act of 2015, anyone who violates this order may be fined up to 20,000 baht.

In addition, they may also be construed as violating the emergency decree of 2005 and be subject to imprisonment of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht.

Chairman of the Muang Kao Phuket community, Don Limnanthapisit, said he saw nothing new in the order, except the exemptions.

Covid-19 is still a concern for the provincial communicable disease committee, according to many people.

In the latest order, Phuket Tourism Council chairman Tanees Tantipiriyakit explained people can wear masks at beaches, parks, and stadiums as long as they are at least two meters apart.