Only people who have been fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test result will be allowed to dine in at restaurants in Hua Hin from October 1.
Dr. Suriya Kuharat
On Wednesday (Sept 8), Dr. Suriya Kuharat, provincial public health doctor of Prachuap Khiri Khan revealed details regarding the ‘Covid-free setting’ guidelines established by the Thai government in order to re-open businesses from October 1.
Dr. Suriya urged businesses, such as restaurants and hotels, to ensure they comply with the measures.
Dr. Suriya said that from October 1 there is a requirement for operators to use Antigen Test Kits (ATK) to test staff for COVID-19.
In addition, customers will be required to show evidence they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or that they have a negative ATK test result no longer than seven days prior, before they can enter the restaurant, Dr. Suriya confirmed.
These requirements are necessary in order to help effectively prevent the spread of the disease and help support the reopening of Hua Hin from October 1 as part of the Hua Hin Recharge Project, Dr. Suriya added.
There will also be an emphasis on getting more local businesses to meet the SHA and SHA Plus certification program, which is awarded to businesses who have sufficient safety protocols in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Currently only around 50 percent of hotels in Hua Hin have been awarded an SHA certification despite the reopening of the town scheduled to take place in less than four weeks.
Meanwhile, Ms. Prapatsorn Rangsirot, president of the Thai Restaurant and Street Foods Association, said that while she understood the need to put measures in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, she was worried that the cost to implement such measures would be too much of a financial burden for many restaurants.
Ms. Prapatsorn also urged the government to help restaurant owners by ensuring that vaccines are made available to staff in order to comply the new measures.
It is perhaps also worth noting that the measures regarding staff testing and proof of vaccinations will apply to all ‘dark red’ provinces.
At the time of writing Prachuap Khiri Khan, which includes Hua Hin, is a dark red zone.
However, Thailand’s Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is due to meet later this week (Friday Sept 10), and again at the end of the month, to reassess the current measures in place to limit the spread of the virus.
If the number of new COVID-19 cases decline between now and the October 1, it is possible that Prachuap Khiri Khan will no longer be a ‘dark red’ province, in which case, the the requirement regarding testing and vaccine proof may not apply.
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