Tourism minister wants to extend pub opening hours

[sunnyboy2018]

35 minutes ago, ThomasThBKK said:

Then go to a non-smoking bar?

 

Freedom of choice, ever heard of?

 

Should be up to the owner to decide which clientele he wants and no one else, business freedom.

There are very few non smoking GoGo bars in Pattaya. What freedom of choice do the dancers and service staff have? The dangers of passive smoking have been known for years.  It is  unjust for a minority of people who are addicted to the drug tobacco to impose the toxic byproducts of their habit on other people. Its not just a health issue. The stink of ashtrays in confined spaces is unpleasant too. Smoking is dyeing out in most western countries.  Due to the addictive nature of tobacco, the usually old and uneducated people who got trapped into smoking in yesteryear have lost their freedom of choice.

[Odisan]

40 minutes ago, Moo 2 said:

As typical human beings we don't like to be told what to do or not do, education is the answer.

 

 

wine can make you fat, what will it be.....red or white?

Thank handy to know, thanks. I always thought it was 12 pints of beer and the kebab and chips. I blame the French.

[Beggar]

57 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

I am unclear how plans to extend pub opening hours relate to your views on sex tourism. 

 

Bars and Discos - it is all about sex. There are two kinds of sex tourists. The professionals know the business and take what they want without hesitation. And there are the newcomers and the naive. They think that for instance in Discos they will find the good girls. But every other word than "How much" is a waste of time. So in the end extended opening times will promote more sex business. 

[ThomasThBKK]

9 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Smoking is banned in public places bars, restaurants, Fife’s etc in Thailand but like the wearing of crash hats it’s never enforced.

In fact it’s openly encouraged in most Bars as they put ash trays on the table.

Don't know a single indoor bar in bangkok where you can smoke, only outside. 

 

Only place i know off is a gogo bar next to a the police checkpoint on cowboy where it's allowed.. 

And of course thai gclubs... They are above the law. 

 

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/clubs-and-bars-open-till-4am-proposal-must-be-studied-pm-says/

 

Of course big boss doesn't like it. 

[JAG]

1 hour ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

 The unelected authorities with their puritanical, myopic views have ruined Thailand for both Thai nationals and foreigners alike. Regarding tourists: its not really about numbers but repeat visitors. The awful display of the armed military parading around tourist areas accompanied by police is very intimidating as is the use of outdated drug laws to harrass people.

You have hit the nail on the head there - having a squad of soldiers in combat kit prowling around bars looking at the patrons, as has happened a couple of times when I have been out for a beer in the last couple of years, is not exactly the "happy holiday experience". Tourists will find it intimidating, and will go somewhere else next time. Those of us who live here, and understand the xenophobic insecurity of those who are born to rule, merely find it pathetic.

 

It is not the only reason that tourists are not coming, they have been discussed many times here recently, but it is a contributing factor.

[ThomasThBKK]

12 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

There are very few non smoking GoGo bars in Pattaya. What freedom of choice do the dancers and service staff have? The dangers of passive smoking have been known for years.  It is  unjust for a minority of people who are addicted to the drug tobacco to impose the toxic byproducts of their habit on other people. Its not just a health issue. The stink of ashtrays in confined spaces is unpleasant too. Smoking is dyeing out in most western countries.  Due to the addictive nature of tobacco, the usually old and uneducated people who got trapped into smoking in yesteryear have lost their freedom of choice.

Because it's a hole, on soi cowboy everything on the street is smoke free. Smoke only outside. 

 

I am neither old nor do i smoke, still disagree with all this bs restrictions. No one has to go or work there, let's the market decide if it's a suitable business. 

[RichardColeman]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

destinations be allowed to stay open until 4am to attract foreign tourists to spend more

Dear oh dear, this guy really does not understand. They could open all day every day and bank holidays - if the tourists have no money to come due to the baht price, they wont hang around bars more

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Don’t they realise its not the opening hours which is deterring Tourists, not everyone comes to Thailand for 24 hour drinking, it’s the poor exchange rates.

It will be interesting too see what figures are announced in the coming months re arrivals. TAT will say there has been an increase but I suspect the Hotel/Bar Owners will disagree.

 

The poor exchange rates are just one piece of this very complex, and long running puzzle. I think over the long run, tourism is going to decline here drastically, and the surly immigration agents are going to ask why did I lose my job? That is not fair. Well, had you been better behaved for the past decade, you might have helped to contribute to convincing another tourist to return. Duh! They might even have museums, that used to be hotels, and are now abandoned buildings, for the students to walk through. 

 

I think perhaps a few decades from now, they will have tourism classes at university, where they will discuss how Thailand lost the golden egg of Western tourism. Those tourists, unlike most Chinese tourists, spent anywhere from $100 a day, to over $2,000 a day. They brought real money into the country, and in exchange, were treated with utter and complete disregard, scammed, disrespected, and abused. Eventually, most said no more.

 

Thailand thought the country was something very special, and that nobody would ever say no, or find alternative places to visit. The fact is that there are countless other spots, many in this region, that offer better service, more expertise in food and beverage (especially wine service and selection at fair prices, which rich tourists demand), reasonable import duties to sustain a luxury goods market, better training, and far better english skills. Thailand simply lost sight of the big picture, and had very little vision, with regard to big spending tourists, who need to be catered to, instead of scorned. 

 

The same applies to the ex-pat community, which is assume will decline rather dramatically too, over the next few decades. All of those well behaved, respectful, honest, decent ex-pats, who spent anywhere from 50,000 to 150,000 baht a month here just gone. 

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, Beggar said:

There are so many tourist destinations full of tourists and these destinations don't provide noise and sex at every corner. But obviously Thailand wants to go back to times before. But I hear many complaints by sex tourists that sex got pretty expensive here. I don't know since I never use such a service. And what I have watched was that sex tourists don't care much about closing times. They will take home the service person much earlier. 

 

I think the sex tourists constitute a small minority of the tourists that come here. Less and less, all the time. So, whether or not they are pushing an agenda of "purity", makes little difference. What will happen, will happen in a more organic fashion. Good old supply and demand. My guess is that Pattaya, and Bangkok will hold their own. Maybe even Hua Hin, with the small amount of action the place affords. Samui, Phuket, and Chiang Mai will continue their downward decline, in terms of the trade, and otherwise. 

[Jack P]

That’s going to feel great for all the business just next door to these zones as customers leave to go to places open until 4am.

[Beggar]

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

I think the sex tourists constitute a small minority of the tourists that come here. Less and less, all the time. So, whether or not they are pushing an agenda of "purity", makes little difference. 

Please correct me if I am wrong. If I remember correctly we had a female tourist minister before. She tried to get rid of the sex business. But now this new male minister tries to correct her approach. At least to me it looks like this. But anyhow. I don't think the military government has much to do with the declining night life. I have been living in Pattaya for more than two decades and I can't get rid of the feeling that in recent years very many new bars opened here. 

[DrTuner]

If you aren't on the saddle by 11pm, better to continue imbibing through the night. He might have a point. Need to be drunk 24/7 to dull the reality in Thailand anyway.

[madmen]

2 hours ago, Army said:

Of course. Thailand is broke and needs the money. Most just go to 7 before midnight and stock up

You can't put a price on this level of entertainment lol

[Pablosbmb]

11 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Midnight in Udon Thani except for the one police-owned local dance hall which respects the national 2 AM curfew.

 

I don't ramwong either.

Quit your whinning 555

[JohnnyChristo]

10 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Ive got a good idea, you can only buy ciggies at the same time as booze

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1118664-smoking-ban-at-home-comes-into-effect-today-call-1300-for-violations/?utm_source=newsletter-20190820-1303&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

 

Smoking at home ban

[spoon1967]

11 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Midnight in Udon Thani except for the one police-owned local dance hall which respects the national 2 AM curfew.

 

I don't ramwong either.

Even in Day and Night and the surrounding area? I drink there until 2am.

[Paul Henry]

Well from the list of locations you may spend all your time in the bar, because there is no prostitution in Thailand why would you leave. OH sorry forgot the mrs is at home waiting for you

[overherebc]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Somebody needs to explain to Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, that the foreigners he is seeking (mostly westerners, as the Chinese and Indians do not frequent the bars much) are lost forever. Due to a hundred mistakes made over the past 10 years or so. They will never return. Sure, there are a small number of them still coming, and of course, there are some of us ex-pats still living here. But, the army specifically, has been a devastating scourge on the nation, and a blight on the land. If only the Thai people really understood how hapless, incompetent, corrupt, fearful, hateful and useless they are, and the extent to which they are moving the nation backwards, and polluting nearly all government ministries with their racism and xenophobia. 

 

Extending the bar hours is going to do little, to defeat the current state of tourism malaise gripping this nation. This is something the nation has earned, through it's political apathy. 

At the moment we are in a neighbouring country for a few days.

Staying in a very nice comfortable small hotel.

This afternoon we sat at the bar and each had a beer and I bought a packet of cigs. We said we will come down for dinner later can you put everything on tonights bill? Of course they said. A few hours later we went down for dinner, had a bottle of real wine, not over priced 'fruit wine' that is cheap bulk wine with 15% fruit juice, two nice plates of food etc.

At the end we asked for two beers, to drink on the balcony outside the room, because we drank two of the beers we like from the mini-bar, and a pack of cigs for tomorrow.

Total cost for all 1340 baht.

And the minibar drinks are the same price as downstairs. ????

Just sayin'

[charmonman]

11 hours ago, NanLaew said:

How many times do we have to explain to the know-it-all foreigners that the 134:00 - 17:00 alcohol sales ban is to stop the kids carrying on drinking after lunch and taking the whole afternoon off school.

 

Here's a clue: you can buy cold beer anytime between 11:00 and 14:00. Just need to get your lazy ass outta bed earlier be more motivated.

OK, it's still a ridiculous law. Just don't sell to kids at any time of day! Everybody is required by law to carry ID with their birthdate on it, aren't they? If they don't have it, don't sell to them. Doesn't seem that difficult. It works reasonably well in most other countries.

[Jumbo1968]

3 minutes ago, charmonman said:

OK, it's still a ridiculous law. Just don't sell to kids at any time of day! Everybody is required by law to carry ID with their birthdate on it, aren't they? If they don't have it, don't sell to them. Doesn't seem that difficult. It works reasonably well in most other countries.

Alll the kids have to is like they do in the U.K.is ask an adult to buy the alcohol plus if the kids do try and buy Thai people don’t like confrontation so wouldn’t ask for ID.If a Mom and Pop shop they are happy for the sale.

[fraggleRock]

I've lived in Thailand and traveled all over and done the party wild nights BUT never seen Indians or Chinese going out to drink so much, they tend to be on tours which are late nights back to the hotel after all day touring then up again and repeat - then fly back.  Even the Russians are in decline, and opting for package tours.

 

Before that I lived in Singapore for many years and saw the same pattern - white collar workers and above, but a few blue collar working who are single and of being of Indian decent would drink with Farangs for a few on a Friday night, then go home - Overwhelming Singaporeans don't drink, mainly just a small majority I observed. 

 

Most Thais in the city of Professional Bangkok don't drink either, it's seems to be frowned upon like tattoos and smoking, if a professional Thai drinks it normally 1 or 2 - nothing to justify these hours of drinking.

 

Mainland Chinese and Indian come for the tours and shop like crazy down Orchard Road in Singapore. 

 

Beer is very expensive, so ironically most farang in Singapore have switched to Vietnam and Cambodia and tend to avoid Thailand because of the inflated Bhat..

 

Thailand has become a country you unfortunately visit ONLY once and never again.  To many I speak back in my home country and around Europe, not like my parents I remember who go to the Canary Islands religiously every year.

 

I was flying back from Copenhagen recently during what is holiday season for most of Western Europe and Scandinavia and the airport (Kastrup) was ram packed ... When I got to back to BKK - there was literally 50 people + to face the typical animosity of immigration, for she was not smiling and after stamping my passport literally threw it at me - charming I thought..

 

I think the Bangkok post also put the final nail in for me, the TM30.. TMxx this and that in the name of safety and security - Rubbish, Singapore security far outstrips Thailand in every way, and one of the main reason is the border is not secure because corruption and Thailand itself has made the Country unsafe and insecure... with erroneous rules dangerously laws if you make a genuine mistake which I won't go into here with examples to prevent being banned...

 

Me and my Thai wife are up sticks as Thailand for us offers nothing - and now we have a child we don't want him to go through an expensive school which regionally are quite low rated, poor standard and dodgy, with corruption for funds in relation to where we are going very quality schooling.

 

Not one Thai professional person I have done business with in the major cities was educated in Thailand, I know because I asked them... and they speak University English...

 

I'm just glad I have been wise and not wasted my personal wealth on purchasing land, house or a bar I would never own - so many horror stories, which goes back to my earlier point word of mouth and a bad experiences with a a local national has cost them everything - anyways these are my experiences and observations for working in Central Bangkok and travelling...

 

Living on a farm up North in Udon Thani and the like - Best wishes to those folks, and I am aware the TM30 petition is from Issan province so some disdain must exist with how things are happening for retiree folks.

 

I hope no one is offended by my comment and good night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[charmonman]

8 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Alll the kids have to is like they do in the U.K.is ask an adult to buy the alcohol plus if the kids do try and buy Thai people don’t like confrontation so wouldn’t ask for ID.If a Mom and Pop shop they are happy for the sale.

So here all the kids have to do is buy it in the morning. As for avoiding confrontation, they don't seem to have any problem telling adults they can't buy during the no-alcohol hours, so why would they have a problem telling kids they can't buy without ID?

[Andy Rawai]

Outside big cities/towns the bars will close when there is no more customers, like they always have.

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[jerojero]

Stupid new rules that idiot coup PM brought in, that indeed need to be scrapped. Including the midday ban that historically unpopular, but somehow endures.

How about ending the idiotic and pointless no buying booze times? As it is I cannot get a glass of wine in the local pizza restaurant in the afternoon, must baffle some tourists who bought the lie that Thailand is 'laid back' In some places 7/11 does not even stock drinks as too near a School, but it's illegal to sell to kids anyway. People who live near pubs don't want them open until 4am, they go from one extreme to the other.

[jerojero]

Majority of alcohol related accidents are not farang tourists, but locals on motor bikes.

"if closing is extended to 4 am, tourists will spend 25 per cent more on eating and drinking"
And probably increase drunk driving accidents/deaths by a similar amount, as there is near zero enforcement of drunk driving laws in the wee hours. 

[jerojero]

Many bars ignore the no smoking laws. Seen many times patrons at a table with no smoking sign posted next to them, and ignored by patrons and bar staff.

Allow tourists to smoke will add a few more%. 

[jerojero]

Many people come to Thailand to party! That often takes it past arbitrary 2am closure. You can head to bed at midnight, let the partying continue without you. No problem.

Who really needs to drink between  2 am and 4 am ? Midnight and one for the road is ok if the road is walked but even in the '60s when I was a teen I needed home after midnight ,is there anyone on TV who would like a beer at 4am ?

[moontang]

14 hours ago, SammyT said:

Perhaps they could bring Chiang Mai into the fold and stop enforcing midnight closing. Extend it out til 2am to be in line with the rest of Thailand. 

but, who will take care of their grandkids, if they are working till 4am?

[timendres]

10 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

Drunks impact everybody when they get behind the wheel. Any moron from another country who comes over here thinking they can break the law because it's Thailand should be deported for life for DUI and if they hurt or kill someone should face attempted murder/murder charges. There has been enough information and tragic strories world wide to justify this and especially here. I saw the other day that they give a medical prior to issuance of OA visa with drug addiction flagged as a possible reason for refusal. I'd like to see liver enzymes function tests included in this medical which can show alcohol abuse. There is no difference between alcohilism and drug addiction except that alcoholism causes way more damage.

Tourists coming here for fun are using public transportation. Partying until 4am and stumbling into a taxi to go back to their room is hardly a major problem. I have lived here for 9 years and never driven a vehicle, drunk or sober. The majority of people are perfectly capable of managing their fun without harming others. I agree that those who break the law and endanger others should be punished accordingly, of course.

 

Adding to your list, I would include an anal retentive, pedantic view of the world test.

[JulesMad]

I can't be the only one who remembers the times when bars were open all night...