Pattaya appealed once again to Chonburi health officials to allow alcohol sales and even reopen some bars.
Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome appealed to the Communicable Disease Committee at Chonburi’s provincial hall Nov. 29, arguing that continuing to ban alcohol undermines the city and province’s efforts to reopen Banglamung and Sattahip districts as tourism zones. December will see events three of four weekends and allowing booze and entertainment is essential, he said.
The Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration at its last meeting designated the two districts as “blue” tourism zones, but the decision on whether to allow alcohol sales lies with Chonburi. Phetchaburi’s disease-control committee on Tuesday approved alcohol sales in restaurants in Cha-am, but Chonburi’s committee so far has done nothing to help the struggling food and beverage industry.
Sonthaya said the recent Pattaya Fireworks Festival drew 10,000 people a night and that hotels were nearly fully booked. He insisted the city has done its utmost to prevent a Covid-19 outbreak among attendees, although there was little evidence of that on Pattaya Beach were people were packed in shoulder-to-shoulder.
Likewise, poor crowd control at the Pattaya Music Festival has led to reported cases among those outside the regulated stage-area fences.
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