FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Almost 57% of Thais oppose serving booze at restaurants: latest poll

Almost 57% of Thais oppose serving booze at restaurants: latest poll

Some 56.8 per cent of Thais disagree with the government’s decision allowing restaurants in 17 “blue zone” provinces to serve alcoholic drinks to customers, the latest poll shows.

The go-ahead by the government, amid an easing of the Covid-19 situation, is aimed at promoting tourism and helping businesses get back on their feet. Seventeen provinces have been reopened from November 1 to foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated and test negative upon arrival in the country.

The Anamai Poll, conducted by the Department of Health from November 1 to14 among 2,823 people, has showed that 56.8 per cent of respondents disagree with the decision allowing restaurants to serve alcohol.

Of those who disagree, 86.6 per cent said such a move could cause a spike in infections and lead to new cluster cases, while 56.3 per cent felt the measures restaurants must follow are not strict enough to prevent the virus from spreading. And 53.8 per cent said they did not believe business owners would strictly adhere to disease control measures.

Among those who agree with the measure, 86.6 per cent said the move would help stimulate the economy, 61.4 per cent believed it would promote employment, and 22 per cent felt it would promote tourism and provide visitors with places to hang out at night.

The poll also showed that 70.7 per cent of respondents wanted restaurants which serve alcoholic beverages to pass safety standards, such as the Thai Stop Covid Plus, Covid Free Setting, and SHA.

Almost 70 per cent said that all restaurant employees should be fully vaccinated and take ATK tests regularly, while 65.7 per cent felt such rules should apply to customers as well.

Some 41 per cent said restaurants should set a maximum time that each customer can drink in their establishments, while 6.2 per cent said they should limit the amount of alcohol per table to promote responsible drinking.

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