On Saturday, the City Hall announced regulations for many Covid-19 restrictions’ lifting expected to take effect from Monday.
Under the new rules, Bangkok restaurants that want to serve alcohol must have SHA (Health and Safety Administration) certificates and only sell alcoholic beverages until 09:00 p.m., the Metropolitan Bangkok Administration’s Communicable Disease Control Committee said.
Provincial authorities enabled other businesses to reopen, including gyms and cinemas with some conditions. However, entertainment venues, karaoke shops, bars and pubs will remain closed.
Disease control officials also urged all companies to strictly adhere to Covid-19 prevention guidelines and ensure they keep their environments virus-free.
The City Hall said the measures would be in effect from November 1 to 30. However, the provincial government can make changes when necessary.
Health officials also advised restaurants that want to serve alcohol to upgrade their venues according to the post-pandemic “new normal” to regain local and foreign customers’ confidence.
New regulations were unveiled after the central government announced a new Covid-19 zoning, designating Bangkok, Krabi, Phangnga and Phuket as “blue provinces” with no restrictions.
The decree allows restaurants and eateries to reopen, but they must meet SHA requirements, set by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Nurseries, child development centers and special-needs child centers can resume operations, but the BMA Health Department must consider their facilities’ reopening based on suitability.
Care centers for the elderly can also reopen, but service recipients and officials must be fully vaccinated and undergo weekly checks. Beauty clinics, beauty salons, nail salons, tattoo shops, spas, Thai massage shops can also offer services via appointment.
Theaters can resume operations with 75% seating capacity but require permission from the BMA Health Department, as do boxing, dance, and martial arts schools.
Gyms and fitness clubs can reopen but must follow strict disease-control protocols, while libraries and museums can resume operations as long as drinks, food and activities are prohibited.
In hotels, convention centers, and exhibition halls, alcoholic beverages must remain prohibited despite their reopening permission.
Public parks, sports grounds, stadiums, swimming pools, water activities, shopping malls, community malls, zoos and animal shows, water parks and amusement parks can also reopen. But activities with large crowds had been discouraged.
