Police Crackdown On Entertainment Venues

[sriracha john]

Police Crackdown on Entertainment Venues

After the government announced an agenda to crackdown on entertainment venues to make sure they abide by relavent laws, Huaykwang Police inspected night clubs and pubs in the Ratchadapisek area.

Police Colonel Rayong Yungyu, Huaykwang police station superintendent, led a team of officers to inspect entertainment venues at Soi 6 of Ratchadapisek Road. The area is famous for its nightclubs and pubs.

Officers are making sure that no one under the age of 20 is allowed into the venues and that the clubs themselves close their doors by 2 a.m. each night as required by the law.

One of the first venues to be inspected was Seed Pub. The club was full of customers who were enjoying a mini-concert by famous band “Bodyslam”.

In order to make sure no underage teenagers were allowed on the premises, police asked the band to stop performing temporarily to check the patrons’ identification cards. No underage teenagers were found and the concert continued.

Police also inspected clubs named Bali Seafood and Hollywood Award. Club operators cooperated with police and no underage patrons were found.

Police Colonel Rayong Yungyu says the inspection is being conducted according to policies given out by Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung and Acting Police Chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan.

Police are making sure that entertainment venues do not allow anyone younger than 20 years onto their premises, that they have proper business licenses, and close no later than 2 a.m. as required by the law.

- Thailand Outlook

[BigSnake]

How will it last this time?? I wonder??

[sriracha john]

long after they get Purachai to accept the position of Chief Crackdowner

[stattointhailand]

No underage patrons were found ....... aledgedly 625 false ID cards were confiscated and the local policemans ball can go ahead as usual!!

[Big A]

Police Crackdown on Entertainment Venues

Police Colonel Rayong Yungyu says the inspection is being conducted according to policies given out by Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung and Acting Police Chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan.

Christ, that's rich!!

[cclub75]

Indeed. Confirmed by people working in clubs on RCA. Good old times are back ?

Police raided RCA last friday. We can notice that we have also much more road blocks in Bangkok, since a few weeks.

Is it to please the new "masters" ? The police is so corrupted that they like to show themselves like good dogs, ready to obey. And even to anticipate the master's wills.

It makes them feel good...

Or is it the beginning of a, real new campaign ?

[yaketyak]

What a fuss about nothing.

When will the Thai authorities learn that one of the key reasons a high percentage of people come to Thailand in the first place, bringing with them tons of spending money, is that Thailand WAS pewrceived as being very open , few rules anything goes kind of place. If they start unneccessarily cracking down on nightlife venues then some of these people will stop coming and stop thus spending.

What does it matter what time bars shut? It should be down to supply and demand . If the owners want to stay open all night ...so what??

And as for this absurd rule (it all started when Taksin got in if i remember correctly) that people under the age of 20 (!!!) are minors...well i'm speechless.

In the good old days pre-Taksin bars opened later and anyone could get in . Thats how it should be now.

[marquess]

What a fuss about nothing.

When will the Thai authorities learn that one of the key reasons a high percentage of people come to Thailand in the first place, bringing with them tons of spending money, is that Thailand WAS pewrceived as being very open , few rules anything goes kind of place. If they start unneccessarily cracking down on nightlife venues then some of these people will stop coming and stop thus spending.

What does it matter what time bars shut? It should be down to supply and demand . If the owners want to stay open all night ...so what??

And as for this absurd rule (it all started when Taksin got in if i remember correctly) that people under the age of 20 (!!!) are minors...well i'm speechless.

In the good old days pre-Taksin bars opened later and anyone could get in . Thats how it should be now.

I agree with you but I am afraid that those days have probably gone forever now, still at least we are not getting the midnight closing thing yet. But his is just typical Thai, tackle meaningless surface issues, next they will be forcing the girls to cover up again, then as Trink once put; one would see more on a beach.

[JetsetBkk]

Police Crackdown on Entertainment Venues

Police Colonel Rayong Yungyu says the inspection is being conducted according to policies given out by Interior Minister Chalerm Yubamrung and Acting Police Chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan.

Christ, that's rich!!

Certainly is. Excellent new policies from the new Interior Minister - after all, we wouldn't want to see these clubs being patronised by the sort of people who would shoot a policeman dead at point blank range, allegedly, would we?

Edit:

Added "allegedly".

Edited March 5, 2008 by JetsetBkk

[sriracha john]

I think the governmental tattooing of bar-codes onto people's foreheads doesn't start until next year...

Fingerprint Scan at Night Entertainment Venues

From now on, police checks at night entertainment venues will be easier as the fingerprint scans are replacing identification cards.

This is the finger scanner, a new technology that will be used to check for those under 20 years of age entering entertainment venues.

The National Police Office has joined hands with Diageo Moet Hennessy Thailand Company to install the fingerprint scanner at various entertainment venues, which will act as a replacement for looking at patrons' identification cards.

All patrons have to do is put their right index finger on the machine and their identification card information will come up on the screen. They can then be allowed admittance to the venue if they are of age, without having to fumble with their wallets to show their identification cards.

Fingerprint scanners have been installed at 11 night entertainment venues on Thonglor Road on a trial basis for three months. Patrons have cooperated with the police and the venue by inputting their identification card information to create a database.

This database can then be accessed by night entertainment venues that have the fingerprint scan.

After the first input of information, the next time the patron shows up, a scan of their right index fingerprint will bring up their information.

The project aims to help reduce the problem of underage drinking and an additional 100 fingerprint scanner machines will be installed at night entertainment venues nationwide.

- Thailand Outlook

[MrSnrang]

See... Thaksin is back and so are his cronies. Their first action is to ruin people's fun.

[Tony Clifton]

No underage teenagers were found

Chalerm still doesn't know if it's true or if bribes were exchanges with the boys in brown in exchange for freedom.

This country will never get anywhere with this kind of police force.

[moe666]

People will stop coming to Thailand? I believe the targeted clubs cater to Thais.

[cclub75]

Fingerprint Scan at Night Entertainment Venues

It's huge !

Do you have the URL for the source ?

[Dakhar]

People will stop coming to Thailand? I believe the targeted clubs cater to Thais.

How many teen agers come to Thailand?

[sriracha john]

Fingerprint Scan at Night Entertainment Venues

It's huge !

Do you have the URL for the source ?

Their news articles aren't individually linked, but:

http://www.thailandoutlook.tv/

[yaketyak]

People will stop coming to Thailand? I believe the targeted clubs cater to Thais.

How many teen agers come to Thailand?

You have to spell it out childlike to some people. Everyone else seemed to understand. This absurd crackdown on worrying about what time and what age people are in clubs (which CAN be frequented by foreigners too) will and has put some people off coming .

My not-too-difficult-to-understand comment was that i cannot understand why the authorities seem obsessed with what time people leave the clubs and what age they are. As i said, back in the good old pre-Taksin anything goes days , no-one (rightly) cared. And the world kept spinning. So why does it matter !!??

[britainmal]

This rule only applies to venues that are Thai only not the foreigner joints. They don't care about the foreigners as long as they don't commit violence and bring illegal drugs.

[womble]

So why did the clubs in samui get closed at 2am last night then?

[kiakaha]

Spicy Hua Lumphong is still going strong ... open late. I wonder what rotten eggs in the police force control that area(probably the same ones(owners) that reap the tax free profits )

[Amethyst]

no wonder the clubs are very strict at checking id card. I saw they also ask for a very old looking man for his ID card hehehhe

[marquess]

no wonder the clubs are very strict at checking id card. I saw they also ask for a very old looking man for his ID card hehehhe

You get the same nonsense in the States too re I.D! I have seen people in their 50's being asked for I.D in Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas. Remember these people have to try and justify their existance one way or another.

[cclub75]

You get the same nonsense in the States too re I.D! I have seen people in their 50's being asked for I.D in Deep Ellum in Dallas, Texas. Remember these people have to try and justify their existance one way or another.

It's good to see that it's not only the famous thai lack of common sense (i was starting to doubt).

Once a saw a pair of thai buldogs at the entry, checking... the ID of a thai man obviously very old... with a lot of white hair...

So your comment about Texas makes me honestly feel better.

[Scott]

Well, I for one am very glad. People should go to bed early so they can get up early and visit all the beautiful temples! If they want to drink and party all night they can just stay home!

[astral]

Fingerprint Scan at Night Entertainment Venues

It's huge !

Do you have the URL for the source ?

http://www.hpcwire.com/archives/8385.html

The system apparently does exist, but as database of the fingerprints of known criminals,

much the same as most other countries possess.

As far as I can establish there is no plan to fingerprint all Thai citizens,

and even if they did the computer power needed to search such database within

a few seconds, would be HUGE.

The scheme for clubs appears to be private and rather small scale.

The use of local TRUE internet connections does not suggest that it will be very fast.

Fingerprint scan to verify age of pub patrons

source: The Nation March 7, 2008

Diageo Moet Hennessy is helping keep people under the age of 20 out of drinking establishments

Before gaining entry to a pub, one has to display an identification card. However, the next time just your finger will do.

A new technology using a fingerprint scan has been developed to help verify the age of pub patrons.

The technology has been launched by Diageo Moet Hennessy (Thailand), a leading importer and distributor of

premium alcoholic beverages, which was formerly known as Riche Monde (Bangkok).

The company's vice president of marketing, Zanita Kajiji, said the project involved establishing f

ingerprint scan kiosks at the gates of popular pubs. The kiosk will be used by pubs to verify that

their patrons' age is above 20 - the legal requirement to enter a pub.

The kiosk machine is designed to record the customer's basic personal information such as

first name, last name, address, and most importantly, date of birth.

The kiosk is equipped with magnetic card reader, camera and fingerprint scanner.

The system requires a first-time registration for which the customer's identification card is

scanned and the information on it is read. Next, the camera clicks an image of the ID card.

Lastly, the machine scans the index finger of the right hand. In all, three types of information -

personal details, picture and fingerprint - are collected, encrypted and transmitted to the company's server.

The process takes only a few seconds.

Zanita said that the next time the customer visits the pub, instead of displaying his ID card,

he just needs to get a fingerprint scan which works as verification. The machine matches his

fingerprint scan with the one in the database and verifies the age of the patron.

"The application is designed to reject registration of people of age under 20, even if they are 19 years and 11 months old," Zanita said.

The kiosks will be connected via a virtual private network to the company's server, which is hosted at True Internet.

"All the customer information in different pubs will be kept in the same database server.

If that person goes to another pub, they will not need to register again," Zanita said.

She said registration had to be on a voluntary basis because it involves giving out personal information and invokes privacy rights.

Twenty machines were used for the three-month trial at 12 pubs in the Thonglor-Ekamai area.

The pubs include Hype, Escudo, Song Sa-leung, Y50, We-za, Blog 9, Zantika, Booze, Gigabyte, Jet and Curve.

The company will select its partner pubs on the basis of customer volume.

"We have got a good response. The customers are willing to use this process, as it is so convenient and trendy.

Thailand is the first country in which we have launched the fingerprint-scan project," Zanita said.

From the 12 pubs participating in the trial, the company received registrations from 20,000 people or

60 per cent of total customers. The company wants to encourage 100-per-cent participation from the pubs' customers.

The firm plans to roll out the Bt50-million project across 100 pubs in the country by year-end.

It will bear the cost of installing the kiosk, the virtual private network and maintaining the server.

[sriracha john]

Thanks for that astral...

I wouldn't put it past the government to attempt to fingerprint all its citizenry...

I wouldn't put it past them to offer tattooing this as an alternative...

[MrSnrang]

Well, I for one am very glad. People should go to bed early so they can get up early and visit all the beautiful temples! If they want to drink and party all night they can just stay home!

Amen to that.

[No beleeeeve!]

Wasn't it in the RCA area where Thaksin, in his wife's name, bought a large tract of land at a huge discount after a similar bar crackdown of that area sometime around 2002-2004?

Whatever happened to that?

[Arkady]

Indeed. Confirmed by people working in clubs on RCA. Good old times are back ?

Police raided RCA last friday. We can notice that we have also much more road blocks in Bangkok, since a few weeks.

Is it to please the new "masters" ? The police is so corrupted that they like to show themselves like good dogs, ready to obey. And even to anticipate the master's wills.

It makes them feel good...

Or is it the beginning of a, real new campaign ?

There are several unfortunate factors working at once.

1. A new police chief who wants people to understand he's the boss.

2. A new interior minister who wants people to understand he's the boss.

3. PPP wants the people to understand it is going to be tough on entertainment places, drugs etc. These policies played very well under TRT. So why not re-run them.

4. The police want the entertainment places to understand that whatever squeeze they negotiated with the previous regime is now just the starting point for new negotiations. The owners will need more concession because enforcement is going to get tougher. Therefore they will have to pay more.

Expect things to get a lot worse.

[JSPS]

What a fuss about nothing.

When will the Thai authorities learn that one of the key reasons a high percentage of people come to Thailand in the first place, bringing with them tons of spending money, is that Thailand WAS pewrceived as being very open , few rules anything goes kind of place. If they start unneccessarily cracking down on nightlife venues then some of these people will stop coming and stop thus spending.

What does it matter what time bars shut? It should be down to supply and demand . If the owners want to stay open all night ...so what??

And as for this absurd rule (it all started when Taksin got in if i remember correctly) that people under the age of 20 (!!!) are minors...well i'm speechless.

In the good old days pre-Taksin bars opened later and anyone could get in . Thats how it should be now.

It's not even that new. We used to have the periodic crackdowns clear back in the 1960's under the Kittichacorn's. It's some knd of Thai tradition I think.

First the crackdowns, then making the girls cover up, then they collect their bribes for overlooking the afterhours joints. Thermae has been operating as an after hours bar since your grandfather's time. The only thing that changes is whether you go in the front or the back.

yeah, they're trying to imitate the rest of the world. But the reason people come to Thailand is because it is NOT like the rest of the world.

Last time I was back, I was shocked and amazed when I was told that I had to wear a seatbelt and that I couldn't have an open can of beer in the front seat. Now I read about smoking bans and such nonsense.