Over 100 restaurants catering Chinese dishes in and around Bangkok are currently operating at loss due to the pandemic situation.

Praphruet Ankhathorn, head of the Chinese Dishes Catering Club of Nakhon Pathom, one of the Thai capital's neighboring provinces, said on Tuesday over 100 restaurants under care of the club have been doing business at loss since earlier this year due to the pandemic.

Under the social distancing rule, a table for Chinese dishes at parties currently has a maximum of five seats, compared to 10 seats earlier provided.

Most restaurants have secured far less income from the Chinese dishes catering service while several others have already suffered heavy losses, according to the head of the catering club, which currently takes care of 228 restaurants in Nakhon Pathom province and nearby areas.

The number of social events, which may demand a Chinese dishes catering service in and around Bangkok has considerably dropped due to the pandemic since earlier this year, Praphruet said.

The loss-ridden restaurants have already laid off some chefs, sous-chefs and waiters to cut operating costs.

Government assistance has been sought to the extent that some soft loans be provided for those caterers, otherwise they might possibly go out of business and more employees might become jobless, Praphruet said.