THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 thephuketnews thephuketnews1 thephuketnews.com Friday, June 26 – Thursday, July 2, 2020 Since 2011 / Volume X / No. 24 20 Baht PUSH FOR MEDICAL TOURISM CENTRE REVEALED > PAGE 3 NEWS PAGE 5 New Governor arrives, sights BAR top priorities NONE BANGLA NIGHTLIFE LIFE PAGE 7 PRESIDENT BLASTS Local artists hit ‘Lean on Me’ for REOPENING RULES COVID relief FOR PUBS, BARS Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) President Weerawit Kreuasombat takes a stand on Bangla Rd on Tuesday (June 23). Photo: Tanyaluk Skoot The Phuket News The 22 rules were leaked to the to be restricted to allow for social “I want to ask those who did this [email protected] public on Monday as a draft list to be distancing, with at least two metres draft what was their thinking and presented to the Centre for COVID-19 between tables, or partitions installed, what part of the brain did they use?” PAGE 12 he President of the Patong Situation Administration (CCSA) in to ensure patrons are seated at least an angry Mr Weerawit asked The SPORT Entertainment Business As- Bangkok, which at the time of going one metre away from each other. Phuket News. Tsociation (PEBA) has blasted to press was expected to announce its Undermining the main reason “This draft for entertainment Premier League the list of rules released earlier this decision today (June 26) on whether people frequent such popular venues, businesses is too tough. We want week for bars and other nightlife or not to allow entertainment venues the draft rules also called for groups to them to be more flexible. Think, the takes a knee for entertainment venues to follow if the to reopen. be limited to five persons. and guests risk could be anywhere where people slow restart reopening of such venues is allowed Among the rules are that all staff were to be prohibited from dancing are around, and I have not seen any in the coming week. must wear face masks and face shields, and singing, gathering, shouting and reason to come up with draft rules Pubs, bars and clubs in Patong’s but performers may wear face shields wandering around the premises. like this,” he said. nightlife district, if allowed to reopen only. No bottles are to be served, all The list of 22 rules is too tough for “If you make rules like this, you at all, will reopen regardless whether drinks must be served in glasses. No operating entertainment businesses, might as well not provide music or not they can implement all the pool table games (including snooker Mr Weerawit said politely, before entertainment. The singer wears a rules, PEBA President Weerawit and billiards) and no playing of darts launching into a tirade against the face shield while performing? That Kreuasombat told The Phuket News are to be allowed. quality of thinking behind such an is not a great idea. And prohibiting on Tuesday (June 23). Further, the number of guests is exhaustive list of precautions. people from singing while they are... CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 @thephuketnews 2 PHUKET NEWS THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 [email protected] Local markets reopen to ‘new News normal’ > p5 New bar rules ‘too tough to enforce’ The Phuket News the COVID-19 situation to be “I think the CCSA will [email protected] extended to a total of 180 days. approve to lift the lockdown “The support for the first on Bangla Rd because there Continued from page 1 three months – March, April, has not been any new cases of …at the venue? People stay- May – is running out, and infection,” Mayor Chalermluck ing at home is better, right?” our request for the support to said. he posed. continue through June, July, The PEBA had asked Mr Weerawit believed that August is now being consid- Mayor Chlermuck to support entertainment venues were ered,” Mr Thanusak said. their request for entertainment being singled out with more That was on June 10. On businesses to reopen on July stringent precautions to follow. Tuesday (June 23), Mr Weera- 1, she added. “We understand that the wit said no officials had con- “I agreed with them, and goal is to reduce the risk of tacted him about the extra sent the request to CCSA COVID-19 from spreading, A staffer readies a bar on Bangla social security support for last Friday [June 19],” she but the prevention must be Rd for reopening, hopefully by former entertainment indus- explained. strict and clear from the begin- July 1. Photo: Tanyaluk Sakoot try workers left without any However, special measures ning, when the tourist arrives income. will be taken to prevent Patong, in Phuket. month anyway, even if we tax from us, but there is no “The Phuket provincial Meanwhile, Patong Mu- and the Bangla area in par- “And tourists do not im- are not able to follow all these help. The government never office needs to act as an inter- nicipality only last Saturday ticular, from becoming a “red mediately come directly to rules. If they want to shut down helps or supports us with any- mediary and be able to negoti- handed out yet another 1,000 zone” for COVID-19 infections the entertainment zone. They the entertainment industry thing for our industry. All they ate with the business owner, “community bags” of essential again, Mayor Chlermluck said. go somewhere else, such as because businesses are not able have done is provided some landlord and banks,” he said. items to people in need living “Thermal scanners will be a shopping mall, first. These to follow these rules, then let’s payments through the Social “They should also have the in Patong. set up at each end of Bangla rules, if applied in full, must do that. I don’t care,” he dared. Security Office, but that was authority to engage and talk Mr Thanusak earlier this Rd,” Mayor Chalermluck said. not apply only to here [the only for employees, not the with the Bank of Thailand for month pointed out that ac- “Entertainment venue op- entertainment zone],” he said. LACK OF SUPPORT business owner,” he said. tax and fee exemption pur- cording to current estimates, erators also must follow the “Entertainment businesses Mr Weerawit also blasted Government assistance is poses, ideally once bar owners the fallout from the COVID-19 guidelines [expected to be are not able to follow all the the lack of support from the key to helping businesses find have opened their business for crisis may end up costing approved by the CCSA] and rules in this draft. It is impossi- government for entertainment their feet again and to stand three months. Phuket more than B280 billion must set up Thai Chana QR ble,” Mr Weerawit said plainly. venue operators. a chance of future survival, “Also the government in lost revenues. code at the entrance to their “We will still open next “The government collects insisted Mr Weerawit. should provide electricity and Calling COVID-19’s dam- businesses so guests can reg- water free for three months age to the Phuket economy ister their attendance there. to help provide some relief ‘unprecedented’ Mr Thanusak “And they must manage from operating costs while the in earlier this month said that their visitors inside the venue businesses struggle to restart,” by the end of May COVID-19 to allow for four to five square he urged. had already cost Phuket about metres per person,” she added. The unemployment situa- B120bn in lost revenues.. “I will inform them of the tion in Phuket is so dire that details of what is required again Phuket Chamber of Commerce A NEW ROAD later,” she said. President Thaunsak Phungdet Patong Mayor Chalermluck Meanwhile, while Bangla has already submitted a formal Kebsup told The Phuket News Rd has been under lockdown, request to the Ministry of on Monday that business opera- Patong Municipality has in- Interior to provide people in tors were allowed to enter the stalled new drains underground Phuket left without any income Bangla nightlife area to prepare along both sides of the road, due to the government ban their venues in anticipation of and will complete the resur- on inbound tourists another being allowed to reopen. facing of the road in time for three months of social security “But they must inform me July 1, Mayor Chalermluck support. first before they will be allowed explained. “I have asked for the most to enter the area,” she said. “The road is nearly fin- social security support in the The Bangla nightlife area ished. All we need to do is country. I submitted an applica- remains the only geograph- paint the line markings on tion for the 90 days of social ic area on the island that is the road. The whole road has security support for people still under full COVID-19 already been cleaned up,” she left without income due to lockdown. added. thephuketnews THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 THEPHUKETNEWS.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2020 PHUKET NEWS 3 Govt push for medical tourism Plan for ‘International Medical Hub Centre’ unveiled The Phuket News “The project has the objective to [email protected] develop Phuket as a centre for high- priced medical services connected he Phuket office of the Public with international tourism. The Relations Department (PR centre, as an ‘International Medical TPhuket) has announced a Hub in a world-class destination’, plan for the government to develop would enhance the readiness of an international medical centre to medical infrastructure technology be built on 140 rai near the Phuket and medical services to support the Check Point in Tha Chatchai, at treatment of important communi- the northernmost tip of the island.