Thailand Time Machine: A look back at this week LAST year in top Thai news: Thai Prime Minister says its time to reopen Thailand, and much more

The following is a weekly feature article looking at this same time period LAST year in Pattaya and Thailand news.

This weekly feature takes a look back at news from the same period last year (and sometimes different time windows, such as six months or three months) to see how things have changed, follow up on the progression of stories, as well as look at potentially broken promises or things that didn’t take place as promised in Pattaya and Thailand.

As we publish dozens of stories a week this is a quick way for people to take a look at what the biggest stories were a year ago, as chosen by our editorial team, and how they impact us today and relate to current news. However, they are in no particular order of importance, roughly in order of publication.

This week, we cover the second week of October 2021, from Sunday, October 10th, 2021 to Saturday, October 16th, 2021.

Let’s go…

1. Twenty-seven people arrested at illegal Pattaya karaoke allegedly violating Covid -19 rules

Pattaya continued unpopular raids on entertainment venues, which were banned at this time last year due to Covid rules and restrictions that would last until December.

VIDEO NEWS: 27 CUSTOMERS AND OWNER ARRESTED AT ILLEGALLY OPENED KARAOKE VENUE THIS MORNING IN PATTAYA

TWENTY-SEVEN PEOPLE ARRESTED AT ILLEGAL PATTAYA KARAOKE ALLEGEDLY VIOLATING COVID -19 RULES

2. Thai Prime Minister announces country reopening for vaccinated tourists from low-risk countries, consideration of opening bars and entertainment venues

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O’Cha announced in a nationally televised speech the country reopening for fully vaccinated foreign tourists from low-risk countries without quarantine by November 1st.

THAI PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES COUNTRY REOPENING FOR VACCINATED TOURISTS FROM LOW-RISK COUNTRIES, CONSIDERATION OF OPENING BARS AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUES

A VIDEO RECAP OF LAST NIGHT’S ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE THAI PM AROUND REOPENING THE COUNTRY, BARS, AND MORE

PR: THAILAND TO LIFT QUARANTINE FOR VACCINATED VISITORS FROM LOW-RISK COUNTRIES FROM NOVEMBER

THAILAND’S COVID-19 CENTER COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES COVID-19 MEASURE RELAXATIONS AND PROVINCIAL REZONING NATIONWIDE, EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY

This highly anticipated announcement was the beginning of the end for hated, business crushing restrictions. It would be a long road back, however, taking months.

3. Phuket and Samui begin to ease Covid restrictions

The long road to recovery continued.

PHUKET AND SAMUI TO OFFICIALLY EASE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FOR FULLY VACCINATED DOMESTIC TOURISTS IN MID-OCTOBER

4. Meanwhile, raids continue…

Even as Thailand began to plan to ease Covid rules, raids continued in Pattaya.

TWENTY PEOPLE ARRESTED AT PATTAYA RESTAURANT ALLEGEDLY VIOLATING COVID-19 RULES AND EMERGENCY DECREE

5. Pattaya ready for ‘re-opening’ with five major scheduled main events for November and December, says they will happen

They did indeed take place although bans on alcohol sales at restaurants and mandated closures of bars until late December spoiled the fun a bit.

PATTAYA READY FOR ‘RE-OPENING’ WITH FIVE MAJOR SCHEDULED MAIN EVENTS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER, SAYS THEY WILL HAPPEN

PATTAYA MUSIC FESTIVAL OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED TO BE HELD FROM NOVEMBER TO DECEMBER

6. Russell Crowe visits Thailand

This was a HUGE deal on Thai social media last year.

RUSSELL CROWE VISITS THAILAND AND TELLS PHUKET SANDBOX EXPERIENCE, SPARKING EXCITEMENT ALL OVER THAI SOCIAL MEDIA

Finally,

Pattaya officials aim to significantly reduce the number of homeless in the city before ‘re-opening’ to wider tourism

It has improved, to be fair.

PATTAYA OFFICIALS AIM TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE NUMBERS OF HOMELESS IN THE CITY BEFORE ‘RE-OPENING’ TO WIDER TOURISM

That is all for this week, see you soon.

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Tanakorn Panyadee
The Latest Local News Translator at The Pattaya News. Aim is a twenty-two year old who currently lives and studies in his last year of college in Bangkok. Interested in English translation, story-telling, and entrepreneurship, he believes that hard-working is an indispensable component of every success in this world.