The malls are crowded again. The streets are lined with traffic. There seems to be more people (and motorcycles) on the sidewalk. Your eyes do not deceive you: the City of Angels has come back to life -- or at least slightly. Certain venues like fitness centres and theatres remain closed (sorry, Marvel fans hoping to watch Shang-Chi) but the city's ever-favoured shopping malls have returned and dining-in at restaurants is possible again, albeit in limited capacity. Does this bode well for Bangkokians? Should we expect the worst? Despite the relief we feel of finally being let out of our houses, are there still challenges? Guru speaks to people of different professions to gauge their opinions.
Nitchanan Komson
Assistant Manager in IT & PR, photographer and videographer
Working in his family's school, Nitchanan has had work cut out for him these past few months. The complications of online classes and parents who are financially struggling don't make it easier, and despite the "soft" reopening that took place last week, schools remain closed. There's a glimmer of positivity, but he's not all too enthused about the situation.
What's your experience with the soft reopening of the city?
As a person whose family business is running a private school, this soft reopening has no new direct consequences because the situation can't get any worse. Although malls are reopened, students still can't attend school. They're still taking online classes. The Ministry of Education ordered schools to not collect tuition fees, their reason being, 'Because your school is not open'. But we are still paying teachers and staff full salaries because there are online classes. My family and I have reduced our salaries to pay our staff but we can't get stimulus payments because the social security office told us we weren't qualified for it.
Our school caters to families with low to medium income. Late payments are common. A few families can't even afford to give their kids lunches. If I really try to find how this soft reopening might positively impact the school, I'd say that it gives jobs back to those people who work in malls and restaurants. It'd be nice if those workers are parents of students at our school because they come closer to being able to pay fees. But as long as the schools are closed, the students are still required to take online classes.
Was it the right decision to open certain venues?
Yes. The problem is not just people gathering. The real problem is the lack of access to vaccines. Lockdown or not, it's still the same. It's not like we've had an effective lockdown, anyway. Cases kept rising even in lockdown. And from what I've heard, people still sneak out during curfew because they know their way around the checkpoints.
Do you think this is the last time we'll reopen?
No, I don't think this will be the last time we reopen. I believe we will go into lockdown again, judging from the momentum of the cases popping up every day. The vaccine registration is still a mess. It requires a smartphone and/or Internet access, and there are so many people in Thailand who don't know how to use the Internet or a smartphone. Somewhere along the line, I believe there will be someone who'll pull an 'Oops! I messed up' and start a new wave. The lower you set your expectations, the less likely you'll be let down.
Francesco Lenzi
Owner of Nonna Nella by Lenzi and Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen
Lenzi is glad that the semi-lockdown is over and that he and his staff can welcome back customers. However, that doesn't mean he thinks all is well.
How is business since the reopening?
We are certainly happy to open the restaurants again for dine-in, even with the current restrictions. For us, it was the right move because while my restaurants were always open for delivery, it was not easy. We had to have two restaurants sharing the same kitchen because of the malls closing. I'm okay with rules like having vaccinated staff and customers, and limited seating capacity.
But we must be able to sell alcohol because restaurants cannot pay all the expenses without it. Our business is food and beverage. If drinking wine at the restaurant isn't allowed, customers won't be happy and decide not to go. Restaurants should have the right to sell alcohol.
Was it the right decision to open certain venues?
The reopening is the only thing that can save us. In Bangkok, a high number of vaccinations have been made and we hope that soon it will be easier to choose and buy any type of vaccine in private hospitals. Many nations are considering returning to normal completely because they have understood that lockdowns do not help and we now have vaccines.
Do you think this is the last time we'll reopen?
I hope this is the last time we find ourselves in closures or have restrictions. Most of all, I hope that we are given the opportunity to be able to sell alcohol legally because we have already suffered too much. My hope is that from November Thailand will be able to recover and have a majority of the population vaccinated in order to reopen the nation to all.
Jahziel John
Teacher
John has been teaching his classes online. However, unlike a few teachers, he still travels to work, teaching his classes on-campus as his students view him through a screen. He's hopeful that we move forward from this pandemic, but no cars on the road during the lockdown is what he'll miss.
Has the reopening impacted your job?
It hasn't really had an effect. I've been working on-campus despite the lockdown, which is not so bad. It does make it more convenient to have more restaurants open. I do miss the reduced traffic caused by the lockdown.
Was it the right decision to open certain venues?
Yes. Since the numbers haven't really gone down even if many people were working from home, we might as well learn to live with it. It seems that this time around, people are more conscious about social distancing and keeping their masks on because of the Covid variants.
Do you think this is the last time we'll reopen?
This may be the last time we reopen. I don't think Bangkok will call for another lockdown of this scale seeing how it did not really decrease the number of cases per day.
Sasipha Kaewkham
PR & Communications Manager for The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok
With tourism coming to a complete stop worldwide, the hotel industry took a great hit. Sasipha, who works for The Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, which opened its doors on Dec 1, 2020, finds that for her personal and professional life, the reopening is definitely the right step forward.
What's your experience with the soft reopening of the city?
I enjoyed being able to get a haircut for the first time in two months. The soft reopening indicates a good sign of recovery to this wave of the pandemic in Thailand. We do see the light at the end of the tunnel. The reopening has a more positive effect on my job and our business even though we must operate our hotel and restaurants with limitations. We certainly cannot expect everything to go back to complete normality considering the fluid situation of the pandemic. It's better than a complete shutdown. We have room to breathe. But we hope that restrictions can be lifted soon and we can eventually fully reopen the city and country.
Was it the right decision to open certain venues?
Yes, especially considering the decline of new cases of Covid and an increase in vaccination rollouts nationwide. I do not think we can wait until it goes down to the ideal zero confirmed cases as businesses, large and small, need to survive. However, the reopening has to be done strategically. We have started to learn how to live with the Covid-19.
Do you think this is the last time we'll reopen?
I don't think this will be the last time that we will reopen until the virus becomes less consequential as we build immunity. This will take time. When we go down this road again, I only hope that everything will be handled fast, effectively and efficiently.
Junior Jafery
F&B Supervisor at The Peninsula Bangkok
Though Junior thinks this will be the last time we'll have to stay at home, he sees that there are still challenges to overcome, especially in his profession. As the F&B Supervisor for The Peninsula Bangkok, he's still seeing a lack of customers, but he's learning to accept the situation he's in.
What's your experience with the soft reopening of the city?
The experience has been lacklustre to say the least. It's good that restaurants and other businesses have reopened and are welcoming customers. However, for hotels, it's still a very difficult situation. People are not convinced to stay in hotels, dine with us and use our facilities, hence the continuing of temporary closures. There's little peace of mind now that the daily number of people testing positive is not continuously increasing like it used to. Still, safety measures have become my daily routine when going outside or commuting to work.
The lack of vaccination coverage is another problem. It's hard to be confident to go outside and 'live' or do anything with the knowledge that the ratio of people who've been vaccinated with two dosages is not as high as it should be.
On a positive note, I've been getting more time to plan for different projects down the line.
Do you think this is the last time we'll reopen?
I'd like to believe that this is the last time we'll have to reopen. I strongly believe that Thailand will not survive another lockdown. Businesses will go bankrupt more than before, poverty will continue to rise and it will lead to a very difficult future for everyone. Well, everyone except the elites or 5-10% of the population. More people are getting vaccinated with the minimum dosage required and 'new normal' practices have been put in place by many businesses. People are putting their guards up as well, taking all precautions to prevent themselves from getting infected.
Toshi Benson
Coach and founder of Benson Workouts
The sports profession has taken a huge beating during this pandemic. Benson found himself having to stop his coaching job when lockdown was announced. Now, he's back on the court and though there are still strict rules he has to adhere to, he's happy to be back.
What's your experience with the soft reopening of the city?
It's a small step forward. Slow progress is better than no progress. It's better than staying at home for three or four months without any information. Before the first lockdown I could hold up to 15 students at one session. Now there are times my sessions can only hold a maximum of three students because of the venue rules and sometimes up to five students. There are strict guidelines but it makes me feel safe following it otherwise I could be risking everyone else's health. Some clients have also requested locations I have visited in the last 14 days.
Was it the right decision to open certain venues?
With preventative measures, I believe it's the right thing to do. But it also depends on your situation. People who are doing well financially may not support reopening, but those who need a consistent source of income will definitely be for it.
Do you think this is the last time we'll reopen?
I wouldn't be surprised if we went back into lockdown. But then if a majority of the people are vaccinated, we could argue that another lockdown won't happen.
