Pattaya restaurants are open again, but without alcohol, business remains slow.
Booze is a major draw for European-style pubs and restaurants and it’s the source of most businesses’ profits. Unable to sell alcohol under current red zone coronavirus restrictions, many Pattaya eateries have opted to remain closed.
Those that did reopen, especially those on beer-infused Soi Buakhao, remain slow.
John, a 10-year married expat from Germany, said he goes out for breakfast at a Soi Buakhao European restaurant, but has to buy beer at a 7-Eleven to drink at his nearby home. While he can still get his buzz on, the experience is not the same as getting liquored up in a bar, John said.
But John says he’s sticking to the Covid-19 rules as he’s afraid of dying from the virus. He hopes he can get vaccinated against it soon.
Somchai, an employee in a Soi Buakhao restaurant, said he was happy to return to work after being laid off for weeks while venues were banned from offering dine-in service.
 |
 |
 |
