Riverside restaurants expect brisk business during the Royal Barge Procession, the final event in King Rama X’s coronation.
All seats booked by procession audience
Restaurant operators along the Chao Phraya River expect brisk business during the Royal Barge Procession, the final event in King Rama X’s coronation.
About 80 restaurants and hotels on the riverside are gearing up for the Oct 24 procession, especially those from Wasukri pier to Ratchaworadit pier, along the main route of the procession.
Thaniwan Koonmongkon, president of the Thai Restaurant Association, said these dining places can accommodate about 10,000 guests who want to witness the event.
Projected spending ranges from 1,000 baht to 10,000 baht per person, depending on the location, she said.
Each restaurant has been permitted by the authorities to provide seating: Khin
Lom Chom Sa Phan has 300 seats, followed by Kalong Home Kitchen (200), In
Love Bar & Restaurant (150), Hidden House Bistro (100), Krua Khun Kung (80) and Steve Cafe & Cuisine (60).
For hotel restaurants, Riverside Bangkok has 500 seats, Riva Surya Bangkok has 120 and there will be 20 seats at Praya Palazzo.
Other areas near the river that have restaurant services include Yodpiman Riverwalk and Tha Maharaj, offering 1,000 and 920 seats, respectively.
“Restaurants near the Chao Phraya River are fully booked and about 80% of guests are Thais,” Ms Thaniwan said.
She said normally restaurants along the river are favoured by tourists and will be busy from this month forward for the high season.
Rehearsals for the Royal Barge Procession, which have been conducted since Aug 22, attract visitors to eateries with good vantage points, most notably this month when full dress rehearsals will be held on Oct 17 and 21.
During rehearsals, restaurants in the area are able to receive as many as 50,000 clients, a spike from the average of 10,000 because of more lax security measures, with estimated spending of 400-500 baht a person, said Ms Thaniwan.
The Royal Barge Procession is expected to revive the stagnant restaurant business, which has suffered from the slow economy this year.
Many operators have tightened their belts and adopted new technology such as joining food delivery platforms in order to survive during this dreary period.
She called on the government to issue more effective stimulus measures for the remaining months this year to raise monetary circulation in the economy and prop up the restaurant industry.