Government to trial 4 am closing for Thailand’s nightlife venues

[webfact]

The Thai government is working to identify pilot locations for a trial of late-night closing for the country’s nightlife. Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says his office is liaising with related parties to find locations where entertainment venues would be allowed to remain open until 4 am.

 

Phuket’s Patong beach will certainly be included in these trials.

 

The initiative is part of a new regulation introduced by PM Srettha Thavisin, to extend the official 2 am closing time by two hours, to boost tourism and stimulate the economy with the late night revellers.

 

By Peter Roche

Flickr/shankar s

 

Full story: PhuketGO 2023-10-13

 

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[Will B Good]

Staying Sukhumvit soi 11.......I think the bars and clubs have started these trials a little in advance of the announcement

[circa02]

So the unofficial tea-money new time is 6am?

[KannikaP]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

The initiative is part of a new regulation introduced by PM Srettha Thavisin, to extend the official 2 am closing time by two hours, to boost tourism and stimulate the economy with the late night revellers.

So does he really think that tourists come here because they can drink until 4am? And how much will those 'thousands' of pi55 head mongers actually spend in those last few hours, and the monies collected be declared for tax ? 

[circa02]

13 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

So does he really think that tourists come here because they can drink until 4am? And how much will those 'thousands' of pi55 head mongers actually spend in those last few hours, and the monies collected be declared for tax ? 

A lot of 18-35s do enjoy the late nightlife and few would be deemed the phrase you use, and 4am beyond is pretty normal, when mixing in a club etc.., for reference you generally spend as much in the last hour as you did in the first six hours, it's up to the venues to declare the tax not the customer..  Don't under-estimate the knock-on effect a vibrant nightlife can have on an economy in places like Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui,

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Just let all clubs everywhere open as late as they want, and let patrons decide how late they want to party. You want tourists? start acting like it. Bangkok's nightlife has been dying a slow agonizing death ever since the wet blanket 2am rules were introduced. It's a shadow of it's former self - in 2019 you could go out at 5am and there were still venues open and fun to be had - now at 3am almost everything is closed - it's ridiculous.

 

I personally know dozens of people who used to come to Thailand a few times a year, who stopped coming to Bangkok because it's incredibly boring now. Some of them go to Pattaya or Phuket instead, but many just don't come to Thailand at all anymore.

 

I'm actually about to move to Pattaya because Bangkok nightlife has become so bad. Lost all hope it will ever be back to normal.

[retarius]

What could possibly go wrong. Can you not drink enough beer by 1am? Start at 11 am in the morning and drink till 1 am at night. Why should neighbours have to live with all the noise, fights and nonsense that goes along with clubs open after midnight?

[pedro01]

Seems like a smart move to me. I recall it was open 24x7 back in the late 90s - that was a hoot.

[fondue zoo]

More time for sloppy 2nd's 5th's

kidding, that would be wrong for so many reasons.

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

So does he really think that tourists come here because they can drink until 4am? And how much will those 'thousands' of pi55 head mongers actually spend in those last few hours, and the monies collected be declared for tax ? 

It is common in Europe for venues to be open until dawn. People from there might come to Thailand to have fun and wonder why they can't stay out as long as they do at home if they want to. Combine that with the bizarre alcohol laws - hours you can buy, bar closures for various reasons that have nothing to do with tourists or any other non-Thais ....

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The initiative is part of a new regulation introduced by PM Srettha Thavisin, to extend the official 2 am closing time by two hours, to boost tourism and stimulate the economy with the late night revellers.

Tourists and locals only have so much money to spend, they can only consume so much alcohol... you're only spreading out the time people go out, not increasing the number of people.

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, circa02 said:

So the unofficial tea-money new time is 6am?

Very appropriate - breakfast tea money??

 

[BarraMarra]

I go to Udon mostly at exactly 12pm bars close police parol up n down looking for bars that are still serving customers, A few places pay the local plod but its lights out at 12.

[CG1 Blue]

2 hours ago, KannikaP said:

So does he really think that tourists come here because they can drink until 4am? And how much will those 'thousands' of pi55 head mongers actually spend in those last few hours, and the monies collected be declared for tax ? 

It's about getting more tourists to choose Thailand. A lot of tourists won't go to countries where there are strange restrictions in place. Most popular tourist destinations don't tell you it's bedtime at 2am. 

[Nickcage49]

What could possibly go wrong???

[Cake Monster]

This desperate measure to wring every last Dollar from, Tourists is not going to increase GDP

It will however increase  e the death rate on the roads and Employee absenteeism in the Factories Etc

[pedro01]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Tourists and locals only have so much money to spend, they can only consume so much alcohol... you're only spreading out the time people go out, not increasing the number of people.

Actually - they are catering to a completely different audience.

 

Not everyone wants to sit in a beer bar with a Leo wife-beater on from lunchtime.

[MrMojoRisin]

So Anutin first legalised marijuana and is now going to extend opening hours.

This champ is well on the way to totally redeeming himself in my book.

 

I wonder what Move Forwards policy would be in this particular area???

[OneMoreFarang]

Sometimes when I am up early and ride with my bike to the fresh market a little after 6am I see the leftover from last night on Sukhumvit. It doesn't look good. And I don't think it will look any better with extended opening hours. 

 

 

[KannikaP]

4 hours ago, circa02 said:

for reference you generally spend as much in the last hour as you did in the first six hours

Reference from where please.

 

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

I go to Udon mostly at exactly 12pm bars close police parol up n down looking for bars that are still serving customers, A few places pay the local plod but its lights out at 12.

They close the bars at midday in Udon? Goodness me, what a hellhole. I'll stay in Bankkok thank you very much.

[BarraMarra]

12pm is midnight once it goes past its AM.

[Bassosa]

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It is common in Europe for venues to be open until dawn. People from there might come to Thailand to have fun and wonder why they can't stay out as long as they do at home if they want to. Combine that with the bizarre alcohol laws - hours you can buy, bar closures for various reasons that have nothing to do with tourists or any other non-Thais ....

These countries have adequate zoning and noise laws however.

[tkramer]

5 hours ago, pedro01 said:

Seems like a smart move to me. I recall it was open 24x7 back in the late 90s - that was a hoot.

Not true...! Unless you are talking about Thermae, and a few other low-life places. Been living and working in the CBD since 1994.

 

Of course walking down Sukhumvit and many side streets were not immune to lot's of 'action'.

[Venom]

It's about attracting those quality tourists. Sleep all day up all night.???? 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

10 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Sometimes when I am up early and ride with my bike to the fresh market a little after 6am I see the leftover from last night on Sukhumvit. It doesn't look good. And I don't think it will look any better with extended opening hours. 

Sukhumvit bars and clubs close at 2-3am currently. Anything you see at 6am is completely unrelated to nightlife venues - mostly street workers who were there (the street) all night, and will be there regardless of when bars close. If anything extended opening hours will get some people OFF the street and into those venues.

 

2 hours ago, Venom said:

It's about attracting those quality tourists. Sleep all day up all night.???? 

And who made you the arbiter of "quality"? Night owls are more intelligent, more creative, and more successful than morning folk. Just because I prefer to start my night at 1am in a classy venue doesn't make me any less "quality" than some dude in a wife beater drinking in a beer bar from noon till he passes out. The majority of problems and incidents happen with people who start drinking early, not late.

[jacko45k]

We had a report of some early morning cyclists being mowed down by someone drunk, presumed driving homeward in the early hours.... what are we aiming for now, schoolkids?

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, KannikaP said:

So does he really think that tourists come here because they can drink until 4am? And how much will those 'thousands' of pi55 head mongers actually spend in those last few hours, and the monies collected be declared for tax ? 

New arrival?

You don't seem to know much about it with that opinion. 4am is just going back to what it used to be before Thaksin's henchman tried to destroy farang nightlife.

 

I used to frequent a gogo that was open past dawn, and it wasn't the only one by far. In Pattaya there were always bars open 24/7.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Sukhumvit bars and clubs close at 2-3am currently. Anything you see at 6am is completely unrelated to nightlife venues - mostly street workers who were there (the street) all night, and will be there regardless of when bars close. If anything extended opening hours will get some people OFF the street and into those venues.

Before Thaksin, there were no bars along Sukhumvit, as the gogos were open longer, and dancers didn't look for customers outside the bars.

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

New arrival?

You don't seem to know much about it with that opinion. 4am is just going back to what it used to be before Thaksin's henchman tried to destroy farang nightlife.

 

I used to frequent a gogo that was open past dawn, and it wasn't the only one by far. In Pattaya there were always bars open 24/7.

Yes, new arrival in 2009. I just feel sorry for those who need to drink until the early hours, or 24 hours. 

How many Thai drinkers will welcome the extended boozing hours if it comes to be?