Pattaya mayoral candidate Peter Ngampichet said he wants Chonburi Province to receive the flow of tourists as before COVID-19 all year round.
Currently, the island near Pattaya Koh Lan is visited by more than 20,000 tourists a day, and the mayoral candidate said he wants to keep this figure.
Chonburi, in particular Pattaya and the surrounding areas, have fallen on hard times due to COVID-19. The authorities applied harsh measures against Pattaya, while preferential conditions for tourists were introduced in Phuket. Phuket Sandbox program was introduced, allowing foreigners to arrive on the island earlier than the whole country opened its borders and earlier than anywhere else in Thailand, the curfew and the ban on alcohol in restaurants was lifted.
The candidate for mayor of Pattaya promised to fully restore the nightlife and entertainment industry in Pattaya, which, according to him, are important for tourism and are a «magnet» for tourists. Last month, representatives of the entertainment industry in Pattaya called on the authorities to postpone the closing time of establishments to 1:00 instead of 23:00.
Recently, Pattaya police raided restaurants that continued to serve alcohol in their establishments after the curfew, which is currently set at 23:00, but is often ignored by owners who are trying to revive their business.
Pattaya needs to resume the activity of the entertainment sector in order not to miss its potential customers. Now other camps of Southeast Asia are already beginning to open for tourists, which may lead to a «leak» of customers to other countries where entertainment is already functioning as before. The loss of Pattaya as the main tourist center may have a negative impact on the Thai economy.