Le Pub soi Diamond Pattaya

[misteregg]

Just to keep you up to date, we have four girls still in the bar and they’re doing ok. Have food, showers and electric.
Will bounce back soon.

[1canbrian]

Hi Phil, useless info, watched a program last nite, build a Brompton bike from start to finish...….really interesting.....sorry must be due too lock down

[nampla69]

6 hours ago, 1canbrian said:

Hi Phil, useless info, watched a program last nite, build a Brompton bike from start to finish...….really interesting.....sorry must be due too lock down

I watched some of 'Songs of Praise' yesterday .....turned the volume off after  few minutes.

Has to be the lockdown ......

[misteregg]

Hi Phil, useless info, watched a program last nite, build a Brompton bike from start to finish...….really interesting.....sorry must be due too lock down

Pity I missed that. A great piece of engineering.

[misteregg]

I watched some of 'Songs of Praise' yesterday .....turned the volume off after  few minutes.
Has to be the lockdown ......

I bet you used to watch the one with Harry Seacome as well.

[misteregg]

Here’s some of the stuff I got the girls last week. They are cooking on their own now. I’m using the gas cooker to to make a few full English as well.
Five girls here now.

[Chang_Paarp]

1 hour ago, misteregg said:

Five girls here now.

Keep being the good guy and you'll have a full house soon.

[forcebwithu]

3 hours ago, Chang_Paarp said:

Keep being the good guy and you'll have a full house soon.

I counted eight plates so I think he's planning for more. 

[eyes4thais]

6 hours ago, misteregg said:

Here’s some of the stuff I got the girls last week. They are cooking on their own now. I’m using the gas cooker to to make a few full English as well.
Five girls here now.

Good job you got the cider locked away!

[eyes4thais]

56 minutes ago, forcebwithu said:

I counted eight plates so I think he's planning for more. 

f**k the plates lets see the girls!

[dcfc2007]

On 4/11/2020 at 11:31 PM, misteregg said:

I’m not just going to abandon my staff. I’ll give them food every day. I don’r expect anything in return.
It’s no big deal to me.

That's good. You are an honorable man.

It's wise not to expect anything in return. Don't get complacent, first sign of trouble they will all f**k off, probably taking whatever is in the till as they do so.

[nampla69]

17 hours ago, misteregg said:

Here’s some of the stuff I got the girls last week. They are cooking on their own now. I’m using the gas cooker to to make a few full English as well.
Five girls here now.

You bought them HP sauce ??..... bacon sarnie next ....you are indeed a good man. 

[misteregg]

Not sure where the thread is, but I understand that BM’s are helping the effort on the ground by donating food and other supplies.
I got a call today from Tommy Dee who wanted to give the girls a couple of bags of rice. I wasn’t at the bar to receive the donation but it was received by Anne in behalf of the six girls who are now in the bar.
Customers in Pattaya have also donated food as well.
On their behalf, thank you so much. They were having a big feast tonight when I popped in.
There is a great community feel in this town at the moment.
Thank you Thomas and all who are helping.

[thegrogmonster]

9 minutes ago, misteregg said:

Not sure where the thread is, but I understand that BM’s are helping the effort on the ground by donating food and other supplies.
I got a call today from Tommy Dee who wanted to give the girls a couple of bags of rice. I wasn’t at the bar to receive the donation but it was received by Anne in behalf of the six girls who are now in the bar.
Customers in Pattaya have also donated food as well.
On their behalf, thank you so much. They were having a big feast tonight when I popped in.
There is a great community feel in this town at the moment.
Thank you Thomas and all who are helping.

To me this is why this forum is so enjoyable. No bullshit and a willingness to support and assist anyone who needs help especially in these trying times.

[misteregg]

The government has today announced a further extension of one month to the emergency lockdown measures.
That means that the curfew is in place for another month.
What this means for the bar is that these measures have to be met before I can open.
1: Easing of curfew
2: Reinstating sales of alcohol (provincial)
3: Easing of social distancing regulations

I have then heard that all entertainment venues will have to apply to the government to reopen.

These are the measures to take to be able to open JUST FOR EXPATS

Then, travel restrictions including lifting bans on foreigners traveling into the country have to be lifted before any sort of tourism can resume.

That, in black and white, is what I am facing before I can begin to see any sort of return to profitability for the business.

It’s a long road ahead.

I have a very good landlord, the best. He is giving me a rent holiday whilst I am closed. But I have six staff staying in the bar which incurs electric and water costs. I’m providing food for them, and I’ve been helped by some of my regular customers, for which we are all so grateful. Thank you.
I also have to pay legal fees such as social fund and tax, I’ve been told if I don’t pay some sort of income tax I won’t get my visa and work permit on renewal.

A month ago, I took the decision that if I wasn’t open by June 1st I would turn off the water and electric in the bar and the staff would have to return to their family homes. I can see that date coming around and I’ll be in the same position as I am today.
I have stayed away from offering any opinion on all of this and just done what the government has told us. Together, we have got the numbers of new cases of the virus down to single figures nationally and zero for days in Chonburi province.
But now I have to say that unless there is some sort of help from government to help us through the months and months I fear we must close, then there is just no point in me trying to keep the business going.
Every day, I walk past rows upon rows of people waiting in line for charitable handouts of food and water from individuals and businesses. Thai people hungry.
I have the appropriate visa and work permit, my company registers staff and pays social fund every month. My company pays tax every year on profits. The government seems happy to sacrifice the tourism industry to keep the numbers low.
Some of my staff have received the emergency handout to casual workers. Some have received some of their salaries paid by the government. Some social fund payments have been frozen.
I am asking the government to consider the following.

* Consider entertainment venues with outdoor seating to open up to the curfew hours, if social distancing and hygiene standards are observed. (This is being considered in other countries)
* Defer all payments for entertainment licenses till we are open fully.
* If entertainment venues open without music, Government work with music licensees to offer refunds or discounts on future licenses.
* Consider government backed loans to registered businesses in the tourism/ entertainment sector to help is through the lockdown
* Local government relax payments of signage tax





If the restrictions don’t ease soon and we can begin the road to opening that I have outlined above, I will have to conclude that I will be just throwing good money away.

I receive messages every day from customers old and new, many in Pattaya now, telling me that they can’t wait to get back to Thailand, come party in Pattaya and even come to my bar. I hope to be able to welcome them.
But, hope for this business and the nightlife in Pattaya is running out.

[Thai Spice]

Just a thought, and as usual playing devill's advocate (well somebody has to, we cant just all nod our heads in the same style..) :

There has been since years "plans" and speeches about cleaning up Pattaya's seedy reputation, and transform it into a more family orientated resort.

Now, with probably 50% of establishment that will die a "natural death" in the coming months due to this lockdown, any administration or politicians would have a once in a lifetime opportunity to do it.  I mean, say a street like Soi 6 has half of its businesses go BK and close definitively, it would be very easy to declare this area "girlie free" and push the remaining half out.

A bit of discussion between authorities and investors who are looking at all the seaside land to be bought up, and transformed into something different is not a crazy idea.

Of course for some it would mean the end of the brown enveloppes, but other deals could, and will, be made.

Question to the local business operators @misteregg, @tommy dee, etc...what's your view ?

 

 

 

[thumper63]

1 hour ago, misteregg said:

The government has today announced a further extension of one month to the emergency lockdown measures.
That means that the curfew is in place for another month.
What this means for the bar is that these measures have to be met before I can open.
1: Easing of curfew
2: Reinstating sales of alcohol (provincial)
3: Easing of social distancing regulations

I have then heard that all entertainment venues will have to apply to the government to reopen.

These are the measures to take to be able to open JUST FOR EXPATS

Then, travel restrictions including lifting bans on foreigners traveling into the country have to be lifted before any sort of tourism can resume.

That, in black and white, is what I am facing before I can begin to see any sort of return to profitability for the business.

It’s a long road ahead.

I have a very good landlord, the best. He is giving me a rent holiday whilst I am closed. But I have six staff staying in the bar which incurs electric and water costs. I’m providing food for them, and I’ve been helped by some of my regular customers, for which we are all so grateful. Thank you.
I also have to pay legal fees such as social fund and tax, I’ve been told if I don’t pay some sort of income tax I won’t get my visa and work permit on renewal.

A month ago, I took the decision that if I wasn’t open by June 1st I would turn off the water and electric in the bar and the staff would have to return to their family homes. I can see that date coming around and I’ll be in the same position as I am today.
I have stayed away from offering any opinion on all of this and just done what the government has told us. Together, we have got the numbers of new cases of the virus down to single figures nationally and zero for days in Chonburi province.
But now I have to say that unless there is some sort of help from government to help us through the months and months I fear we must close, then there is just no point in me trying to keep the business going.
Every day, I walk past rows upon rows of people waiting in line for charitable handouts of food and water from individuals and businesses. Thai people hungry.
I have the appropriate visa and work permit, my company registers staff and pays social fund every month. My company pays tax every year on profits. The government seems happy to sacrifice the tourism industry to keep the numbers low.
Some of my staff have received the emergency handout to casual workers. Some have received some of their salaries paid by the government. Some social fund payments have been frozen.
I am asking the government to consider the following.

* Consider entertainment venues with outdoor seating to open up to the curfew hours, if social distancing and hygiene standards are observed. (This is being considered in other countries)
* Defer all payments for entertainment licenses till we are open fully.
* If entertainment venues open without music, Government work with music licensees to offer refunds or discounts on future licenses.
* Consider government backed loans to registered businesses in the tourism/ entertainment sector to help is through the lockdown
* Local government relax payments of signage tax





If the restrictions don’t ease soon and we can begin the road to opening that I have outlined above, I will have to conclude that I will be just throwing good money away.

I receive messages every day from customers old and new, many in Pattaya now, telling me that they can’t wait to get back to Thailand, come party in Pattaya and even come to my bar. I hope to be able to welcome them.
But, hope for this business and the nightlife in Pattaya is running out.

We're all hoping for the best Phil. 

[dcfc2007]

3 hours ago, misteregg said:

The government has today announced a further extension of one month to the emergency lockdown measures.
That means that the curfew is in place for another month.
What this means for the bar is that these measures have to be met before I can open.
1: Easing of curfew
2: Reinstating sales of alcohol (provincial)
3: Easing of social distancing regulations

I have then heard that all entertainment venues will have to apply to the government to reopen.

These are the measures to take to be able to open JUST FOR EXPATS

Then, travel restrictions including lifting bans on foreigners traveling into the country have to be lifted before any sort of tourism can resume.

That, in black and white, is what I am facing before I can begin to see any sort of return to profitability for the business.

It’s a long road ahead.

I have a very good landlord, the best. He is giving me a rent holiday whilst I am closed. But I have six staff staying in the bar which incurs electric and water costs. I’m providing food for them, and I’ve been helped by some of my regular customers, for which we are all so grateful. Thank you.
I also have to pay legal fees such as social fund and tax, I’ve been told if I don’t pay some sort of income tax I won’t get my visa and work permit on renewal.

A month ago, I took the decision that if I wasn’t open by June 1st I would turn off the water and electric in the bar and the staff would have to return to their family homes. I can see that date coming around and I’ll be in the same position as I am today.
I have stayed away from offering any opinion on all of this and just done what the government has told us. Together, we have got the numbers of new cases of the virus down to single figures nationally and zero for days in Chonburi province.
But now I have to say that unless there is some sort of help from government to help us through the months and months I fear we must close, then there is just no point in me trying to keep the business going.
Every day, I walk past rows upon rows of people waiting in line for charitable handouts of food and water from individuals and businesses. Thai people hungry.
I have the appropriate visa and work permit, my company registers staff and pays social fund every month. My company pays tax every year on profits. The government seems happy to sacrifice the tourism industry to keep the numbers low.
Some of my staff have received the emergency handout to casual workers. Some have received some of their salaries paid by the government. Some social fund payments have been frozen.
I am asking the government to consider the following.

* Consider entertainment venues with outdoor seating to open up to the curfew hours, if social distancing and hygiene standards are observed. (This is being considered in other countries)
* Defer all payments for entertainment licenses till we are open fully.
* If entertainment venues open without music, Government work with music licensees to offer refunds or discounts on future licenses.
* Consider government backed loans to registered businesses in the tourism/ entertainment sector to help is through the lockdown
* Local government relax payments of signage tax





If the restrictions don’t ease soon and we can begin the road to opening that I have outlined above, I will have to conclude that I will be just throwing good money away.

I receive messages every day from customers old and new, many in Pattaya now, telling me that they can’t wait to get back to Thailand, come party in Pattaya and even come to my bar. I hope to be able to welcome them.
But, hope for this business and the nightlife in Pattaya is running out.

Firstly Phil, you are an honorable man for how you have helped your staff. Unlike a certain bar group that broadcast over social media how they were helping their staff, then turfed them out and made up a big lie that the Police told them they had to send them home, but that's another story.

I won't get into the extending of the utterly ridiculous lockdown measures but what worries me the most for barowners like yourself, they seem to be treating alcohol as if it helps spread Covid, and bars as if they are leper colonies. They certainly won't a give a monkeys about farang owned bars that's for sure, the one hope is that the big brewery companies are owned by the richest Thais in the country, I would imagine they will be nagging the govt to lift the prohibition of alcohol sales and to allow the bars to reopen.

You are in a slightly more fortunate situation than most in that you have a helpful landlord and you are well liked and supported by the remaining few expats in town. I have no doubt that if you were able to reopen you would scrape your way through until the tourists return. However, you are looking at a best case scenario of 12 months before tourists start to return in anywhere near pre-covid numbers. I think the Thai govt and the TAT are hedging their bets on getting the Chinese hordes back over soon enough. The dirty farangs can wait.

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by dcfc2007

[Jambo]

36 minutes ago, dcfc2007 said:

 I think the Thai govt and the TAT are hedging their bets on getting the Chinese hordes back over soon enough. The dirty farangs can wait.

I am sure they are but that cannot happen until they lift many of the very restrictions that Phil and others refer to as stopping trading. No chinks are going to come over if there is still a curfew and they cannot eat in "their" restaurants and drink whatever alcoholic drinks chinks normally consume. Not to mention, spending 14 days in quarantine first.

The worry is that if you open up the borders again then in come the great unwashed starting a second wave of coronavirus cases and back to square one. The first, much easier step, would be to get the existing home grown businesses up and running again first. Keep the restrictions on tourists from overseas but immediately start to lift the restrictions on Thai's and expats and thus move towards some kind of normality with shops, bars and restaurants once again being able to open. You can only allow unrestricted tourism when all the rest of the world gets its act together.

That would certainly help Phil who will get the support of the expat community but do absolutely nothing to assist the bars, GoGo's, clubs and restaurants in Pattaya who rely on tourists.You have to start somewhere and that start should come from the Thai's themselves.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Jambo

[dcfc2007]

19 minutes ago, Jambo said:

I am sure they are but that cannot happen until they lift many of the very restrictions that Phil and others refer to as stopping trading. No chinks are going to come over if there is still a curfew and they cannot eat in "their" restaurants and drink whatever alcoholic drinks chinks normally consume. Not to mention, spending 14 days in quarantine first.

The worry is that if you open up the borders again then in come the great unwashed starting a second wave of coronavirus cases and back to square one. The first, much easier step, would be to get the existing home grown businesses up and running again first. Keep the restrictions on tourists from overseas but immediately start to lift the restrictions on Thai's and expats and thus move towards some kind of normality with shops, bars and restaurants once again being able to open. You can only allow unrestricted tourism when all the rest of the world gets its act together.

That would certainly help Phil who will get the support of the expat community but do absolutely nothing to assist the bars, GoGo's, clubs and restaurants in Pattaya who rely on tourists.You have to start somewhere and that start should come from the Thai's themselves.

The local restrictions will be lifted long before international tourists make a return. That is the same the world over. I actually believe that over the coming months we will start to see a return to a more normal way of living but with some social distancing measures in place. But I don't foresee a return to mass tourism until either a vaccine is found or a therapeutic treatment is discovered.

The TAT has been saying in recent days they are hoping to attract Chinese tourists back, not forgetting that Thai government ministers have blamed foreigners for spreading Covid. The current Thai administration is very pro-China and deeply xenophobic towards westerners.

What they fail to understand is that China has not overcome Covid-19, they have just covered it up, even right now there is a massive outbreak of Covid in the northern Chinese city of Harbin. It will be a long time before the Chinks start to travel in any numbers. Business owners in Pattaya are going to be left scrapping over the few remaining expats in town, I think Phil will do alright because he is well liked an supported, others are going to find these coming months a real struggle.

Edited April 28, 2020 by dcfc2007

[Yesitisdakid]

If you fail to reopen I know it will crush you but you should not feel a bit of guilt you will have did more than most bar owners and tried.  business  or personal no one can or should throw good money after bad and IMO thats what you would be doing. Your loyal staff will understand you tried and thats all you could have done.

[tommy dee]

22 hours ago, misteregg said:

The government has today announced a further extension of one month to the emergency lockdown measures.
That means that the curfew is in place for another month.
What this means for the bar is that these measures have to be met before I can open.
1: Easing of curfew
2: Reinstating sales of alcohol (provincial)
3: Easing of social distancing regulations

I have then heard that all entertainment venues will have to apply to the government to reopen.

These are the measures to take to be able to open JUST FOR EXPATS

Then, travel restrictions including lifting bans on foreigners traveling into the country have to be lifted before any sort of tourism can resume.

That, in black and white, is what I am facing before I can begin to see any sort of return to profitability for the business.

It’s a long road ahead.

I have a very good landlord, the best. He is giving me a rent holiday whilst I am closed. But I have six staff staying in the bar which incurs electric and water costs. I’m providing food for them, and I’ve been helped by some of my regular customers, for which we are all so grateful. Thank you.
I also have to pay legal fees such as social fund and tax, I’ve been told if I don’t pay some sort of income tax I won’t get my visa and work permit on renewal.

A month ago, I took the decision that if I wasn’t open by June 1st I would turn off the water and electric in the bar and the staff would have to return to their family homes. I can see that date coming around and I’ll be in the same position as I am today.
I have stayed away from offering any opinion on all of this and just done what the government has told us. Together, we have got the numbers of new cases of the virus down to single figures nationally and zero for days in Chonburi province.
But now I have to say that unless there is some sort of help from government to help us through the months and months I fear we must close, then there is just no point in me trying to keep the business going.
Every day, I walk past rows upon rows of people waiting in line for charitable handouts of food and water from individuals and businesses. Thai people hungry.
I have the appropriate visa and work permit, my company registers staff and pays social fund every month. My company pays tax every year on profits. The government seems happy to sacrifice the tourism industry to keep the numbers low.
Some of my staff have received the emergency handout to casual workers. Some have received some of their salaries paid by the government. Some social fund payments have been frozen.
I am asking the government to consider the following.

* Consider entertainment venues with outdoor seating to open up to the curfew hours, if social distancing and hygiene standards are observed. (This is being considered in other countries)
* Defer all payments for entertainment licenses till we are open fully.
* If entertainment venues open without music, Government work with music licensees to offer refunds or discounts on future licenses.
* Consider government backed loans to registered businesses in the tourism/ entertainment sector to help is through the lockdown
* Local government relax payments of signage tax





If the restrictions don’t ease soon and we can begin the road to opening that I have outlined above, I will have to conclude that I will be just throwing good money away.

I receive messages every day from customers old and new, many in Pattaya now, telling me that they can’t wait to get back to Thailand, come party in Pattaya and even come to my bar. I hope to be able to welcome them.
But, hope for this business and the nightlife in Pattaya is running out.

i dont get to keep my salary, it goes on bills.  and of our advertisers, we are down to two payers so in the same baot phil, as that only covers the lecki bill.  and until we get to see places opening, we wont get any more money either as they cant advertise.  I was amazed how sad the customers were when they called to freeze their ads.  but it was inevitable.  we keep busy with the donation program, which we love doing, but I am not sure how ned may will look.  all will be paid tomorrow, but thats the savings gone .

 

But I wont give up.  bullies, wars, depressions, revolutions, deaths.. we have got thru them all at some time and I have a feeling Phil is like me, a weebal  ( we wobble but dont fall down).  If you were considering a different location, dark side, I could help you with ease Phil,   maybe we can chat over the coming days. ( double shop)  but it cant be a girlie bar, could be a bar/cafe

 

either way we are all in the shit, and even, as someone said, if they DID open the flood gates, nothing much would flow in.  the chinks arent allowed time off from work, europe has 2 wks confinement when they get home, and right now even if they allow flights in here again it will be with the current 2 week quarantine.  so its expats that will be key... and at least you have a good expat following phil.  Keep the faith

[Thai Spice]

1 hour ago, tommy dee said:

so its expats that will be key

Back to basics....

 

[misteregg]

Just a thought, and as usual playing devill's advocate (well somebody has to, we cant just all nod our heads in the same style..) :
There has been since years "plans" and speeches about cleaning up Pattaya's seedy reputation, and transform it into a more family orientated resort.
Now, with probably 50% of establishment that will die a "natural death" in the coming months due to this lockdown, any administration or politicians would have a once in a lifetime opportunity to do it.  I mean, say a street like Soi 6 has half of its businesses go BK and close definitively, it would be very easy to declare this area "girlie free" and push the remaining half out.
A bit of discussion between authorities and investors who are looking at all the seaside land to be bought up, and transformed into something different is not a crazy idea.
Of course for some it would mean the end of the brown enveloppes, but other deals could, and will, be made.
Question to the local business operators @misteregg, @tommy dee, etc...what's your view ?
 
 
 

I don’t think that the bloodbath for beer bars on soi 6 etc will be as bad as everyone thinks.
I think the chill will be felt on Walking St and LK, where landlords are ruthless and rents are astonishingly high.
I know of several big WS gogos that won’t reopen.
But, beer bars, massage shops with low rent and salaries will be ok.

[misteregg]

Firstly Phil, you are an honorable man for how you have helped your staff. Unlike a certain bar group that broadcast over social media how they were helping their staff, then turfed them out and made up a big lie that the Police told them they had to send them home, but that's another story.
I won't get into the extending of the utterly ridiculous lockdown measures but what worries me the most for barowners like yourself, they seem to be treating alcohol as if it helps spread Covid, and bars as if they are leper colonies. They certainly won't a give a monkeys about farang owned bars that's for sure, the one hope is that the big brewery companies are owned by the richest Thais in the country, I would imagine they will be nagging the govt to lift the prohibition of alcohol sales and to allow the bars to reopen.
You are in a slightly more fortunate situation than most in that you have a helpful landlord and you are well liked and supported by the remaining few expats in town. I have no doubt that if you were able to reopen you would scrape your way through until the tourists return. However, you are looking at a best case scenario of 12 months before tourists start to return in anywhere near pre-covid numbers. I think the Thai govt and the TAT are hedging their bets on getting the Chinese hordes back over soon enough. The dirty farangs can wait.
 

The outlook keeps changing, even on a daily basis.
Now, there is a glimmer of hope that June 15 we can open, although nothing official.
Tourism probably will return before the high season, with few restrictions.