I had a long chat with the owner of Nice Illusion and Spicey last night, and she showed me documents she and a group of nearly 200 other nightspot owners have filed with the Chiang Mai police and local courts to fight the illegal midnight closing they've been enforcing lately (unevenly -- apparently a few venues have been allowed to stay open later if they can pay a special "late opening tax" ).

She says the police are now telling them that after 15 June they'll go back to the legal national closing time of 1am for bars & nightclubs (still 2am for discos). As for why the police have been insisting on midnight closing times over the last month or so, they won't explicitly say. But rumours are -- and I heard this from more than one source -- that the local police are worried about security in relation to the stormy situation in southern Thailand. Doesn't make a lot of sense, but then it's known that in Chiang Rai province, at least, clerics from southern Thailand are running a recruiting effort for their brand of radical Islam. How that relates to nightclub closing times is anyone's guess ....

But rumours are -- and I heard this from more than one source -- that the local police are worried about security in relation to the stormy situation in southern Thailand.

Must be they heard that the real baddies only do their deeds after midnight or something.

Forgot to add that another club owner who had a run-in with the police over the 12am closing said those police claimed they were closing places early so save on electricity ...

Chucking out time at the Butterfly bar on Sunday night was 12.midnight but mama san offered ver nicely to pull the shutters for a late one (another drink-of course)

However headed off to an old hangout i rediscovered which is now called the Spotlight Back and that stayed open to just after 01-00....nice company but early flight back to bangers.so as they say stage left...