Jomtien Bar Closures

[dogtim]

For the last week or two City Hall has been finding excuses to close all bars in Jomtien. So far I am told, all bars in Soi Whitehouse, Soi 7, Soi 5, some in the new bar complex off Soi Rompho, Country Club, Blue Dolphin, DK, and others are now closed. They have said that they are confident of finding an excuse to close all the remaining ones. Firstly all paper work ( licences ) were checked along with staff IDs, if all in order then a reason was manufactured, i.e. being open after legal hours 1 am. Technically all places selling alcohol must close at midnight but for as long as anyone can remember, it has been ignored in the Pattaya. area. I have heard two theories for this. One is that the powers that be think that closing all bars will make the area more attractve to 'Quality' tourists, the 'riff raff' can go to Walking Street to drink. The second beng that due to the declining number of tourists, the bars in Pattaya are losing money, so if they get rid of competition in Jomtien then numbers of punters would improve there. I believe that all the closed bars have been given orders to close for thirty days during which time, they must try to persuade officials to allow them to re-open at the end of it. We all know what that means! I wonder why the local media haven't mentioned this, a major change in the way of life in Jomtien.

[Darrel]

Bars dont bother me as I never frequent them but any place that has any sort of music audible from outside the premises should be closed permanently.

[TheWalkingMan]

wow.

I went to the new complex once and the bars nearer to Jomtiem 2nd Road were busy. You mentioned Country Club, is that one of the bigger bars near the front?

[KarenBravo]

Bars dont bother me as I never frequent them but any place that has any sort of music audible from outside the premises should be closed permanently.

You sound like a barrel of fun..........

[prk888]

and Darrel's posts are normally sooooooooooo interesting too

[gerry53]

Yes these bar closures throughout Jomtien seem to make Pattaya more competitive for business again, high season in a bad tourist year was a very stategic time to spring these "raids" - a 1 month closure will finish some bars. I think Jomtien would have suffered badly enough for the last 4+ years with the Thappraya Road upgrade which drove many out of business in Jomtien and kept tourists in Pattaya rather than suffer the choking dust and traffic problems while construction continued ever so slowly!!!

Of course Darrel wouldn't use a bar for drinking - beer is so much cheaper at the 7-11.

[Hooters]

Bars dont bother me as I never frequent them but any place that has any sort of music audible from outside the premises should be closed permanently.

Absolutely especially when there are a group of bars with no walls playing techno and Rock

Edited January 21, 2012 by Hooters

[jehricaholic]

A friend of mine who frequents one of the gay bars in the Jontiem complex (ie Sunrise Tacos/Hanuman statue area) on a daily basis is friends with the Mamasan and owner.... Anyways, this bar got one of these closure notices (serving after hours), my friend was informed that these closures were to help control the over-population of Russians. To me this sounds far fetched, especially since the gay bars are one of the few places the Russians don't frequent (apparently they prefer their own kind), although the gay beach has been subject to infiltration by Russian families.

[PattayaParent]

Yes these bar closures throughout Jomtien seem to make Pattaya more competitive for business again, high season in a bad tourist year was a very stategic time to spring these "raids" - a 1 month closure will finish some bars. I think Jomtien would have suffered badly enough for the last 4+ years with the Thappraya Road upgrade which drove many out of business in Jomtien and kept tourists in Pattaya rather than suffer the choking dust and traffic problems while construction continued ever so slowly!!!

Of course Darrel wouldn't use a bar for drinking - beer is so much cheaper at the 7-11.

I don't think most residents of Pattaya would be bothered making the trek to Jomtien for a beer, roadworks or not.

[pauljones]

I thought they were pressuring the old bars to move to the beer bar center on 2nd road?

They are constructing new beer bars like crazy.

[Ungabunga]

They are constructing new beer bars like crazy.

Yes there will be something like 36 bars in that Rompho Market area alone. There's also a "Curry Hut" and a Tattooist, so its a weekend on a stick.

[mrbojangles]

They are constructing new beer bars like crazy.

Yes there will be something like 36 bars in that Rompho Market area alone. There's also a "Curry Hut" and a Tattooist, so its a weekend on a stick.

A mate of mine drinks there and he tells me one of the bar owners has said the police are looking at shutting the whole place down unless the landlord stumps up. Apparently he didn't have planning permission for building bars. He doesn't want to stump up and is therefore trying to get the bar owners to pay it. Like most things here, don't know how much truth is in it.

[Gone]

I haven't seen any bars in Jomtien closed. Soi 5 is all open as far as I see.

[gerry53]

Yes these bar closures throughout Jomtien seem to make Pattaya more competitive for business again, high season in a bad tourist year was a very stategic time to spring these "raids" - a 1 month closure will finish some bars. I think Jomtien would have suffered badly enough for the last 4+ years with the Thappraya Road upgrade which drove many out of business in Jomtien and kept tourists in Pattaya rather than suffer the choking dust and traffic problems while construction continued ever so slowly!!!

Of course Darrel wouldn't use a bar for drinking - beer is so much cheaper at the 7-11.

I don't think most residents of Pattaya would be bothered making the trek to Jomtien for a beer, roadworks or not.

Weekends Jomtien gets very busy with BangkokThais and farangs trying to escape the big city. I have friends that vacation in Pattaya but come here to use the beach and chill out from the traffic and madness.

Edited January 21, 2012 by gerry53

[gerry53]

I haven't seen any bars in Jomtien closed. Soi 5 is all open as far as I see.

In the Rompho Beer Complex there are at least 5 bars closed down due to the raids. The largest was the Wild West bar that occupied the equivalent 4 single bar sites. Janes was shut down (a double bar) also.

Edited January 21, 2012 by gerry53

[Darrel]

and Darrel's posts are normally sooooooooooo interesting too

At least you can always ignore me, unlike the music that emanates from bars.

[Darrel]

Of course Darrel wouldn't use a bar for drinking - beer is so much cheaper at the 7-11.

If I buy beer I want to drink it in peace at home or near the beach watching the sunset, not in a bar full of morons whilst being deafened by bad music.

The cost is irrelevant as I wouldn't drink in a bar even if the beer was cheaper there than it is outside.

Luckily the 7/11 is indeed cheaper than drinking in a bar, so I win on both counts.

[Darrel]

Anyways, this bar got one of these closure notices (serving after hours), my friend was informed that these closures were to help control the over-population of Russians.

I thought Russians buy their alcohol from 7/11, not in bars.

[hotandhumid]

Bars dont bother me as I never frequent them but any place that has any sort of music audible from outside the premises should be closed permanently.

Agree with that darrel, I live in soi watboon and the racket down that soi at night is ridiculous. it has actually been quiter recently so maybe some of them have been closed too. We are moving on 1st march anyway.

[vel_tins]

Of course Darrel wouldn't use a bar for drinking - beer is so much cheaper at the 7-11.

If I buy beer I want to drink it in peace at home or near the beach watching the sunset, not in a bar full of morons whilst being deafened by bad music.

The cost is irrelevant as I wouldn't drink in a bar even if the beer was cheaper there than it is outside.

Luckily the 7/11 is indeed cheaper than drinking in a bar, so I win on both counts.

@Darrel

99% agree...

But maybe, the average "s*x-tourist" can't understand, why some people don't like to drink their beer

in a bar full of morons whilst being deafened by bad music

[hotandhumid]

Of course Darrel wouldn't use a bar for drinking - beer is so much cheaper at the 7-11.

If I buy beer I want to drink it in peace at home or near the beach watching the sunset, not in a bar full of morons whilst being deafened by bad music.

The cost is irrelevant as I wouldn't drink in a bar even if the beer was cheaper there than it is outside.

Luckily the 7/11 is indeed cheaper than drinking in a bar, so I win on both counts.

@Darrel

99% agree...

But maybe, the average "s*x-tourist" can't understand, why some people don't like to drink their beer

in a bar full of morons whilst being deafened by bad music

You sound like a right cheerful soul. I bet you never get invited to any parties, not that you would go of course.

[Michaelaway]

"...I want to drink it in peace... not in a bar full of morons."

There goes my Saturday night with the guys...

Edited January 21, 2012 by Michaelaway

[bergen]

"...I want to drink it in peace... not in a bar full of morons."

There goes my Saturday night with the guys...

[Basil B]

Wounder if it is the Bar Owners of Pattaya or is it the Baht Bus Mafioso pulling the strings at City Hall?

[Darrel]

I bet you never get invited to any parties, not that you would go of course.

Right on both counts.

[Javabear]

Some of us like to shoot pool and/or have a game of darts while we drink our beer. Have you seen either of these in the sand on the beach?

[dogtim]

Latest on this, according to a Thai bar owner friend, is that as of yesterday afternoon 37 bars have been closed in the Jomtien area. It is the work of a newly appointed Chonburi official who is something to do with the new government, Taksin's sister's mob. My Thai is not good enough to have understood his exact title, whether he be Governor of Chonburi, Senator or MP, but he has some sort of axe to grind. Anyone else heard anything?

[Spalpeen]

Bars dont bother me as I never frequent them but any place that has any sort of music audible from outside the premises should be closed permanently.

Absolutely. I've heard several bar owners complain that it only takes one moron to put a huge PA system in his bar and then every nearby bar has to do the same, or else have their customers subjected to second hand noise.

[Gone]

Latest on this, according to a Thai bar owner friend, is that as of yesterday afternoon 37 bars have been closed in the Jomtien area. It is the work of a newly appointed Chonburi official who is something to do with the new government, Taksin's sister's mob. My Thai is not good enough to have understood his exact title, whether he be Governor of Chonburi, Senator or MP, but he has some sort of axe to grind. Anyone else heard anything?

Maybe this new guy thinks that shutting down Jomtien now before it becomes Pattaya 2 and keeping a half decent place to live close to Pattaya is good. I say GO FOR IT.

[Javabear]

There are several nice places to live in easy reach of Pattaya already. I'm guessing it's a poorly disguised land grab. Put the current owners out of business so new bars can start in their place under one owner or group.