Closing bars and entertainment venues may not be a big deal in some parts of Thailand, but in Pattaya, it’s everything.
Both owners and employees vented their frustration April 9 after the government ordered bars, pubs, clubs, massage parlors and similar businesses closed until at least April 23 to control the latest coronavirus outbreak.
It is the third time in a year such businesses have been closed and, for those who derive their income from them, it’s yet more hardship after the hardest of years.
Rungthip, a bargirl in one Pattaya bar, groused that government officials were happy to collect taxes and income created by the entertainment industry, but never provided aid to the sector’s employees when shutting it down.
She said she felt powerless to control her own fate and insisted that the government should provide assistance to entertainment workers.
