Closing Bars

[rbrb]

I understand that in the last few days all bars and the likes of Hollywood Disco are being forced to close early, at least by 1:00am.

Do any of you know what is happening now?

[Eggy]

Can't say that I've noticed, still 2 am Go-Go's and beer bars pretty much open all hours.

[davethailand]

As from 2nite my bands stop at 130 am, it will happen in less than a week i think.

[Goat Roper]

As from 2nite my bands stop at 130 am, it will happen in less than a week i think.

Hey Dave, can't you just turn the lights and volume down and let the good times roll until dawn? Just kidding Dave, I know there is more to it than my BS but I'm with you all that are in the hospitality business. All the best to ya Dave.

[davethailand]

As from 2nite my bands stop at 130 am, it will happen in less than a week i think.

Hey Dave, can't you just turn the lights and volume down and let the good times roll until dawn? Just kidding Dave, I know there is more to it than my BS but I'm with you all that are in the hospitality business. All the best to ya Dave.

A load of bullsiht though is'nt it.

[Goat Roper]

As from 2nite my bands stop at 130 am, it will happen in less than a week i think.

Hey Dave, can't you just turn the lights and volume down and let the good times roll until dawn? Just kidding Dave, I know there is more to it than my BS but I'm with you all that are in the hospitality business. All the best to ya Dave.

A load of bullsiht though is'nt it.

Indeed it is Dave and I am still having a problem to get my head around all this "holier than thou" crap. I think that in the end all this will hurt this wonderful country. The Thai people are great folks and are my adopted family and many I know are of the same opinion as I have. I do believe that in the very near future( 12 months) that all this crappola will be reversed.

[Shriek]

Most of the civilised world closes its bars no earlier than 2am . And most resorts later . This totally stupid move by the government , looks stupid to the rest of the world . Thailand has always been a fun place and these days Singapore can be more fun ! although more expensive.

If they go ahead with this it will really effect tourism in the long term and will prob take 12-18 months to really be noticed by most here . After that many tourists will look elsewhere as Thailand slips back 30 years .

The only good news is that when no one can pay back their credit cards and loans the reccesion will be a big one !

Thai Rak Thai or Thaksin is a <deleted> ! What ever happened to buying Liverpool ? and why is there Thailand Ads at every Premership game ? Maybe Casinos can open late . And Bird flu is not in Thailand !!!!

Whatever happens they have lost the plot . And Thaksin gets richer !

Long live the King

[britmaveric]

Time will tell....guess we'll check back in a week and see. However I can confirm that everything is as it was right now.

[MaiSonJai]

Most of the civilised world closes its bars no earlier than 2am .

Does it make the world civilized?

I'm not sure.

Why governments have to impose closing time to their entertainment places and hence to the people attending them is beyond me.

Does it make the economy better?

Does it make the local people happier?

Does it make the visitors happier?

At the end, does it make more money for the country?

Did I say it before?

Not sure...

[eyebee]

Well, the unthinkable (for Pattaya) has happened. All gogos on Walking Street were shut by the cops at 1am (apparently those in soi Pattayaland 2 were shut last night at 1am). There were a few bars still operating, but they were in darkness outside, and one had to be in the know to get in. Lucifer, Marine Disco, Kilkenny's and Blues Factory also had to shut up shop at 1. Walking Street was packed solid with bodies at this time.

The beer bars (including those in sois 7, 8 and 9) had turned off their lights and music (the exception being North Pattaya for some reason), and I've been told that the beer bars will not be able to serve alcohol after 1am from tomorrow.

Does this sound the death knell for Pattaya?

I think it is so f***ing stupid - what good will it do?

[bartender100]

eyebee

Yes I can confirm what you say,I was on WalkingStreet last night,everything thing shut down at 1am,but I could still hear music coming from some where,so I went to investigate,and guess what? the ladyboy bar at the foot of marine was still "throbbing"with music.

Just goes to show some are still not to be tampered with by the police,anyone know why?

Also it was the first time I did not see a farang tourist policeman about all night,where they in hiding?.Howard?

There was no trouble,but I felt an under current of frustration from the tourist's who paid a lot of their hard earned money to come to Thailand for a couple of weeks to forget their daily toil,and perhaps stay out a little later than 1am.

I think the tabloids in the uk will have a field day with this.

[davethailand]

We were closed just after 1am, we sat drinking (drowning our sorrows) until about 4am.

The bands start at 830pm now with a new happy hour in the hope of getting people in early.

As far as the TPV's go, they hav'nt got any influence on this anyway as they don't have the power.

Unless Chonburi or Banglamung police come personally we will have a bit of flexibilty with the hours.

[davethailand]

BTW

Lucifers was apparently handed a 30 day closure last night at around 1130pm for not updating to the new licensing laws.

[bartender100]

I was in yours last david,great atmosphere,that female singer was fantastic,she can belt out a song.Packed out as well,must have pissed you off having to close so early.

The point of my comment about TPV's was that on a night when they probably were needed, to explain to tourists what was going on, they were not to be seen.

[davethailand]

I was in yours last david,great atmosphere,that female singer was fantastic,she can belt out a song.Packed out as well,must have pissed you off having to close so early.

The point of my comment about TPV's was that on a night when they probably were needed, to explain to tourists what was going on, they were not to be seen.

Thanks, she is excellent,

did you here the organ player?

i went out last night and got pissed (gutted about David passing away) i got a call from Snowman just after 1am so i went back there.

I will be there 2nite

[bartender100]

Not a good week for lucifers and their B80 million investment then,was there not a meeting earlier in the week telling "101 club" they are about to lose their rearends,so to speak.

[wcr]

Farang TPV's out patrolling if there maybe a problem...

no way!

[sublime]

just as a matter of interest... how come in today's headlines on all the english news programmes there was no mention of the new early closing times that were enforced as of last night?

...i thought that would have been a significant headline?

could have been interesting to have them explained to who they are benfiting and also to have some interviews on how tourists and locals thought of the idea?

[Padkapow Guy]

I know this sucks but would it not be possible to shift the hours of operation to earlier so you could be open the same amount of time. It might take some good advertising but if the bar owner all got together and started running specials earlier or having bands starting earlier I think the customers would adapt to it.

It might mean you go to bed earlier but you can just get up earlier.

It might work until the Thai gov decides that 1 am is open to late.

Just a thought. I know it I would just get an earlier start on the nite myself.

[sublime]

that means i would now have to come home from the beach or whatever i am doing earlier, eat dinner earlier and put the kids to bed earlier so i can still get the same amount of relaxation time on the weekend end nights out... everyone's schedule needs to change... everyone is thrilled!!! [sarcasm] ... haven't spoken to one person (thai & farrang) yet that is behind this decision...

interested to know other people's thoughts...

what happens to those people who have both daytime and night time jobs... who before would have a bit of time to relax between gigs... if everything is moved earlier there goes that already short window of reflextion time...

wonder who would be paying for the new advertising campaign to tell patrons of the earlier schedules...

[Padkapow Guy]

good points, I guess I was thinking on the lines of retired people or tourist.

Your right, If you had a job that went until 9pm that would truely suck.

Can the Thai people impeach their PM. Sort of like Richard Nixon?

I think this situation is going to get ugly before it gets better.

[Merlin]

BTW

Lucifers was apparently handed a 30 day closure last night at around 1130pm for not updating to the new licensing laws.

hey,

Lucifers was open again last night [sat] - do you know when the closure order comes into effect?

[davethailand]

BTW

Lucifers was apparently handed a 30 day closure last night at around 1130pm for not updating to the new licensing laws.

hey,

Lucifers was open again last night [sat] - do you know when the closure order comes into effect?

From 1st nov (so i heard).

Is Your place behaving?

lights on a 1am for us, we actually hav'nt lost any income in the 2 days that the 1am crap has started (compared to the month so far) , time will tell though

We would have definatley made alot more though with 2am (obviously)

[Merlin]

it's very frustrating for us, things were just beginning to pick up [the "Miss Tony's" competition is going really well] and now we have earlier closing times to contend with. Our main problem has always been that most of our customers don't come in till after midnight. With such a big place, it's hard to get past the overheads with only a couple of hours of "good" trade a day. And now if they're going to start restricting to 1AM it will be even harder. Like you, I expect Tony will have to try some kind of early-bird specials etc to try and get them coming in earlier.

[sublime]

i have heard a couple of mixed reports which none should be quoted as fact...

the early closing times are only being enforced for the long weekend as alot of people from bkk are here and they dont want people seeing the city as special opposed to bkk? ... however, i have heard rumours that some places in bkk are still opening late this weekend?

the 1am closing time is the lead into the 12 am closing time that they had originally suggested a few months back and are still contemplating implementing very soon?

tony's could do well across the board if they would relax their drink prices... 200 Baht for a small bottle of heinekin and 190 baht for a bottle of water... you are joking arent you... anyway that is the reason i know of that alot of people dont go there... there are alot of nice girls there that you dont see in other establishments, but please the drink prices are a joke... and no i aint a cheap charlie just very thirsty when i go out

[Goat Roper]

BTW

Lucifers was apparently handed a 30 day closure last night at around 1130pm for not updating to the new licensing laws.

hey,

Lucifers was open again last night [sat] - do you know when the closure order comes into effect?

From 1st nov (so i heard).

Is Your place behaving?

lights on a 1am for us, we actually hav'nt lost any income in the 2 days that the 1am crap has started (compared to the month so far) , time will tell though

We would have definatley made alot more though with 2am (obviously)

Although I am no longer part of the "Bar Scene" I do wonder if the authorities will be lurking to find infractions of this new social order program and make an example of a "foreign" owned/operated bar. I do think tippy toeing is in order here if you are a bar owner, at least for the time being.

[Shriek]

Look this social order programme has been under way a long while . Its just hit Pattaya last . The problem is that the Thai teenagers are running amok and no one knows how to deal with it .

We just need to push them to get the tourist zones sorted asap , and that should sort Pattaya an even later opening .

Time will tell , but its going to be survival of the fittest from now on !

Good luck everyone

[davethailand]

BTW

Lucifers was apparently handed a 30 day closure last night at around 1130pm for not updating to the new licensing laws.

hey,

Lucifers was open again last night [sat] - do you know when the closure order comes into effect?

From 1st nov (so i heard).

Is Your place behaving?

lights on a 1am for us, we actually hav'nt lost any income in the 2 days that the 1am crap has started (compared to the month so far) , time will tell though

We would have definatley made alot more though with 2am (obviously)

Although I am no longer part of the "Bar Scene" I do wonder if the authorities will be lurking to find infractions of this new social order program and make an example of a "foreign" owned/operated bar. I do think tippy toeing is in order here if you are a bar owner, at least for the time being.

Hopefully not, i can't see how they can find a problem with us, all my farang employee's including myself have full work permits, we pay taxes, the new licensing requirements from BKK have been submitted and accepted (new license has been approved) we close at 1am.

but who knows???

[Goat Roper]

BTW

Lucifers was apparently handed a 30 day closure last night at around 1130pm for not updating to the new licensing laws.

hey,

Lucifers was open again last night [sat] - do you know when the closure order comes into effect?

From 1st nov (so i heard).

Is Your place behaving?

lights on a 1am for us, we actually hav'nt lost any income in the 2 days that the 1am crap has started (compared to the month so far) , time will tell though

We would have definatley made alot more though with 2am (obviously)

Although I am no longer part of the "Bar Scene" I do wonder if the authorities will be lurking to find infractions of this new social order program and make an example of a "foreign" owned/operated bar. I do think tippy toeing is in order here if you are a bar owner, at least for the time being.

Hopefully not, i can't see how they can find a problem with us, all my farang employee's including myself have full work permits, we pay taxes, the new licensing requirements from BKK have been submitted and accepted (new license has been approved) we close at 1am.

but who knows???

All the best to ya Dave but keep alert.

[Buster-Gonad]

Hi, first post here so hi to every one.

I think everything that has been said here is correct, the other thing to remember is that there is also a new police cheif in town flexing his muscles.

I don't think it will be a long term thing personaly, if you have been here long enough you know that one thing Thailand is good at is U Turns, one every 2 clics

When Tourism start to drop as I am sure it will in this town due to these restrictions it will be relaxed.

Also with regard to Lucifers, if it was just a licence infraction why not go round during the day and serve a closure notice on the owners, why raid it when it is full and upset the tourists? If you were a tourist involved in one of these raids ( not a resident ) how would you react back home, I am certain they will not reccoment TH as a hiliday destination.

I wonder if this has anything to do with 2 other large establishments that have only been at half capacity since Lucifers became popular, both of which everyone knows are well connected? maybe putting people off and enticing them back to their old haunts?