Lights dim on Bangkok’s nightlife as military tries to salvage legacy

[SpeakeasyThai]

Last one out don'f forget to turn off the lights.

[Andycoops]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

The junta has done a pretty good job ruining Thailand :  increase the price of alcohol and other things, harass those who provide nightlife, create an overall mood of anger and resentment, empower civil the service so it is unaccountable.   

 

What is sad is that those in uniform are happy to follow a man that is, at best, insulting to one's intelligence.  It would be nice to see one man in uniform say "this is stupid, I am not doing this".   In Thailand, buffoonery and a uniform go hand in hand.

That assuming he has the intelligence to insult anyone in the first place...

[madmitch]

48 minutes ago, dave moir said:

It seems to me the Junta are hell bent on destroying tourism in Thailand as it clamps down on everything tourists come here for! 

Haven't you seen the way the tourist demographic is rapidly changing? Long gone are the days when nightlife and the red light districts in particular were the main draws for tourists.

 

Chinese, Arabs, Indians and Russians tend to have different priorities as tourists and their numbers will continue to increase as Western tourist numbers drop. And the Government will continue to state what a fine job they've done in attracting more and more tourists. 

[Jingjock]

1 hour ago, Just Weird said:

"...they've done a damn fine job.

In short, the junta have been a disaster ".

Make up your mind, which one is it?

Read it again, you seem to have a problem understanding, I can understand all thats been said, read some of your posts before, got anything to do with the name

[tigermoth]

The Military is for defending the country, not administrating it. This should be part of the constitution. At present, no matter how it is described by various people, the country is ruled by the military and this is contary to any form of democracy.

[Bangkok Barry]

 

This move is largely against those operating illegally, yet there are plenty on here supporting the law-breakers. That says a great deal about the kind of people that Thailand attracts. In fact, it is the main reason some are here. It is not the enforcement of the law which is wrong, something the military have been doing instead of the utterly useless toy police. It is the laws themselves that need updating to take into account that Bangkok in particular is known as a party town and attracts huge numbers because of it.

[Essaybloke]

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

face it, the army wants to run the country as if it was an army camp

...with all the inefficiencies, top-down obsequious unquestioning adherence to conformity and the thuggish enforcement of petty regulations!  

[jmccarty]

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

face it, the army wants to run the country as if it was an army camp

I have fond memories of army camp days.  After hours, we had an enlisted club, strippers, really cheap booze, could bring in the local gals from outside the camp and had a great time!

Just outside the camp, 2 more gogo bars, 3 more pub/bars with pool tables, even darts, cheap food, a bit more expensive booze than on the camp, but more local gals. Never a dull moment!

That was in Virginia in the US.

[flyingdoc]

As IamNoone88 states quite correctly, you only need to look to China next door, if you want to see what real crime suppression involves !

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, LukKrueng said:

The laws / regulations regarding early closing hours of night spots have been existing forever, only no one ever enforced them until Taksin came into power in 2001. The interior minister at that time has enforced the laws and all night spots were ordered to close at the correct time (between midnight and 2am depending on their licenses). Back then many people who made their livelihood around clubs areas (food stands and such) lost a big part of their income due to shortening working hours.

After the Taksin era things seemed to somewhat relax but from time to time the rules were enforced.

Sot it's not only the junta...

Spot on! This is not new and enforcing these repressive laws was the norm under Taksin and Purachai's "Social Order Campaign" back in the early & mid-2000's. Put the best after hours disco...Rainbow 2000...right out of business, as well as many others. Angels...better known as "Nana Disco" back then...suffered mightily too. IMO the nightlife never did recover most of it's former glory...and it never will. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

face it, the army wants to run the country as if it was an army camp

 It is, isn't it???

[elgenon]

The link shows Skyfall in pattaya

[petedk]

48 minutes ago, Jingjock said:

Read it again, you seem to have a problem understanding, I can understand all thats been said, read some of your posts before, got anything to do with the name

"...they've done a damn fine job.

In short, the junta have been a disaster ".

Make up your mind, which one is it?

 

 

It is called sarcasm.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

This is just garbage from the Washington Post, nothing to do with what is actually happening in Thailand.

 

There have not been intermittent curfews, there was one curfew after the coup that was lifted and never reinstated.

 

It wasn't the Military that enforced dartboard licencing it was either the local police or local government officials and that only happened in Pattaya and that is old news that has never been heard of since.

 

The rest of the article relevant to "entertainment" seems to be complaining about illegal street bars being moved on, illegal after-hours drinking places being closed and a late-night club that was subject to a successful drug raid being shut down! 

"and that only happened in Pattaya and that is old news that has never been heard of since.?

"Yes, another one of their 24 hour crackdowns." 

[shackleton]

I keep reading about the increase of tourists coming to Thailand 

so can't be to bad

thoses who spend most of their times in the bars are those getting wound up

I hear Laos is a good place to visit

[Airbagwill]

policies like this before an election will only benefit the corruption elements whose candidates will receive votes from anyone hoping to get more drinking and more whoring.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, charmonman said:

And yet the numbers keep on climbing.

Is that not mostly the "all you can eat" buffet gorging Chinese? 

[rwdrwdrwd]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

This is just garbage from the Washington Post, nothing to do with what is actually happening in Thailand.

 

There have not been intermittent curfews, there was one curfew after the coup that was lifted and never reinstated.

 

It wasn't the Military that enforced dartboard licencing it was either the local police or local government officials and that only happened in Pattaya and that is old news that has never been heard of since.
 

The rest of the article relevant to "entertainment" seems to be complaining about illegal street bars being moved on, illegal after-hours drinking places being closed and a late-night club that was subject to a successful drug raid being shut down! 

So... exactly what is *garbage* or *nothing to do with what is happening* about that? They are all true, and they were all attractions to many people (and I don't just mean junkies and clients of prostitutes - most of the latter have been able to carry on as usual).

Yes, legally most places should close at 12 (or 2am with the right license in the right location), but that is very early when compared to other major cities internationally and for years, in practice and with the full knowledge of the police, Bangkok went on lots later than 2am.

Also there HAVE been intermittent curfews beyond the one you refer to, in terms of these types of bars being forced to shut up shop at 12, then allowed until 2, then allowed until 4, then back until 12 again.

Edited March 26, 2018 by rwdrwdrwd

[wgdanson]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"...they've done a damn fine job.

In short, the junta have been a disaster ".

Make up your mind, which one is it?

I think the first statement was being sarcastic, read it again.

[geriatrickid]

This reads as a tale of sorrow from the  perspective of the pimps and foreign perverts who  exploit the mentally impaired and socio-economically disadvantaged  sex trade workers. If the sexpats and sextourists are so distraught, please  go elsewhere.

 

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

face it, the army wants to run the country as if it was an army camp

No. If you consider the enforcement of longstanding laws common in many  countries  as "militaristic" please consider moving to . a country such as Sierra Leone   or Liberia where such laws do not exist.

 

2 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

Can't wait till they have gone back to their camps where they all belong. Party time again.

This is how they justify the imposition of draconian measures and martial law:  When adults do not behave themselves and do not respect some basic principles of peaceful society, it is imposed on them. The people who build society can do without the drunken debauchery making our lives difficult. If you want to behave in a drunken manner, do it at your home.

 

2 hours ago, yellowboat said:

The junta has done a pretty good job ruining Thailand :  increase the price of alcohol and other things, harass those who provide nightlife, create an overall mood of anger and resentment, empower civil the service so it is unaccountable.   

 

What is sad is that those in uniform are happy to follow a man that is, at best, insulting to one's intelligence.  It would be nice to see one man in uniform say "this is stupid, I am not doing this".   In Thailand, buffoonery and a uniform go hand in hand.

LOL, you are upset because the   price of alcohol increased. How pathetic. The cost of alcohol is not unreasonable and not much different than the cost in Australia, or Canada and is still cheaper than in much of Europe. It's one of the ways  how the  public health  is paid for and how  public transit is covered.

 

You are upset because they make it difficult for pimps and those who profit from the sex and drug trades. Boo hoo. Foreigners complain about corruption and illegal activity, yet when the  government won't tolerate criminal activity and won't take bribes to let it continue, some foreigners are upset. You carry on as if the operators of the illegal clubs and bars contribute to society. It is no secret that these are linked to organized crime and are used to launder money.

 

2 hours ago, ksamuiguy said:

Just shut them all down, close everything or a week or so and see what happens.

Maybe the tourists coming here on a budget can pick up the revenue loss.

I was waiting for this to happen, only a matter of time.

 

Bangkok wouldn't be badly impacted if these areas were more tightly regulated. I was in Siam last week. Filled with well heeled Thais and Asian  tourists. All were shopping or  visiting places. No need for  tacky  whore houses and the like. The targeted venues are disgusting filthy firetraps. They are  places where foreign suckers are robbed and ripped off. No big loss if some close. Better yet, photograph the foreigners and share the info with their home countries. Post the images online and see if the sex tourists are so bold  when co-workers and family hold them accountable.

 

1 hour ago, dave moir said:

It seems to me the Junta are hell bent on destroying tourism in Thailand as it clamps down on everything tourists come here for! 

How  is  cracking down on  a small number of illegal venues bad for tourism? Have you not seen the latest numbers and data? There has been a fundamental shift in tourism. As Thailand becomes wealthier, the need for young boys and girls to sell themselves to depraved foreign perverts for a bowl of noodles has come to an end. Now it is just people who are mentally impaired, drug addicted, infected with disease or in debt who dominate the sex trade work. ere is a need to crush it.

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Darcula said:

Why not just give all the prostitutes an uniform with a couple of medals or ribbons each? That would make everything legal.

Good idea, and give them ranks of Lt/Con and Maj/Gen. Oh wait! Maybe they can't afford them.

[soistalker]

This makes sense. Thailand is focusing on the increasing numbers of mainland Chinese hoards. Over a million a year of these Han clones, and nearly any of them will see the inside of a go go bar or Beer Bar.

Thailand has been insulting towards farangs who stay long time in country, and farangs who come several  times a year every year. This is a continuation of that.

Edited March 26, 2018 by soistalker

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

Haven't you seen the way the tourist demographic is rapidly changing? Long gone are the days when nightlife and the red light districts in particular were the main draws for tourists.

 

Chinese, Arabs, Indians and Russians tend to have different priorities as tourists and their numbers will continue to increase as Western tourist numbers drop. And the Government will continue to state what a fine job they've done in attracting more and more tourists. 

Pity the poor hotels, with the Indians having four into one hotel room and these same hotels having to order extra boxes of straws. 

[rwdrwdrwd]

22 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

This reads as a tale of sorrow from the  perspective of the pimps and foreign perverts who  exploit the mentally impaired and socio-economically disadvantaged  sex trade workers. If the sexpats and sextourists are so distraught, please  go elsewhere.

 

No. If you consider the enforcement of longstanding laws common in many  countries  as "militaristic" please consider moving to . a country such as Sierra Leone   or Liberia where such laws do not exist.

 

This is how they justify the imposition of draconian measures and martial law:  When adults do not behave themselves and do not respect some basic principles of peaceful society, it is imposed on them. The people who build society can do without the drunken debauchery making our lives difficult. If you want to behave in a drunken manner, do it at your home.

 

LOL, you are upset because the   price of alcohol increased. How pathetic. The cost of alcohol is not unreasonable and not much different than the cost in Australia, or Canada and is still cheaper than in much of Europe. It's one of the ways  how the  public health  is paid for and how  public transit is covered.

 

You are upset because they make it difficult for pimps and those who profit from the sex and drug trades. Boo hoo. Foreigners complain about corruption and illegal activity, yet when the  government won't tolerate criminal activity and won't take bribes to let it continue, some foreigners are upset. You carry on as if the operators of the illegal clubs and bars contribute to society. It is no secret that these are linked to organized crime and are used to launder money.

 

Bangkok wouldn't be badly impacted if these areas were more tightly regulated. I was in Siam last week. Filled with well heeled Thais and Asian  tourists. All were shopping or  visiting places. No need for  tacky  whore houses and the like. The targeted venues are disgusting filthy firetraps. They are  places where foreign suckers are robbed and ripped off. No big loss if some close. Better yet, photograph the foreigners and share the info with their home countries. Post the images online and see if the sex tourists are so bold  when co-workers and family hold them accountable.

 

How  is  cracking down on  a small number of illegal venues bad for tourism? Have you not seen the latest numbers and data? There has been a fundamental shift in tourism. As Thailand becomes wealthier, the need for young boys and girls to sell themselves to depraved foreign perverts for a bowl of noodles has come to an end. Now it is just people who are mentally impaired, drug addicted, infected with disease or in debt who dominate the sex trade work. ere is a need to crush it.

You're completely focusing on places related to prostitution, yet many of the clubs and bars affected were not in the slightest related to it.

There is, believe it or not, more to Bangkok nightlife than gogo bars - and many of the venues affected attracted tourists who weren't here in the slightest for bargirls.

The places that DO cater to sex tourism, ironically , are unaffected - they don't tend to stay open particularly late anyway.

Given the law has not been enforced for many years, it has been common knowledge that there are places to party late into the night - just like most other major cities around the world. It is true that the law says 12 (or sometimes 2) but sometimes laws need to move with the times.

Certainly there are higher priorities in this country to address than making sure all bars close at midnight.

Edited March 26, 2018 by rwdrwdrwd

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 It is, isn't it???

"face it, the army wants to run the country as if it was an army camp". It sure feels like it at times, ie, when you have to do the 90 day reporting, and these ridiculous border hops.

Edited March 26, 2018 by possum1931

[peperobi]

Really good, they are on the best way to destroy the best income part of the country; the tourism! Do something against the killers on the roads that will be much better.

[geriatrickid]

4 minutes ago, soistalker said:

This makes sense. Thailand is focusing on the increasing numbers of mainland Chinese hoards. Over a million a year of these Han clones, and nearly any of them will see the inside of a go go bar or Beer Bar.

Thailand has been insulting towards farangs who stay long time in country, and farangs who come several  times a year every year. This is a continuation of that.

How has  Thailand been insulting to long term foreign residents? Can you provide some specific examples? Is it because of the longstanding reporting requirements, or the  requirement that foreigners have sufficient funds to look after themselves?  the Thais have a right to control foreigners in their country. And I remind you that a large number of western foreigners in Thailand are considered undesirables elsewhere.

 

I am no fan of the Chinese visitors, but they are more manageable than the  lager louts and tattooed covered  misfits who roam Patong causing mayhem. The Chinese keep to themselves and   rarely cross my path as I do not see them at the beach or hiking etc.  They are on tightly managed tours which works out well for everyone. So what if they don't  go to whorehouses? Are they to be condemned because they travel as extended families?

[Jim walker]

So when will Thailand be open for fun and business again March 2019 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

"...they've done a damn fine job.

In short, the junta have been a disaster ".

Make up your mind, which one is it?

You don't appear to understand that the final clause of the sentence qualifies what comes before. It's pretty basic English comprehension.

[geriatrickid]

4 minutes ago, rwdrwdrwd said:

You're completely focusing on places related to prostitution, yet many of the clubs affected were not in the slightest related to it.
There is, believe it or not, more to Bangkok nightlife than gogo bars - and many of the venues affected attracted tourists who weren't here in the slightest for bargirls.
The places that DO cater to sex tourism, ironically , are unaffected - they don't tend to stay open particularly late anyway.

Perhaps you should follow the media release. The government has been transparent and open on this initiative. I am a longstanding critic of the military regime, but on this they are right. In Thailand as in the west,  no successful night club not linked to a large public corporation, can operate without the blessing of organized crime.