Restaurant uses stuffed pandas to enforce social distancing

Updated June 5, 2020 at 3:04 AM·2 min read

A restaurant in Thailand is using a rather cute yet unconventional method to enforce social distancing as restrictions in the country begin to ease.

The Maison Saigon in Bangkok, which was allowed to re-open last month after weeks of coronavirus lockdown, placed stuffed panda bears at alternating seats at communal tables to ensure guests would remain at a safe distance from each other.

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Natthwut Rodchanapanthku, the restaurant’s owner, said she wanted to avoid the “unsightly” plastic dividers used by some other restaurants to both ensure customer safety and abide by government regulations.

“Earlier, we had only one chair for the tables where the customer came alone,” she told Newsflare. “But for me, it felt strange, so I thought I’d give them some company.”

One satisfied customer, 25-year-old Sawit Chaiphuek, said it was nice to have company after stepping out for his first restaurant meal in months.

“The doll makes me feel less lonely eating by myself,” he said.

Maison Saigon isn’t the first company to use some rather unorthodox tactics to ensure social distancing.

A restaurant in Germany recently went viral after sharing a photo of its creative social distancing device, which involved customers wearing pool noodles on their heads while dining outside.

At the same time, a select group of Burger King franchises in Germany unveiled massive “social distance crowns” in order to keep customers safe and entertained at the same time.