Bangkok’s closed bars may reopen Jan. 16, with some big ifs

Bangkok’s nightlife purveyors got a whiff of good news today with word that this month’s reopening date may still happen. 

Though the number of new cases continued to surge and hospital beds filled roughly 10% overnight, the COVID-19 pandemic task force today said that the bars closed the past nine months may reopen if they obtain health certification.

Though all venues must stop serving alcohol at 9pm starting Jan. 16, those that obtain so-called SHA certification may resume operations. That will be relief for the few bars that haven’t quietly resumed sales on the sly. Those with restaurant licenses have been able to operate legally.

The reopening plan and earlier booze curfew – alcohol can currently sell until 11pm – apply to areas designated “blue.” For those struggling to keep track of the color codes, blue covers tourism destinations that included much of metro Bangkok, as well as Phuket and Krabi provinces. It will now also include Phang-gna, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao.

After punting on decisions all week, health officials today did urge the public to work from home through the rest of January. Thailand has been in a holding pattern waiting to see what toll the Omicron variant will have on the nation’s medical infrastructure.

There were 7,526 new cases reported today, an increase of 30% over Thursday’s 5,775. While many have taken a cavalier attitude due to preliminary suggestions Omicron is less serious, nearly 9,500 more hospital beds are in use since Monday, with the total number of patients under treatment rising to 42,580. Nineteen more deaths were reported today.