When City Hall once again ordered Bangkok’s bars shut and banned restaurants from serving booze, ostensibly to stem the spread of COVID-19, an uncertain future loomed. Or so it seemed.
Bangkokians have always adapted to crises, from floods and upheaval to forced closures. The alcohol association estimates the closure could cost the industry up to THB9 billion (USD$300 million). Now, Bangkok’s bartenders are once again proving their resilience.
Whether it’s Studio Lam selling spicy Thai dishes as “Studio Yum” or Khaosan Road’s Hippie de Bar reopening as a flea market, the city’s revered nightlife institutions have pivoted left and right, launching revenue-generating side hustles that might help them to survive until business gets back to normal.
Less than a week into 2021, Niks…
