Countrywide 1 AM closing

[kingdom]

Just means that the fottball hooligans and other dickheads that are starting to come here will be out fighting at 1.30am instead of 2.30am!

 

Phuket, Samui, Pattaya - You can keep them all!

I'm quite happy in my little corner of paradise...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...if this is your opinion, explain to us why you have bothered to set up and advertise your 'backpack thailand' website? This 'social order' campaign is directly targeted at kicking out backpackers and attracting more big spending tourists. Your only happy in your 'little corner' until the tourist money dries up and the local start taking it out on the nearest smug faced farang.

[kreon]

What is the point of having closing times anyway ?

In the state of Victoria, Australia, we got rid of them about six years ago. No trouble, no "drinking up", no problems.

If you finish work at 2am (eg firefighters) you can go for a drink. If you finish night shift at 7 am you can go for a drink.

Why have licensing hours ????

The night life in Melbourne is good, party as long as you like. The only down side, is that there are alot of prima donnas on the doors of night clubs, with their little bits of red rope and guest lists. I mentioned Tokyo earlier, it is a good place to go out to lots of bars that don't close until dawn and lots good music.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

tell me.....plus 80% guys and 20% chicks with chips on their shoulders.

btw don't touch them or you get bashed up by the guys!

give me katoeys anytime

[poolcleaner]

Wow, does this mean I get to see some daylight the next time I go to Pattaya? Instead of going for drinks then going to hollywood disco then taking 6 or more people to Mr. Bill's Karaoke? Wow! I'll save TONS of money and get to work on my tan some!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't count on that!!

I've just had two days in Pattaya and I finished drinking, cause I'd had enough, at 4:30am. The bars were turning off their lights at about 2.00 but as long as there were customers there were drinks to be sold. The gogos closed at about 1:30-2:00 and it's a great place to be in and around Walking Street at 3:00am

[RamTodatry]

I think its too early to tell who is right, and what will pan out.

1. The powers-in-place are making the wrong decision - I still cannot understand their motivation.

2. Assuming the bars, joints, etc close early, it will not not affect the guys who want to pick up girls, or vice-versa. They probably would enjoy the "lost hour" more back in their rooms, rather than drinking, etc (which would lower their efficacy....right?)

3. The residents nearby would not notice much difference, as the action moves into the Sois and roads nearby. Been on Sukhumvit lately, after the bars close?

4. People who ultimately loose would be the establishments and the vendors/hawkers on the Sois. Does anyone remember Adams and/or Keynes?

5. That would ultimately affect Prathet Thai, but who are we farangs. If we do not like it here - Just leave.

6. I would DEFINITELY NOT go to Singapore, etc just to enjoy my beer - as someone else mentioned. I can enjoy my beer anywhere, anytime.

My two-cents worth - keep them open 24/7.

[hilly]

My local in Muang Thong still stays open till 4am....woohoo! pom chock dii pom chok dii

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dont you believe it. There is also talk here in Pty about a strike. This time they are not going to take it laying down.

[robsamui]

Hmmm.

Just take a look round Pattaya at 4 am or 5 am. There are some areas (well-away from Walking street)...whole complexes that never seem to close. Rumour has it that these are the ones that are owned by various local police officials, but who knows.

I think the whole thing is much simpler. In a couple of months, Toxin wil BELLOW to the Thai nation that he has decimated drug trafficing, reduced prostitution, reduced drunkenness, stabilised the morals of the country's young people and created a more healthy economy.

If you could allow the millions of peasants who will then vote for him to visit RCA for one night, they might change their minds a bit! Want to see drunk, drugged and underage...forget the tourists, Pattaya or Phuket!

Rob

[davethailand]

My local in Muang Thong still stays open till 4am....woohoo! pom chock dii pom chok dii

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dont you believe it. There is also talk here in Pty about a strike. This time they are not going to take it laying down.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A strike , Lets hope not, I'll follow the city and (or) the heavier chaps but I won't close if it's just a few gogo's.

[arthsch]

in the good old times the service girls had a shelter in the "Therme". now they are walking at the sukhumvit. good for the umbrella- and shoeindustry. in short time the hiv-rate and the criminality will explode. and this is good for the pharmacies and the police. this fool of minister has no idea, what a nonsens he is doing. god bless thailand!

[hkt83100]

What happened to the Phuket 2 week strike, this is the only action I believe that will make these small minded politicians take notice.  People power is the answer here.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is a small street in Patong Beach, Phuket with about 8 Karaokes, 3 Minimarts, and - at nighttime - 6 hawkers selling barbequed chicken, hot dogs and other stuff. Since the new closing times were enforced here, there is no more BBQ available, only two of the minimarts look promising to survive the next month, and about 3 of the Karaokes are going to close down by the end of the year. This means, 6 BBQ families lost their income, one minimart family has to look for another place to make business and try to pay off the debts for the business start, and roughly 10 to 20 people per Karaoke loose their job. This accounts just for one small street, not talking about the about 200 other bars/whatever which are living from hand to mouth.

In the end it is predictible, that just those bars will survive, which are caring for the „unwanted“ tourists, those people who like to party and don't spend their money on shopping, entry fees to National Parks, Snake Farms, Zoos, and other rip-off places around here. Ask the Thai people working in the tourism business, where they are going to spend their time after work. The answer will be something like „There is no place to go.“ or similar, if they have any spare time at all. Quite a lot of them are working in two jobs, because one is not sufficent to raise the money to support the family.

Sad story, but it seems to be what the Great Leader likes to see.

[Darkling]

Just means that the fottball hooligans and other dickheads that are starting to come here will be out fighting at 1.30am instead of 2.30am!

 

Phuket, Samui, Pattaya - You can keep them all!

I'm quite happy in my little corner of paradise...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow well said At least in Kanchanaburi If the owner of a restuarant says "time please" Who is going to argue.

[faranggerman]

sounds like u read to much TAT news,u should not forget that about 10 chinese spend as much money as one American or European per day,and families?They eat in the hotels they drink at the hotels and go to sleep by 11pm,so where the money will come from from when in a couple of months the heavy drinkers and sextourists are changing their holiday destination?

The majority of tourists don't follow Thai news like we do. It will take a couple of years to see the effects of these closing times, after which a couple of seasons worth of tourists will be resentfull at having been sent home early like children when on holiday... word will spread, tourists go elsewhere. Mark my words.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry I don't think thats right (but I only know about Pattaya) when the closing time changed from 3am to 2am I didn't see a reduction of tourists.

Over the last couple of years there have been more and more people coming here, the Chinese in similar numbers. single males in similar numbers, but I have noticed a massive increase in the number of couples and families

Toxin want to clean up the image of Pattaya, I don't think he's done that, but he (TAT) has certainly sold it as a family resort

And if you have the kids with you on holiday they aren't arsed about closing times

Personally I would like to see 3am closing again as I would rather go out at night when its cooler and sleep in till lunch time

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Darkling]

What is the point of having closing times anyway ?

In the state of Victoria, Australia, we got rid of them about six years ago. No trouble, no "drinking up", no problems.

If you finish work at 2am (eg firefighters) you can go for a drink. If you finish night shift at 7 am you can go for a drink.

Why have licensing hours ????

The night life in Melbourne is good, party as long as you like. The only down side, is that there are alot of prima donnas on the doors of night clubs, with their little bits of red rope and guest lists. I mentioned Tokyo earlier, it is a good place to go out to lots of bars that don't close until dawn and lots good music.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

tell me.....plus 80% guys and 20% chicks with chips on their shoulders.

btw don't touch them or you get bashed up by the guys!

give me katoeys anytime

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LoL You are Brilliant Mate or Love I don`t quite know how to address you

[TravelFrog]

Dunno about Tokyo but have had some great nights in Singapore and close at 4am or later.

add kl, went there last weekend, got back at my friends place plastered at about 4.30am and the bars/discos were still going! 

by the way great manila chicks there! 

off to singapore this weekend.... 

Singapore now has 24 hour licensing with a lot of bars chosing to stay open until 6am. There are some really good clubs in Singapore too. Singapore nightlife has really progressed over the past couple of years.

On the subject of Phuket... I spoke to a Thai girl in Patong yesterday and she said all bars are still staying open until 2am and Dragon Disco was open until 3:30am.

After the protest, I thought they had been told that they can unofficially stay open until 2am.

I think it's time for another protest..!!

[valleyman]

Ever since I first came to Thailand in the late 50s (!) there have been crackdowns by the authorities. The first I experienced was the closing of the opium dens. Now, that was traumatic. At the end of night's carousing, we would head off to our favourite den to suck down a few pipes, get high. Great way to fix a hang-over. After that loss, we could handle anything they threw at us. But the point is that no matter what they banned, you could always find it if you wanted it badly enough. And those that want to carry on after the "official" closing will find an alternative. And, who knows, because it will be "illegal" it might be more of a kick. Where there's a will.....etc.

[DaveYo]

Listen up gang. Some topics here discussed the Drug problem in thailand. It is very much real and they certainly do have a drug problem. Did any of you ever go to the border and simply watch and look around the digs and nearby the border station. Heck you will see many crossing the border without getting stamped, and many are passing dope and what not like there is no tomorrow.

Also Thailand does have a VERY HUGE DRINKING PROBLEM. Believe it or not about 70 percent of the Thai population are alcoholics!!!!!!!!! If you don't believe me, look around and you will without doubt find someone drinking from some glass or bottle. Thai booze here is awful cheap, at 100 baht. This stuff is so strong, you are totally drunk by the time you drink 1/8 of the bottle. But that is not all, these people now have gotten so used to drinking they are doing near 1- 6 pack of Thai Whiskey every day. They also glue sniff here cause it is so easy to get.

Closing the bars is like just a little effort to keep Thai people from getting so drunk, so late in the morning, so they will have enough time to sober up to go to work the next morning.

I agree only drawback is to the Tourists. But I don't see that being a problem because even in America most bars and night clubs do close between 1 and 2 am in the morning. Very few now are opened to 4 am.

I don't think it will affect people that much. It will affect the bar and entertainment owners to some extent of loss revenues for what 1 lousey particular hour. Understand

Daveyo

[aznyron]

Closing time for alcohol use at 1 am what is the big deal I personally do not agree with a closing time for business if they want to stay open 24 hours let them do so as long as it does not affect people in there homes If all you are concerned about is getting more BOOZE then I suggest you get help as for the drug issue it not a Thai problem it a world problem untill our world leaders do some thing about it the problem will continue Just a personal note drugs is very big business and all our world leaders are on the take so until we clean up our dirty politicians the problem will continue in my opinion By the way I am a U S A citizen and we have a very large drug problem here and the money just flows in like the tide to many corrupt officials We can put men on the MOON we can orbit the earth but we can't cure cancer or stop drugs the reason is big money do not be fooled Politicians Church leaders they are all full of BULL there only interest is linning there pockets with the big bucks

[schmokinn]

absolute economical suicide,my wife is Thai and does not drink but she loves to party.....me i drink like a very large thirsty fish.

before you berate me i neither get violent or puke in the street.

the one regularity is getting in from a good night out as the sun comes up after spending a good few thousand baht.

why have they changed there minds about wanting our money??

i suspect some nights i quite easily exceed what some people spend in a week,certainly a months wages to your average thai!

why?....i like to have fun and see other people have fun...not be told when to go to bed!!!!!

p.s.what will they do about the kareoke bars...been to a few...all looked like closed up offices from the outside to me ??!!! and full of hammered thais partying till dawn!!

[MekhongKurt]

I remember the last time His Majesty the King's birthday fell on a Sunday several years ago, and bars had to close BOTH on Sunday and on Monday, the compensation holiday.

Met 3 lads on the first day strolling along looking for a brew who asked me where they could do so; had to tell them they couldn't -- that year, even foreign-oriented hotels weren't serving. They were disgusted, having been convinced by a Thai national travel agent in Hong Kong to take a side 2-night/3-day tour of Bangkok's night entertainment scene in the midst of their Hong Kong holiday. They had flown in that morning and were returning to Hong Kong the 2nd morning following.

Then they asked me where they should go the *next* day, and I was again obliged to tell them they couldn't get one then, either. They were so disgusted they started trying to organize an earlier departure, and told me they would never come to Thailand again. (They said they were on their first visit, though of course I have no way of knowing if that was true or not.)

Some posters have indicated support for 1:00 A.M. closings. Fine. Move to my home county in the U.S. where bars -- membership-only, please -- must close at midnight Sunday-Thursday and 1:00 a.m. on Friday-Saturday; no drinks are served -- by strictly enforced law -- the last 10 minutes before closing. Booze bottles have to be 14 inches back from the front edge of the bar. Bars that violate these laws aren't shut down for a fortnight or a month; they are shut down, period. Never to re-open. Don't believe it? -- go online and check out the criminal statutes of Texas and the Code of Criminal Procedure for the Lone Star State. A law enforcement person even has the legal right to walk up to you, ask you what you are drinking, then -- no matter what your reply -- to taste your drink to determine for himself/herself if you are telling the truth.

I'm an ex-lawman, so please don't accuse me of being anti-lawman or anti-law.

Even squeaky-clean Singapore has more liberal laws than this.

Furthermore, if I understand correctly from lawyers I know in Thailand (I'm not a lawyer myself, so cannot be sure), the authorities can pick and choose *which* laws they enforce, as, according to those sources, the passing of a new law does not automatically void an earlier law. If that's true, then even martial-law era laws requiring bars to close at 10:00 P.M. are enforceable.

And Thailand wants to become the "Tourist Central" of East/Southeast Asia? -- Even mainland China, where I have lived, is more liberal in this regard.

[sua yai]

Are you in bed now?

If not, be careful of the police.

What's your problem? I've just come home at 1.15am and the bars here had no problem and still going strong.

Seems like some people want to destroy the country and licencing hours without having a clue what they're talking about.

Go to Texas.

[Rhys]

Deputy Director of the Ministry of Interior= Mininstry of Cork Soakers.

REALLY FUNNY...

[sassienie]

Excellent idea not to keep the bars and certain other entertainments open all night.

Up to 1.00am is ample time for a good night out.

Of course this may mean that people will continue their night out at private parties or their homes. So what, if these idiots want to soil their own environment with vomit, drugs or whatever, who cares.

The Thai nightlife is still as good as it ever was, always something happening somewhere. Bars are not the be all and end all

Also the entertainments here are very reasonably priced.

Long haul travel has become more assessable, which has the knock on affect of attracting more dross type tourists, especially from England.

This means that it has become more probable that these dross will cause problems, similar to that of the visitors to Spain.

Therefore if certain establishments are permitted to stay open late, than this will have to be policed and paid for, increasing prices and creating problems here for everyone.

Some believe that the night entertainments of Japan & USA etc are superior to Thai night venues. Maybe they are right, but wager that these are highly policed and expensive, mostly too expensive for the people mouthing off about the Thai nightlife.

Also Thailand at night is still relatively safe compared to most western and some other countries. Those who suggest going to countries such as, Vietnam or Cambodia for their thrills, please go and gain the experience of having to look over their shoulders when walking about at night, and not having the peace of mind that you do not have the security of being in a civilized country such as Thailand.

For those people whose only nightlife options are the bars, than I suggest they would be better off going elsewhere. For the rest, Thailand can be a most exciting holiday experience, either for families, singles, old, young and all.

Fantastic weather all year round, low prices compared to the West and from North to South such a multitude of variation from mountains to ocean, country and towns, And what is more, for the single guys, beautiful girls galore, it has the lot.

I have been living in Thailand on and off for the last 15 years. Left England early last year with my wife and daughter. Now live here permanently. Since living here there is nothing in England that I miss and have no ambitions to want to live anywhere else.

All I can say is, that those who criticise this country and its laws are mostly people that do not live here or will ever have the ability or be able to achieve the status required to be able to settle here under the Thai immigration laws.

So for those people, take this advice, criticise the country you are stuck in and not Thailand that has an infrastructure you know nothing about.

[Wingnuts]

Thank you for a very balanced reponse sassenie

[Limbo]

There is summertime and wintertime, isn't it, who knows?

But I think it might help many of the complaining members:

You take your wristwatch from your arm, you pull out the little crownshaped button at its side and than you turn it in a way that the time goes ahead. Maybe one hour, maybe two hours, just depending on what you personally think would be the right closing time for bars in Thailand. If you really are going for it, waw, turn it four (only for the real tuff guys) hours ahead.

It will help you in not noticing any difference.

Sitting or hanging in your favourite bar, spreading your wisdom to your fellow-philosophers, impressing some local lady with your good looks and manly gestures, beaming out an enormeous potential and experience between the sheets, you don't want to be stopped. You are having great fun and the time of your life. Time yes, measured by the position of the sun and small mechanical things, called watches.

You look at your watch and you think, waw, it is already three o'clock, I had enough and they are going to close know. It was nice the way it was. Bye bye boys and girls, I am going to bed now. See you to-morrow and in good health I hope! And you will sleep a hole in the next day!

At your service!

[gwilym]

If you really want a good night out, with a good choice of beers and the freedom to go home when you want. Then go to Singapore/Tokyo, all have a much better night scene.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A better night in Singapore than Bangkok!?! Get a life my man... If not Bangkok the try Hong Kong if you want a proper night out rather than supping up 8 quid cocktails in sterile Singapore you bore!

[marquess]

From the point of view, of a better selection of beers and longer opening hours. Yes! Though not from the girlie scene point of view. I agree that Singapoe is sterile, but the licensing laws are better than here. As to getting a life, I already have one. On the subject of Texas, imparticular Dallas. When I have been out most places close at 2am, which is better than here.

[mraloha]

over rated, over debated, i dont understand all the concern about this. of course i havent had a drink in 10 years, so maybe i dont understand the need to get rip roaring drunk all nite and day. i will say that living in thailand for 5 years has taught me that it is impossible to control "things and stuff" here. if you look at the trends in the resort industry in this country you can see that the best way to live is to build a big wall arround your land and create your own environment within. if you want a all night bar and strip joynt build your own.

[Acharn]

I agree the law is valid for every province and for all people (i.e. police officers) but early closing times will NOT solve the problems that they want to address ...

But what do you think are the problems they want to address? Do you believe they really think teenage drug use or teenage prostitution are the problems they want to solve? It obviously doesn't make sense -- those are just decoys. Their real goal is to force everyone (Thai as well as farang) to live like an ordained monk is *supposed* to live -- no drinking and no sex. These guys are religious zealots (a rarity in Buddhism) and want to impose their beliefs on everybody.

[maxisrael]

Complaining Complaining as I read the posts it looks like most of you only come to Thailand to get laid cheap and get drunk.

I think closing at I o'clock is ok so the girls get a desent night sleep as well

And the visitors have a good night sleep so they can enjoy this beautifull country and visit other places than only the girlybars and disco's.

Come to Thailand and see the countryside meet local (village) people you will enjoy it more than getting drunk and partiing all night.

[Zoltan]

Looks like I will be partying an hour earlier... to make up for the early closing.

[marquess]

Certainly not overated or over debated. I agree with one of previous contirbutors, who said that there are alot of zealots in gov, who would like people to live like monks. All this non sense started with Purachai and his so called "Social Order Campaign". Entertainment has been going down hill ever since. Don't forget if he had his way or had had his way, then bars, all bars would have been closing at 10pm. I am not a real drinker hardly ever touch the stuff, but I think that like most of you I am old enough to decide when I want to stay out to, rather than having some moralistic goody two shoes, do it for me.