Midnight closings a reality

[Guest]

To me this is the end of Nana Plaza and no doubt the end of the nightlife scene in Thailand. I just hope some of those Nana Plaza girls and ladyboys have got plenty of suckers lined up to send them money as they won't be earning much from the bars when this kicks in.

CABINET DECISION: Anger over midnight closing time

Published on Feb 11, 2004


The Cabinet yesterday endorsed a new regulation for a midnight closing time for most entertainment venues, while allowing nightspots in designated zones to stay open two hours longer.

After a brief discussion on the proposed regulation, the Cabinet agreed to an earlier decision by a government committee which called for different closing hours for nightspots in different zones, Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont told reporters yesterday.

Owners of night entertainment venues yesterday denounced the decision, labelling it a death sentence for businesses and bad news for tourism.

Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piumsombun€™s committee in charge of combating vice at entertainment venues proposed the different closing times on Friday. The new closing times come into effect on March 1.

All entertainment venues outside the designated areas, including food shops selling liquor and music, will now have to close at midnight instead of the current 2am.

In the designated zones, nightclubs and bars can stay open until 2am, while pubs and discotheques are required to close at 1am.

Shops selling khao tom (rice porridge) can stay open all night as they are not covered by the new law, Pracha said.

However, the shops must comply with relevant laws, such as the smoking ban at all food outlets.

In Bangkok, the zones designated for entertainment venues cover the Patpong area and New Phetchaburi and Ratchadaphisek Roads. The Interior Ministry regulation will be imposed under the Entertainment Venue Act, which came into effect early last month but sets no specific hours for entertainment venues.

Pracha voiced concern, however, that entertainmentvenue operators could take legal action against the Cabinet for breach of their constitutional rights.

But Purachai told the Cabinet he had no such worry, he said.

The deputy interior minister said that personally he believed the same service hours should be applied to all night entertainment venues to allow easier supervision and enforcement for authorities. But the ministry was ready to follow the decision.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told the Cabinet yesterday that efficiency of enforcement rather than a possible violation of the Charter should be the main concern, the source said.

Somyos Suthangkoon, who heads an association of entertainmentvenue operators, said the early closing time would have a severe impact on most nightspots.

Allowing nightclubs and bars to stay open for only three hours a day was €œstrange€, compared to eight hours for massage parlours. €œEverybody knows massage parlours is the front for what,€ Somyos added.

Praphan Pumchaosuan, leader of entertainmentplace owners in the Patpong area, said yesterday that shorter service hours would drive away foreign tourists.

The new regulation will take effect in all provinces, except Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Samut Prakan and Uttaradit, where the zones for entertainment places have yet to be designated, deputy government spokeswoman Sansanee Nakapong said yesterday. In the four provinces, the current opening hours will be retained.

Praphan Pumchaosuan, leader of bar owners in Patpong, said yesterday shorter service hours would drive away foreign tourists.

The new rules will take effect nationwide, except in Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Samut Prakan and Uttaradit, where entertainment zones have yet to be designated.

Samatcha Hunsara,

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

[stogie bear]

To me this is the end of Nana Plaza and no doubt the end of the nightlife scene in Thailand.

I don't see how. Nana Plaza is not affected by this ruling.

Same same, old bean!

[Guest]

Er, excuse me but Nana and Soi Cowboy are outside the designated area only Patpong, Ratchadapisek Rd and New Petchburi Rd are in one so Nana , Cowboy and all Sukhumvit entertainment places will have to shut at midnight if this new law is enforced.

[Mai-Kee]

Ok folks, that's it for me. I'd recommend that Fucksin and his two minister boyscouts should try to fuck themselves. I'm sure they enjoy it. I'm outta here. I wish this country the bloody chicken plague, combined with a total collaps in tourism and then riots on the streets!
Jon, please take a very close look at the PI girls. I'm comming soon!
LOS wont see my money anymore!

MK

[Bit Beefy]

Er, excuse me but Nana and Soi Cowboy are outside the designated area only Patpong, Ratchadapisek Rd and New Petchburi Rd are in one so Nana , Cowboy and all Sukhumvit entertainment places will have to shut at midnight if this new law is enforced.

Im lost is Nana in it or not......lol...

[Guest]

Thats just fucking great.
I been saving for almost 2 years now to get upto bkk
and these mother fuckers want to spoil it for me...
Personaly I think it will all back fire on the thai govn't
Now you will see drunken farang's and whores out on the streets in daylight.
I can vaguely remember in melbourne when they had 6 pm closing time way back in the late sixties,,drunks scattering the streets before the sunsets..

I really dont know what to do now,,one thing though,,,I wont miss out on breakfast


Bali_Ken

[Guest]

i know no one wants to hear this and i hate to see what amounts to a curfew in some of the best
trawling grounds in s.e. asia but it isn't the first time local politics has muffed up time honored tradition.
o well shit happens
just remember if thailand was perfect we would stay home.

[Guest]

Thats it, everybody stop going and go someplace else.
Good for me .
Cheaper hotels, drinks, airfair and LADIES !!
See ya

[Guest]

ahhhhhhh this means swarms of you bastards will head for tranquil indonesia and fuck it up with your money and bullshit.go to the philipines its full of sexy shemales honest

[Guest]

Donnny s right,,,go fuck off to PI,,,much more fun there..
HEHEHEHE,,
Now heres a thought,,if you want to party all night,,take your Thai ladyboy to Jakarta for fun..

Bali_Ken

[Guest]

Er, excuse me but Nana and Soi Cowboy are outside the designated area only Patpong, Ratchadapisek Rd and New Petchburi Rd are in one so Nana , Cowboy and all Sukhumvit entertainment places will have to shut at midnight if this new law is enforced.

Im lost is Nana in it or not......lol...

Nope neither Nana or Cowboy is in zone

[dommy6]

Well I should have waited till next week to book my Thailand trip. Perhaps with the cancelled holidays to LOS and less demand I would have got better prices. What are they thinking? Tourism will definitely take a beating. I still can€™t see how this is going to benefit the country or make it better. Tourism will suffer especially in the resort towns. Funnily enough I don€™t think it will affect sex tourism. After all the girls will still be there. It just means you take them to bed an hour earlier. I think it will affect the mainstream tourist more than anything. I can just see it now. Picture this scenario.

€œA group of young guys and a couple planning their holiday or honeymoon sitting at a travel agency saying €œ Thailand looks nice€ and the travel agent saying €œ most places closes at 12am€ for which the young guys reply €œfuck that, were on holidays and want to party hard€ and the young couple saying €œ well we did want to have a rage as well€ and then the travel agent says €œ well how about Bali?€ So with that one sentence €œ most places closes at 12am€ kills off a lot of western tourism.€

Thailand being an entranced tourist destination country needs tourism and I don€™t mean sex tourism. Just like Australia, USA, Italy, Uk and France to name a popular few. If tourism were to overnight stop in these countries they would be fucked. So why should Thailand be exempt?

It€™s going to be a real circus come 12.00am in Sukumwit. Last year it was the same in Phuket around 2.00am even when half the tourists were in bed. Imagine at 12.00am when all the tourists are congregated around Bangla rd? It€™s going to be chaos. Perhaps they could erect floodlights on the beach and keep the beaches open for swimming to avoid all the congestion.

However this is not entirely directed at farang venues but more at accelerating the social reform agenda. I agree with everything the cynic said on this matter in an earlier discussion on this topic. There was also mention that they want to teach the rich Thai kids a lesson who have been running a muck around the city with violence, drugs etc. I believe Thaskin€™s son€™s nightclub around suk will be affected. Well at least some of their kids are behaving like first world goons. Because their leaders are definitely not.

If something like this happened in Australia it would be bye bye at the next election. I just can€™t believe the Thais are going to sit back and let this happen. This is very un Thai.

On a second note if they want economic progress leading to first world status they must

1. De centralize your economy and repeal stupid anti business laws and sign more free trade agreements like you did with Australia last year (yet to take effect) you fucking idiots.

And if you want to clean up Thailand and all its woes see number 1.

[dommy6]

Hey Stoogie

What is the word on the street. You seemed so confident it wouln't happen. I had my doubts and was bouyed when Thaskin told them to go back and re think. I thought that was the end of it. I am so pissed off because I then proceeded to plan my holiday. Im not usually a nite owl but when in rome???

Regards

[Guest]

This is not anti-vice or anti-tourism, it's simply selfish corrupt reallocation of sex tourist dollars.

Has anyone noticed that besides Patpong, the other later areas exempt from midnite closing are New Phetchaburi and Ratchadaphisek Roads?

Clue No. 1: Who has financial interests in these areas?

Clue No. 2: When is the subway leading from Asoke/Sukhumvit to these areas opening--around March 1?? Hmmm.

[Guest]

So Jon, and all you others living in BKK, my advice is to get up to New Phetchaburi and Ratchadaphisek Roads and see what you can find, and report back. In a few months all will be well and we'll simply have to add a subway ride to get to the places we like.

Hope this isn't wishful thinking.