The 2am Crackdown That Is Killing The Nightlife

[TAWP]

As I am sure many of you notice, the 2am crackdown in the city is in full effect. Any place open longer than 2am seems to be visited by the BiB and the music is ended abruptly. During Halloween even some more upscale places was closed even a few minutes before 2am...sad for the bar as most patrones had coupons for a free drink and arrived late so the places in effect closed just as people was about to actually start buying drinks in volume...

In any way, notice the same thing last night. Even the back-road bars on Pat Pong 2, that are sometimes open 24h, where now closing at 2am.

Is this very widespread? People say it even reaches the off-the-beat places like Bossy etc that is usually closing at 6am etc.

We can expect this BS to go on until February?

[EmanuelSWE]

What happens in february?

[trogers]

I believe period after midnight to late sunrise is considered morning in the west. When does nightlife start and end?

[Camelot]

New police chief, new police station commanders and this follows the transfer of several senior police officers who were considered to be too flexible with bar closing enforcement and gambling in their zones. Seems to happen most years around this reshuffle time.

It's true, though, that the foreign tourist and Thai after-hours scene never completely recovered from the ravages of Thaksin and Purachai's social order crackdown from 2002-06. Neither did I because I work at night and they deprived me of an easy-to-obtain drink after work with friends. Incidentally Purachai is still a member of the Police Commission but no longer active in raiding and closing down bars and nightclubs. His influence, though, seems to linger on.

The heat should be off next month in the run-up to New Year. Too much money to be made all around. Expect some price rises, though.

That's also part of the tradition.

[bdenner]

For some of us having lived here for an eon -- in my case 8 years --- who gives a toss --- in bed by 20:30 lights out.

There country and if they say 02:00 so be it!! Live with it.

[PhilHarries]

I believe period after midnight to late sunrise is considered morning in the west. When does nightlife start and end?

Geographically challenged you must be. Bangkok, aka Krung Thep etc etc, is the capital of Thailand, apparently part of South EAST Asia. Please explain where the west comes in.

Anyhow no matter others eagerly await Thailand's demise which will leave troger the lodger happy as Thailand will remain his cheap hidey hole.

[TAWP]

There country and if they say 02:00 so be it!! Live with it.

I am sure you mean you mean 'their', and as my son is Thai and I have lived here for a while and plan to live here much longer, the attitude of 'living with it' is just sad. Complacency is just a way to silently condone social rape of your rights and freedom.

And most likely, the majority, if asked directly (aka as in a direct democracy) would be opposed to the hard 2am closing time for all establishment of entertainment.

[awd]

If one works hard all day and gets off work at 5pm, the 2:00am closing allows for a mere 9 hours of pouring alcohol down one's throat. That's only 63 hours per week of pouring alcohol down one's throat socially. It forces people who wish to pour alcohol down their throats a respectable 100+ hours per week to supplement their drinking at home or on the job. Who benefits?

[Deke]

What are you doing after 2:00 AM that's in any way worthwhile? Go home and go to bed.

[smokie36]

I'm not surprised at all. The lack of tourists means the teapot is half empty....for the moment. As said above come December it will be overflowing again and back to normal.

[smokie36]

What are you doing after 2:00 AM that's in any way worthwhile? Go home and go to bed.

Sure thing gramps.

[rabcbroon]

In the UK night clubs always closed at 2 am - majority probably still do. When I first came to Pattaya the bars used to stay open till dawn. I always knew it was time to leave when i seen monks on the street. However, I now go to bed at 9 and get up same time as the monks - so I don;t have a problem and can see the error of my younger days.

2 am is about right - but seems a bit ill thought out considering the amount of toursim dependent jobs and income that depend on entertainment

Edited November 7, 2009 by rabcbroon

[RickBradford]

Gee, if you can't even find suitable company in Patpong by 2am, it must be time to invest in a new personality.....

[Deke]

What are you doing after 2:00 AM that's in any way worthwhile? Go home and go to bed.

Sure thing gramps.

He He He

[smokie36]

In the UK night clubs always closed at 2 am - majority probably still do. When I first came to Pattaya the bars used to saty open till dawn. I always new it was time to leave when i seen monks on the street. However, I now go to bed at 9 and get up same time as the monks - so I don;t have a problem and can see the error of my younger days.

2 am is about right - but seems a bit ill thought out considering the amount of toursim dependent jobs and income that depend on entertainment

The error of your ways? So you were out having fun and chasing girls until dawn but you want to restrict youngsters today having the same freedom.

2am <deleted>. Some of us are still fit enough to dance till the sun comes up.

[rabcbroon]

What are you doing after 2:00 AM that's in any way worthwhile? Go home and go to bed.

Sure thing gramps.

He He He

What people find to do after 9 pm beats me. 'Early to bed early to rise make one health wealth and wise'.

9.30 pm on the weekend is also acceptable

[bifftastic]

In the UK night clubs always closed at 2 am - majority probably still do. When I first came to Pattaya the bars used to stay open till dawn. I always knew it was time to leave when i seen monks on the street. However, I now go to bed at 9 and get up same time as the monks - so I don;t have a problem and can see the error of my younger days.

2 am is about right - but seems a bit ill thought out considering the amount of toursim dependent jobs and income that depend on entertainment

in the Uk, well London anyway, pubs close about 12 (ish) 24 hour drinking as decried by the press when it was introduced didn't seem to encourage many pub owners to stay open all night! Bars/club type places usually 3am and larger nightclubs can stay open till 6 or 7am, all above board and legal although some stop selling alcohol at 3am.

There's always the good old fashioned 'lock in' in many pubs and there's always somewhere you can find at pretty much any time of the night to carry on if you want to. There always was even before the law 'allowed' it.

Even if you want to go to bed when it gets dark there's a thriving entertainment industry for people who don't, the clubs that open later (many in London don't open till after 11pm) get the custom from those that chuck out at 12 or 3am, the one's that are licenced till 6am are in non-residential areas, everybody knows the rules and some places get round them. Seems to me that what an individuals particular idea of the 'right time to go to bed' shouldn't really influence licencing laws. Business is business and if people want to party it's quite short sighted of a government to make it illegal as it doesn't stop it, they just don't get the revenue from it.

btw

Samui's had the BiB going round closing places at 2am too

[trogers]

Want to have a long nightlife. Try non-stop for 4 months. The place is in the south, with the Emperor penguins.

[dantilley]

Last I heard (and I'm willing to stand corrected on this if it's changed recently), by the official letter of the law it's supposed to be 1am closing except in "entertainment zones" like Patpong, RCA and one or two others. So, to close places up at 2am is still giving an extra hour to what's official. I think 1am was a bit too early, but 2am isn't too excessive, though perhaps an extra hour would be the ideal closing time.

Anyway, the crack down doesn't seem to have reached all parts of Bangkok, as last night I left a bar in full flow, live music playing and loads of people still partying at 3:30am.

[stevymac]

I still always manage to find a beer tho! just walk down the little back street sois u will always find a little bar! but 2am is 2 early 2pm wud be better.

[smokie36]

What people find to do after 9 pm beats me. 'Early to bed early to rise make one health wealth and wise'.

9.30 pm on the weekend is also acceptable

Here's a link to help your zzzzz.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL58-sh94ms

Edited November 7, 2009 by smokie36

[JetsetBkk]

For some of us having lived here for an eon -- in my case 8 years --- who gives a toss --- in bed by 20:30 lights out.

<snip>

Dead right, and then go home at midnight.

I prefer the lights on, though.

[rabcbroon]

In the UK night clubs always closed at 2 am - majority probably still do. When I first came to Pattaya the bars used to saty open till dawn. I always new it was time to leave when i seen monks on the street. However, I now go to bed at 9 and get up same time as the monks - so I don;t have a problem and can see the error of my younger days.

2 am is about right - but seems a bit ill thought out considering the amount of toursim dependent jobs and income that depend on entertainment

The error of your ways? So you were out having fun and chasing girls until dawn but you want to restrict youngsters today having the same freedom.

2am &lt;deleted&gt;. Some of us are still fit enough to dance till the sun comes up.

I was out attracting girls not chasing them If young people were to be tucked up safely in bed beforr midnight then they would be lot healthyer and less tired in the morning

[Ijustwannateach]

Depending on the local needs of the police, you will find the enforcement (and the costs for not enforcing) variable in different areas of Bangkok.

[ericthai]

In the UK night clubs always closed at 2 am - majority probably still do. When I first came to Pattaya the bars used to stay open till dawn. I always knew it was time to leave when i seen monks on the street. However, I now go to bed at 9 and get up same time as the monks - so I don;t have a problem and can see the error of my younger days.

2 am is about right - but seems a bit ill thought out considering the amount of toursim dependent jobs and income that depend on entertainment

Oh i see, it was ok when you were doing this, but now the young guys that want to do it, well... tuff luck?

[ericthai]

For some of us having lived here for an eon -- in my case 8 years --- who gives a toss --- in bed by 20:30 lights out.

<snip>

Dead right, and then go home at midnight.

I prefer the lights on, though.

some of us have been living in Thailand longer and still enjoy the nightlife... Feel sorry that you are in bed by 8:30 and not out enjoying one of the best nightlife cites in Southeast Asia, but I guess that's what happens when you get old.

[smokie36]

I was out attracting girls not chasing them If young people were to be tucked up safely in bed beforr midnight then they would be lot healthyer and less tired in the morning

Errol Flynn eh? Well you can thank your lucky stars you had the choice!

[Serpico]

The cops want to rent the footpaths to the vendor/bars so they close down legit businesses at 2am.

Typical.

It's all about cops and money.

Scumbags.

[joorakee]

Gee, if you can't even find suitable company in Patpong by 2am, it must be time to invest in a new personality.....

But someone might have already found company and just want to hang around in the city until dawn instead of going back to the hotel room/apartment.

[JetsetBkk]

For some of us having lived here for an eon -- in my case 8 years --- who gives a toss --- in bed by 20:30 lights out.

<snip>

Dead right, and then go home at midnight.

I prefer the lights on, though.

some of us have been living in Thailand longer and still enjoy the nightlife... Feel sorry that you are in bed by 8:30 and not out enjoying one of the best nightlife cites in Southeast Asia, but I guess that's what happens when you get old.

Whoosh!