Rumors are spreading on the Internet that the anti-Covid-19 measures in Chonburi are to be relaxed at the beginning of February. But that has not yet been decided.Chonburi and the provinces of Rayong, Trat, Chanthaburi and Samut Sakhon are currently “red zones” and are subject to the strictest virus control restrictions.

 In the eastern provinces, which are currently under maximum Covid-19 control, the restrictions could soon be lifted after a steady decline in new infections.Deputy Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha announced the good news. On Saturday there was no new Covid-19 case in Chonburi, only one in Rayong. 

Tourists can visit the holiday island of Koh Lan again since Thursday. Regular ferry traffic has started.Around 150 people visited the island on Thursday. Almost all of them were from Pattaya.Ferries to Koh Lan depart Pattaya at 7:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 3:30 PM, and 6:00 PM.

A former taxi operator in Pattaya who drove a taxi himself now survives selling melons.Wichian was the boss of a taxi company. He rented vehicles to other drivers and drove taxis himself. He was making around 120,000 baht a month until Covid-19 and the lack of tourists wrecked his business after nine successful years.

 Sports fields and gyms are open in Pattaya during the semi-lockdown. But people can only train alone.Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manote Nongyai said many people who previously exercised together in public aerobics, yoga and Zumba classes have asked if these activities can be resumed.

Neither in Pattaya nor in all of Chonburi was a single case of corona reported on Tuesday. There were two more cases in Chonburi on Monday.The steady decline in infections gives hope that the local outbreak is over.As for neighboring Rayong Province, Governor Channa Eimsang said there were 565 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the province. 

An eagerly awaited discussion in Pattaya between tourism industry associations and representatives of the local government ended with no results. It was only promised to help those affected by the semi-lockdown. It is also difficult for officials to decide how to help hotels, as they house a range of different businesses such as spas, restaurants and souvenir shops. 

Courier services in Pattaya are booming because many people stay home and hesitate to go outside.The quasi-lockdown and the fear of Covid-19 are causing courier services to boom. Hundreds of stores and businesses have shut down in Pattaya, but logistics and delivery companies have nothing to complain about.

The mayor of Pattaya discussed with officials how to initiate a separate vaccination program for the seaside resort.Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha and the Ministry of Health had previously approved local authorities to run their own programs, but they also have to finance them themselves.

Garbage collectors' in Pattaya work has become dangerous because masks are thrown in the garbage.Since April, the health department has been asking not to throw masks in the garbage bins. However, the vast majority of Pattaya residents do not adhere to this.

 First-class hotels are also suffering from the second corona wave. The quasi-lockdown in Chonburi has resulted in three large luxury hotels in Pattaya being closed.These are the Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort in Naklua, the Hard Rock Hotel and Café on Beach Road and the D Varee on Jomtien Beach.

On Wednesday, efforts were stepped up to ensure that people from Chonburi could only leave the province after having checked the required documents.People trying to leave Chonburi without them could face up to two years in prison and / or fined 40,000 baht.

 Traders in Pattaya and Jomtien, who used to make a living from their jobs, can barely survive.This applies to all of Thailand, but above all to the once flourishing tourist stronghold of Pattaya.Goi, a Som Tam saleswoman in Jomtien, said she used to sell papaya salad for 2,000 or 3,000 baht every day. Now she's lucky if she makes 1000 Baht.

The owners and staff of massage parlors and bars in Hua Hin have asked the governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan to reopen.Around 50 masseuses, bar hostesses, and gym workers gathered near the Hua Hin city hall and raised their concerns.The report went on to say that people in Phuket and Pattaya were similarly distraught.

 The Pattaya region's tourism boards asked the governor of Chonburi to order all hotels to be closed so that employees could receive state unemployment benefits.As in April, the Thai Hotel Association, Chapter East, and the Chonburi Tourism Council as well as six other organizations applied to the governor for economic relief to help business owners and employees during the second wave of Covid-19.