HM the Queen's Birthday, 12th of Aug.

[manarak]

Her Majesty the queen's birthday will come up 12th of August, as it does every year, incidentially.

what does this mean for the bars?
open? closed?

[Road Runner]

Being Thailand it's hard to give a simple answer.

Normally  'places of entertainment'  (gogo bars)  will not be allowed to sell alcohol or play music.      
Restaurants  -  (that's real ones with licences) are normally not affected.

But it will vary depending on the level of enforcement  -  or how much money changes hands.


From past experience in Bangkok any reasonable restaurant or hotel bar will be open.   I've been in the Huntsman bar under the Landmark Hotel many times and the Filipina band has been playing -  I guess they can stay open because they have a food licence.

Nana Plaza I expect will be completely closed as will some of the small restaurants in that area.
Soi Cowboy will probably be at least partly open but that area is unlikely to interest those reading here.      
Patpong will probably be open and serving  'naam chang'  'naam sing' & 'nam heineken'  in plastic cups.    


However the bar/retaurant owners themselves may not be told what is to happen until the day itself.     TIT    


Edit:  Found this link  Dry days  -  I doubt very much that 13th Aug will be dry.

RR.

[manarak]

Thank you!!

what about... Pattaya?

[Snick]

It's completely random. Varies year to year. And block to block.

[Road Runner]

(manarak @ Jun. 24 2010,15:55) what about... Pattaya?

Good question and I have little experience of the place.

But it's one police area so far as I know (unlike Bangkok) so should have only one policy and should follow what I said above re bars v restaurants.

But in the case of Pattaya from what I have heard Snick is correct!      
I suspect there it has more to do with who you know/payoff.


If you want to avoid all alcohol bans just head up to Nakon Nowhere!
When you run out of booze you just give one of the children 200 Baht and send them to get it!    


RR.

[kahuna]

(manarak @ Jun. 24 2010,21:55) what about... Pattaya?

As I recall, it kinda sorta was last year...But, as I recall, it kinda sorta wasn't...

[mardhi]

Generally the Queens birthday is considered a normal trading day for all venues. Last year, so was the Kings birthday. However this year the Kings birthday resulted in closure instructions to all 'entertainment/hostess venues' in Pattaya but NOT in Bangkok. Its normally the other way around. Regular fully licenced venues that do not have hostesses function as normal and can/do serve alcohol - there is actually no legal restriction on serving alcohol apart from pre-elections - however the police interpret the rules in their own style and can apply suitable pressure on venues where they regularly turn a blind eye to illicit goings on - they have little influence over fully legal venues hence the disparity - so if you want a drink go to a hotel/large restaurant and the odds are they will be functioning as normal.

Cheers
Mardhi

[manarak]

I didn't mention alcohol at all...
I was rather fearing a shortage of tits and cocks!

but thanks all, now I know there won't be a shortage of either!