Tourist minister plans foreign trip to study last calls extension

 

Phiphat

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said he would be heading overseas this week to seek advice about his plan to extend closing hours for pubs and bars in Thailand’s major tourist destination provinces.

 

Phiphat did not elaborate when or which countries he would visit but he said he was looking at Italy’s model that allows pubs and bars to remain open until dawn to draw tourists.

 

“Several countries stimulate tourism by opening entertainment places in tourist destinations to encourage foreign tourists to spend. But the country whose policy interests me the most is Italy, where entertainment venues stay open until dawn. I want our entertainment venues to remain open until 4 am because our target group is not local residents but foreign tourists,” Phiphat said.

 

He said he would discuss and seek opinions from foreign officials on the pros and cons of allowing entertainment places to remain open late.

 

The minister said he has assigned the Tourism Authority of Thailand to survey opinions of operators of entertainment venues before submitting the plan for the Cabinet to consider.

 

TAT governor Yutthasak Supasorn said the TAT has checked opinions of operators of pubs and bars in several tourist destination areas, including Pattaya, Khon Kaen and Hat Yai. Next week, the TAT would conduct the survey in Chiang Mai as well as in selected southern provinces.

 

Yutthasak said operators in Khon Kaen did not want to extend the closing hours beyond 2 am, saying there are no foreign tourists left at 2 am.

But operators in Pattaya would like to remain open until 4am, the TAT governor added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/30375748

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-03

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So will he be sitting in a bar in Italy until dawn,to see what

it's like.it's probably more about the food than drinking there.

regards worgeordie

2 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

So will he be sitting in a bar in Italy until dawn,to see what

it's like.it's probably more about the food than drinking there.

regards worgeordie

Probably staying in some beautiful 5* hotel in Amalfi, all on the taxpayer's dime

He probably isn't aware of that internet thingy. Where I come from, we call that a "boondoggle."

I think he misunderstands the role of Tourism and Sports Minister; it's not about becomming a tourist yourself.

10 of his closet friends,  I mean staff will go also to collect information.  

Sounds like a nice jolly.

 

While he's there, he should check out how advanced countries track suspicious "Aliens" as they take holidays around the country, what forms they have to fill in when they leave the province for 24 hours, stay at a friends house for the night etc.

 

Gosh he will be slumming it in an AirBnB villa on Lake Como! Meanwhile all the photos of him hanging out with George Clooney will be dealt with at the "Ministry of Fake News".

A nice holiday for him, although the type of tourists in most parts of Italy won't be your usual clientele in the likes of P Town.

 

I wonder what he is actually looking for with this genius idea. 

Should he not be going to Beijing, Shanghai, Delhi and Mumbai as they were his brainwave tourist targets most recently, or is the shopping in Italy more to his liking?

52 minutes ago, webfact said:

"...because our target group is not local residents but foreign tourists,” Phiphat said.

I see another utter disaster in the making. Is Mr. Phiphat planning on having all locals barred from entertainment venues altogether? Or perhaps force all local guests off the premises at 2 a.m. while foreign tourists are allowed to remain? Or does he intend to designate venues that exclusively permit foreign tourists while all locals are denied entry?

 

As he surely would be able to observe if he goes ahead with this potentially extraordinarily expensive "Italy entertainment study tour" courtesy of the Thai tax payer, Italian venues are categorically open to EVERYBODY, foreigners and locals alike.

 

So why not simply introduce extended opening hours for ALL entertainment without cherry-picking who can and cannot enjoy these longer hours and save yourself that superfluous trip, Mr. Phiphat?   

45 minutes ago, quandow said:

He probably isn't aware of that internet thingy. Where I come from, we call that a "boondoggle."

This guy doesn't look as if he would have any idea how to doggle a boon.

9 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

As he surely would be able to observe if he goes ahead with this potentially extraordinarily expensive "Italy entertainment study tour" courtesy of the Thai tax payer,

I'm sure he can negotiate a zero dollar airfare with the national carrier, he and his entourage can use that money at the Gucci shop!

Unbelievable! A junket for himself and extended advisory team for a matter that a six year old could decide in ten minutes. With a bit of luck and a lot of grovelling he might be able to borrow Prawit's private government jet for the trip.

He might also get some handy junket advice from Prawit's own experiences of his 20 million baht extravagaza "defence" excursion to Hawaii some years back.

44 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

A nice holiday for him, although the type of tourists in most parts of Italy won't be your usual clientele in the likes of P Town.

 

I wonder what he is actually looking for with this genius idea. 

Further questions:

- How many staff will accompany him?

- Wil his family accompany him at taxpayers expense?

Who did not see this coming?

34 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

This guy doesn't look as if he would have any idea how to doggle a boon.

on the contrary - I believe his boon has been doggled

ha ha enjoy your jolly, drinking nice Italian wine that noone can afford to drink here, because of the monopoly

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said he would be heading overseas this week to seek advice about his plan to extend closing hours for pubs and bars in Thailand’s major tourist destination provinces.

24 minutes ago, Saraphee said:

on the contrary - I believe his boon has been doggled

By whom has his boon been doggled? 

that is so funny, so where are these tourists coming from, who are going to sit in a bar until 4 am, been like this in Pattaya for years, if one knows where to go. i feel sorry for the staff of these places, i bet they wont get any extra salary

Meaning no disrespect to Italy, but why not visit a country where MANY of its folk visit Thailand???
When in Rome, and all that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I need a trip. Hmmm, how and where? Oh I know, give stupid excuse of foreign observation or research and let a bunch of us gov't stooges spend millions of baht going to Italy! Ya, fun fun gonna be had!

20

10 of his closet friends,  I mean staff will go also to collect information.  

56 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Further questions:

- How many staff will accompany him?

- Wil his family accompany him at taxpayers expense?

They'll get back to you shortly!

So, a subsidised pub crawl. What a great job.

 

But for a more realistic vision of late-night drinking for tourists he should perhaps pay a visit to Magalluf, San Antonio, Ayia Napa and Malia! Italy attracts a somewhat different crowd in general.

2 hours ago, BTB1977 said:

10 of his closet friends,  I mean staff will go also to collect information.  

Aboard Prawits private jet

Clearly another minister that doesn't know he is alive on his backside. How difficult is it to get any information from this via Internet?
And why does anybody need information? Thailand is the one who partied hard for decades, not so hard to simply do that again is it?

By the time those oldies finally made a decision, I am old myself and no longer need to party that late.
Quite pointless to do so at this stage too, the tourists are gone already.

Edited September 3, 20196 yr by tabarin

2 hours ago, webfact said:

to remain open until dawn to draw tourists

So 24 hour. A New 7/11

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

So will he be sitting in a bar in Italy until dawn,to see what

it's like.it's probably more about the food than drinking there.

regards worgeordie

Is there anything on this forum people don't criticise. This gentleman is a breath of fresh air he is actually going to learn from other successful counties. Would be good if immigration, commerce, agriculture and a host of other ministers would do the same.