Phuket Provincial Police has released a report claiming that officers have carried out more than 3,000 venue inspections since Nov 1, resulting in 32 arrests for breaking the provincial order regulating the sale of alcohol and COVID regulations prohibiting staff from having close contact with customers.
The report marked that on Saturday alone (Dec 4), officers conducted 142 inspections of venues, resulting in four arrests: one in Muang District, two in Kamala and one in Wichit.
The report marked that the inspections and arrests were conducted specifically to enforce Phuket Provincial Order No. 7188/2564, “regarding measures to close the place or prohibit activities that are at risk of spreading disease” (COVID-19) and Phuket Provincial Order No. 7585/2564, which regulates the sale and consumption of alcohol across the island.
Under the provincial order which came into effect on Nov 16, restaurants and other “eateries” ‒ that is, any venue with a permit to serve food, and if the venue also has a permit to sell alcohol ‒ may serve alcohol from 11am to 2pm and from 5pm to 11pm only.
The subsequent revised order that came into effect on Nov 27 repeated the restricted alcohol serving times, but allowed for alcohol to be sold all night on New Year’s Eve.
The report by Phuket Provincial Police, issued on Saturday (Dec 4), noted that the provisions enforced in the campaign included those mandating that dancing remained prohibited, and that contact between singers, musicians and other performers with customers, or having performers sitting with customers, also remained prohibited.
The report marked that officers had inspected 3,760 venues from Nov 1 through Dec 4, resulting in police bringing charges against 32 people in 28 cases.
One of the cases involved gambling, in which three people were arrested at a venue in Patong, the report noted.
The remaining 27 cases and subsequent arrests were given as follows:
Muang Phuket: 13 cases, 14 people arrested
Chalong: 1 case, 1 person arrested
Wichit: 2 cases, 2 people arrested
Patong: 6 cases, 6 people arrested
Thalang: 1 case, 1 person arrested
Kamala: 3 cases, 3 people arrested
Kathu: 1 case, 2 people arrested
Police did not name any of the venues caught breaking the COVID regulations, or name any of the people arrested, and photos of venues raided had their names obscured. – The Phuket News
