Pattaya business owners made a big deal over getting a written response from Parliament about their petition for relief from disease-control rules handcuffing the city’s nightlife sector, even though all the reply said was “thanks, we’ll pass on your request”.
The text of the response from House Speaker Chuan Leekpai was hardly anything to be happy or hopeful about, yet other media described Pattaya bar owners at being “relieved”. Perhaps they were simply happy to get any kind of reply after waiting for four months for a response to their petition.
“The request to reopen pubs and bars in Banglamung, Chonburi, and a remedy policy for the operators affected by the pandemic has now been forwarded to the government for further consideration,” Chuan wrote.
Lamphueng “Lisa” Hamilton, chairwoman of the Jomtien-Pattaya Entertainment Operators Club, put her best silk on the sow’s ear of a response, calling it a step forward, although a microscope might be needed to see the size of the step.
Bottom line: No one should hold their breath that Pattaya is going to get any special treatment from the government. Bars and clubs will fully reopen and closing times rolled back when the over-cautious uncles running the country stop being afraid of a coronavirus variant that leaves 95% of victims with no or only mild symptoms.
In the meantime, tourists will head to Vietnam, Bali, Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines, which have or soon will reopen without any sort of restrictions.
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