Two of the owners of the Maya Pub in Hua Hin have been given prison sentences and fined after an event held illegally at the venue was blamed for causing over 1,000 COVID-19 infections.
Chalee Srithongkul and Komkrit Pilakong from the Maya Music Entertainment Company, which owns the Maya Pub, were sentenced to three months in jail and each given fines of 20,000 baht, while the company was also fined 40,000 baht for violating the Communicable Disease Act.
Prachuap governor Pallop Sinhaseni also confirmed that the Maya Pub will not be able to operate as a pub at any point in the future.
Officials say that an event held illegally at the pub was the epicentre for COVID-19 cases in Hua Hin during the so-called ‘third wave’ of infections.
A concert featuring the Thai pop star ‘Joey Boy’ was held at the venue on March 30 and was attended by 1,500 people, which resulted in more than 1,000 people being infected with the virus.
The concert was attended by a member of staff from the Krytsal Club in Bangkok’s Thonglor district, which was also the location of a major COVID-19 cluster in the capital.
Health officials said that no proper social distancing or screening measures were in place at the Maya Pub on the night and that an event attended by so many people should not have gone ahead.
The fall out from the holding of the concert at the Maya Pub resulted in a senior officer from Hua Hin Police being moved to an inactive post, while a deputy district chief was transferred from Hua Hin to Kuiburi.
Meanwhile, Chalee and Komkrit were later released on bail of 30,000 baht each, it was announced late on Saturday.
