Thai Health minister says no to 4am pub closing, except in tourist areas

[jippytum]

Typical half in half measure from a below par politician with a record of poor decisions

[Jerno]

Case by case basis. Thickest brown envelope wins approval.

[itsari]

I myself have a rule that I drink no more than three hours and still manage to get a wobbly boot now and then . Therefore a 4am closing time is completely of no value to me . 

I see no need or desire for it either as you have far more chance of getting into confrontation with drinkers that dont know when they have had enough .

 

[Marco51]

Dear Ezzra, use the nugget: outside of nightspots there are very often people who work in the morning or simply have this rather silly desire to take a nap or just watch TV without shattering windowpanes. This being Thailand , zoning means nothing , what is allowed and what not much depends on envelope size and every little finger given results in the arm ripped off, I can tell you as victim of some unbelievable noise levels in a 100% residential area (LOL), bass drum activities and what is called T-pop and drunken , raucous behaviour  (an increasingly aggressive behaviour internationally, not only in Thailand, a sort of understandable "end of time syndrome") , trying to read a book, watch a more quiet movie whithout shootouts or crashing cars or , the gods forbid, trying to sleep, As there are little to no (depending on envelope sizes) building rules or restrictions, and zoning are almost never taken into account , especially outside of the capital, most pubs, discos, karaokes or simply live music (music being rather flattering for what they perform locally) are constructed rather open air style in a way that the outside world will be more entertained than the clientel inside as every place has to compete with the other places around . One does get used to the midnight closing rule , insulates windows and walls (at the cost of one's own A/C electric bill) and adjusts sleeping habits . But meanwhile even these rules are being ignored and bit by bit pubs do what they like , trying every day to get away with another 15 minutes, meanwhile for example in our purely residential area WITH schools in the direct vicinity of 50-100 meters.

Fading out live music (???) stops around 1 after the "bands" give their last drunken efforts. Calling police .............well, let's say after 2 calls they do not pick up or don't at all if they recognise the number that called before. The local admin rejects responsibility , too much complaining risks the visa or, being Thai, having one's car scratched or worse, and it's whoever has the money and is the cheekiest that wins. And you advertise for officially 4 in the blxxdy morning? May I ask if you own a pub ? Knowing full well, that a rule that concerns zones means only that other zones take a little longer to rip off arms. As this has developed it's own dynamics and the areas expand exponentially since the Chinese Virus has ceased, we should then be prepared to move house another 5km out every few years? Mind, I am not talking "nightspots, " whoever lives in one of those should know better than to complain. By the way, maybe for your own good , we had a saying 30 years ago : anyone you pick up after midnight you do not want to face over breakfast. And that is independant of gender .

[Eric Loh]

Many countries don't even have a law on closing time. Drinks are served as long as there are customers. Just need laws and effective enforcement. Laws like drinking in public places, driving under the influence of alcohol or excessively loud music etc. Health Minister Anutin can't see the forest for the trees.

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, Artisi said:

Seems he isn't involved with pub ownership. 

Haven't you heard of nice thick brown envelopes? ????

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Exactly what I was thinking - who cares what the ministry of health thinks - it's not their area of expertise nor should it be his decision.

This guy is a qualified engineer, nothing to do with health, so what does he know?

[Hummin]

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Many countries don't even have a law on closing time. Drinks are served as long as there are customers. Just need laws and effective enforcement. Laws like drinking in public places, driving under the influence of alcohol or excessively loud music etc. Health Minister Anutin can't see the forest for the trees.

Give me a list of civilized countries who do not regulate alchohol and opening hours?

[Eric Loh]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Give me a list of civilized countries who do not regulate alchohol and opening hours?

In China for instance. If shop is open 24 hours, then alcohol is available 24 hours. Japan, no legally codified cutoff for for last drink. Singapore no closing time accept in public places. Some states in US serves alcohol 24 hours. I am talking about closing time and not other regulations like drink driving, drinking in public places etc etc

[Mickeymaus]

Yes, the seedy nightlife is very important for the Thai tourism. I still don't understand why TAT doesn't promote this more openly.

 

There is no zoning. So residents have to accept any noise and other problems. But who cares about them if SOME people can benefit from this seedy nightlife.

 

I read always about raids and reports that the police here in Pattaya enforces closing times. Yes they do. But for instance last night at four in the morning you still could hear the music of some bars in Central Pattaya. And this is also the location where the main police station is. But perhaps their ears are not that good. 

[bradiston]

10 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

Yes, the seedy nightlife is very important for the Thai tourism. I still don't understand why TAT doesn't promote this more openly.

 

There is no zoning. So residents have to accept any noise and other problems. But who cares about them if SOME people can benefit from this seedy nightlife.

 

I read always about raids and reports that the police here in Pattaya enforces closing times. Yes they do. But for instance last night at four in the morning you still could hear the music of some bars in Central Pattaya. And this is also the location where the main police station is. But perhaps their ears are not that good. 

I lived in Lengkee a while back and moved out because of the constant thud thud thud of bass., And the senseless shrieking around the pool table often til 4am. Even during COVID, lockdown and curfew. Complained to cop shop on Beach Road, but was told later on it was police owned.

 

If they designated Walking St in Pattaya for instance an all night entertainment area, ok. You'd know what to avoid for residential purposes within a 400m radius, or more. Easier for police to monitor, and control as necessary (licensing, health and safety, fighting etc). Easier done in small chunks like that. Break it down into manageable "bites", not a massive nationwide blanket strategy.

[Mickeymaus]

9 minutes ago, bradiston said:

I lived in Lengkee a while back and moved out because of the constant thud thud thud of bass., And the senseless shrieking around the pool table often til 4am. Even during COVID, lockdown and curfew. Complained to cop shop on Beach Road, but was told later on it was police owned.

 

If they designated Walking St in Pattaya for instance an all night entertainment area, ok. You'd know what to avoid for residential purposes within a 400m radius, or more. Easier for police to monitor, and control as necessary (licensing, health and safety, fighting etc). Easier done in small chunks like that. Break it down into manageable "bites", not a massive nationwide blanket strategy.

There were reports recently in the news that the governor of Bangkok wants to impose strickt noise regulations at the Khao San Road because it got unbearable for residents. And residents are not only people living there but also hotels. He gave them 2 weeks to follow the new regulations. They are not over yet. But it is encouraging to see that a government cares.

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, Mickeymaus said:

There were reports recently in the news that the governor of Bangkok wants to impose strickt noise regulations at the Khao San Road because it got unbearable for residents. And residents are not only people living there but also hotels. He gave them 2 weeks to follow the new regulations. They are not over yet. But it is encouraging to see that a government cares.

Ok, shut down all night life in Thailand. I don't care. I never use those facilities anyway, and I live in an area where there are no bars. It's entirely residential. But watch the devastation on the tourist industry. Som nam na if they can't sort it out. It'll be worse than COVID.

[khunjeff]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

He disclosed that road accidents during the 2023 New Year festival dropped by about 20%, compared to last year, thanks to the cooperation of all parties concerned, including ThaiHealth for their road safety campaign.

Yes, those road safety "campaigns" are soooooo effective ????

[Sydebolle]

How lucky Thailand must be having a health minister putting his nose into literally any case standing around; this time it's the interior ministry's turf. 
I - for one - sleep at midnight already but the closing hours have nothing to do with health but it allows the boys in brown to skim off bribes from every watering hole having switched off the light boxes, turned down the music so the interior minister (under which you'll find the police and the immigration) will be happy to hear. Wondering, when this country will wake up and consider voting for people working in the interest of the electorate rather than their own bank accounts. 

[zzaa09]

10 hours ago, Hummin said:

Give me a list of civilized countries who do not regulate alchohol and opening hours?

Civilised countries. [whatever that is]

 

[Marco51]

In the EU , specifically Germany and France, there have been studies lately that show an immediate and direct connection between noise (construction, traffic, music, neighbourhood) and sneaking in cardiac problems and psychological feeling of threat.  Some wisecrack , I realise, will now immediately say : a tough guy never feels threatened but he will be very wrong , he just is too daft to realise there is nothing he can do about it. I purposely do not gender here, women are generally smarter. It is not a question of civilised or not but a question of what speaks louder : money/vested interest or rule of law. If both are in the same hands, then......And quoting maoist China as a civilised country that has the wellbeing of it's citizens in mind and heeds any study to that effect coming from outside of their ministries of funny talks ...............right you are, mate.