Restaurants (bars?) open?

[webbah]

My wife and I are considering a trip to Thailand for ~3 weeks in February or March. We have never been so not sure what the current restaurant bar situation would even compare to vs. precovid. Who has been recently and what’s open? I hear they are serving alcohol until 9pm? I do like a couple of beers with my meal and we aren’t the nightclub type anyway. We will do some diving here and there with the possibility of a LOB but also want to explore other cultural aspects of the country.

Thanks in advance for comments on the current and proposed near future dining situation as well as ideas on where to go in the country. I will be doing plenty of this research but thought I’d throw this question in as well if anyone wants to comment for a couple of first timers.

 

[Centrals]

There are TWO ways, Test & Go and Sandbox, to enter the Kingdom in Feb BUT thing can change very quickly so prepare for it.
If you are seriously thinking to go to Thailand then you should apply for the "Thailand Pass" from 1st Feb.
Top side attraction in the country? Most tourists will go to the North with very good reason. BKK has a lot to offer as well. Stay as long as you can because you are there already. Not sure about the entry to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam by then. Time is NOT on your side.

Take one step at a time.
Good luck

 

[BigJeff]

My wife and I are considering a trip to Thailand for ~3 weeks in February or March. We have never been so not sure what the current restaurant bar situation would even compare to vs. precovid. Who has been recently and what’s open? I hear they are serving alcohol until 9pm? I do like a couple of beers with my meal and we aren’t the nightclub type anyway. We will do some diving here and there with the possibility of a LOB but also want to explore other cultural aspects of the country.

Thanks in advance for comments on the current and proposed near future dining situation as well as ideas on where to go in the country. I will be doing plenty of this research but thought I’d throw this question in as well if anyone wants to comment for a couple of first timers.

I was in Phuket in Nov/Dec at the end of 2021, arrived and departed using Test&Go with a direct flight to the UK.


Simply put, everything is open and at that time the number of tourists was relatively low so eating and drinking was easy and varied.
The diving was also all open and day boats were available every day along with liveaboards out to Similan.

The hardest part was applying for the ThailandPass (Sandbox or Test&Go), that takes some preparation to get the documents (insurance, PCR booking, Hotel booking....) ready for submission and in the right format.
After the submission it's just wait a week for the QR code to come back.

If you are fully vaccinated I would apply for Test&Go when it opens again on Feb 1st, you still need two PCR tests (arrival and day5) but they can be at different locations if you want to travel in the first week. Sandbox means staying in the same hotel and area for 7 days (you can tour around during the day/evening)

If not vaccinated then you have to stay in quarantine in your hotel room.