It’s not just Phuket- a seafood festival is happening in Pattaya! The festival, called the ‘Squid Fair’ debuted yesterday in front of Terminal 21 Pattaya. Just like Phuket’s Roi Rim Lay and ‘Tastival‘ festivals, Squid Fair aims to boost the local economy by bringing in income to vendors. It will last until tomorrow (Sunday), May 1, and will close up its last day with a performance by Thai singer Earth Pattawee.
With several well known seafood vendors all gathered together in one spot, customers can enjoy a nice variety, particularly a variety of squid. The vendors are decorated with Japanese ornaments. The organisations teaming up to host the Squid Fair are the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association.
As Phuket and Pattaya have both historically been major tourism hostspots in Thailand, officials from both areas have scrambled to find ways to revive their tourism economies disheveled by Covid-19. In Phuket, officials this year have organised two seafood festivals, and an event with hot air balloons.
Last month, Phuket Governor Narong said the provincial government will work with local government organisations to create 10,000 vacancies for minimum wage jobs. The vacancies, he said, would pay the minimum wage of 336 baht per day, for 20 days per month, and would last for four months. The total salaries would be 6,720 baht per month. Narong said, “At least they will be able to feed themselves”.
Meanwhile in Pattaya, an entertainment official in Pattaya called on authorities last month to move closing times on venues to 1am instead of 11pm. The official was the secretary of the Pattaya Association of Entertainment Venue Operators. We’ll see how much the upcoming midnight curfew, which starts tomorrow, helps revive Pattaya’s economy.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News