Pattaya bar owners said they’ve taken the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and want the government to provide them extra assistance once the current outbreak ends.
Sompot, the owner of two medium-sized bars in Pattaya, said he had to lay off forty employees at each watering hole three times. Each shutdown has plunged him further into debt and the government, he said, doesn’t seem to care.
“We are important businesses in tourist areas, creating income for the country at the highest level,” Sompot said. “We want to see remedial measures consistent with our status.”
One thing that would help, he said, would be to remove the limit on operating hours that have been in place for the past year. If bars can open, Sompot said, let them open for the full, regular hours. That will help owners earn back the money they’ve lost.
