Cops to crackdown on illegal Bangkok nightlife

[jimbeam1]

May just be cynical , but if fines are only 2k... Can't be

But if the fines were 60-200 k ... The tea money to stay open after hours must also increase proportionally, right??

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exactly. The price of a brew just went up.

Jb1

Edited April 22, 2014 by jimbeam1

[NomadJoe]

If the fines go up then the under table money can go up. Logic.

Nothing else will change.

It might be silent for a couple of weeks and then it will be business like usual.

Yep. Exactly. This fine going from 2000B to 40,000B and or jailtime will be a boon for police whom all take bribe money from these establishments in order to stay open later

[Naroge]

Again?

[badmedicine]

At present many police officers do little more than issue a small fine to bar owners...According to current legislation, the Entertainment Venue Control Act of 1966, means that a venue can only be fined a sum of 2000 Baht if they stay open beyond closing time.

Meaning, 2000 baht is the max backhander the BiB can get for turning a blind eye.

Under the proposed new legislation, much more severe fines for late night opening, ranging from between 60,000 and 200,000 Baht, would be issued to venue owners who are caught breaking the rules.

Ah, there you have it. Pay rise for the Bib. Backhanders to the tune of 20,000 a month will do very nicely.

Edited April 22, 2014 by badmedicine

[circusman]

Thailand is becoming more like the west everyday, Fines and restrictions always increased, If the authorities dont watch out they wont have a tourism industry as people could have more fun in their home countries.

Nothing much has changed in 30 years in Thailand. And the tourists still flock to Thailand and always will. Your completely wrong.

[KOZMO]

This targets bars, pubs, nightclubs and other "entertainment venues" in Bangkok. So, what about all the Thai restaurants/karaoke places that are rarely seen by tourists/foreigners and stay open until sun up? Business as usual???

The Karaoke clubs in Korat are open 24 Hours a day, not much singing going on!!!!

[rjcampbe]

Em , nooo, it due to huge amounts of tea money being paid and the fact that most venue owners are either cops or criminals

"cops or criminals" is redundant in LOS.

[mrtoad]

The fine I believe is 2,000 baht, but remember that is per night. I recall some years back, that an establishment on Soi 7/1 were paying The BIB over a 100k a month to stay open late. Whatever way Adul is trying to dress it up, it has little to do with law enforcement and safety, and everything to do with increasing revenue streams.

[chainarong]

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Obsolete laws from 1966, and instead to amend to the to suite today's demand for

night life closing hours where revelers only go out at 11pm, unlike the 60' where people

were in bed by midnight the latest, what do they do? they increase the penalties amount,

sure, better leverage for the BIB to pocket more money, that's all about mo' money...

You are right trends have changed, the only problem now is the piss pot are staggering home at 6Am instead of 3 Am , I can relate to that.

[sangfroid]

Thailand.......Crackdown hub of SEA.

[Pi Suthep]

there is a price list of tea money to be paid monthly by every bar or agogo etc. beer bars in pattaya e.g. pay between 2000-3000thb. agogos are at about 30k -50kthb. discos around 1mio. bkk prices may be a bit higher.

why does nobody talk about these circumstances here ? ;-)

[Jawnie]

The cops' crackdown on illegal Bangkok nightlife will take place immediately following the shutdown of all the video and music piracy arcades and just before tackling the motorcycle mafias. Eh, hem....

[PatOngo]

Which two nights will the crackdown last till they get bored of it?

[LotusBoy]

Super Pussy

[wandasloan]

I don't understand why they close doors so early?

Mostly tourists spending money. It does nothing to stop drunk behaviour when you get served till your blind anyway.

The second part definitely, the first part no. It is mostly non-tourists spending money, which is why the real and sham "concern" for the poor Bangkok victimised by those terrible people out late and drinking and being sinful.

If you think this is wrong, you don't remember (or never knew) Purachai Piumsombun. Not only was he the scourge of night life (with blessing and full backing of Prime Minister Thaksin). He was immensely popular and could have been - or may still be - elected as Bangkok governor or even prime minister. He had other interests apart from cleaning up Bangkok, and moved on. He reappears intermittently. He could rise again. He was a typical prohibitionist, with a severe anxiety that somewhere, every moment he lived and breathed, several people were having a good time - many of them after 11pm.

Which two nights will the crackdown last till they get bored of it?

There is quite a lot of difference in Bangkok night life of 20 years ago and today. The campaigns by Mr Purachai, his assistants, his backers and the government lasted a lot more than two days. It might not happen again, but then again it might. The current police, who in some ways are the ghost of Mr Purachai, want changes that are... well, changes, just like the 2001-2 campaign.

Thailand won't become a puritanical place in a week or a year. It will just take small steps on the road to get there. In the past 20 years it has taken a lot of them.

.

Edited April 22, 2014 by wandasloan

[slipperylobster]

I see in the article photo that "Super Pussy" is still going strong.

[useronthenet]

Thailand is losing out to many other countries like Vietnam, Cambodia & especially the Philippines where it's not only remained the same but booming. It's cheap and a lot of fun. Thailand lost its sheen many years ago, and frankly has become too expensive. Don't blame the tourists, blame the government for putting up the prices. Many save all year to come to Asia, and all they want is lots of fun without the SCAMS. Believe me, most foreigners work very hard for their money.

[empireboy]

I'm sure the "cops" just want to make sure they're not missing their cut!

[Fullstop]

police see this as the only way of dealing with the ever increasing number of illegal establishments currently operating in the city.

How about just letting them open 24/7 like non nanny state countries?

[BKKdreaming]

and none of the street bars are "illegal" ?

ohh sorry they are paying to be an eyesore !

and they close at 1am ?????

[madmitch]

Maybe the bars opening later has affected the income of the unlicensed street bars, which are allegedly owned by none other than the police.

[Fullstop]

Police feel that these proposed stiffer penalties would give them more power to crackdown and stop illegal after hours trading.

I feel it would give them more power to raise their extortion amounts.

[Aussie Paul]

Sound like a nice little earner for the BiB

[Sparkles]

Wouldn't be a week in Thailand without another crackdown

[Cylon]

So they are going to crackdown on illegal Prostitution , bribery and corruption Too.

[masuk]

Thailand is becoming more like the west everyday, Fines and restrictions always increased, If the authorities dont watch out they wont have a tourism industry as people could have more fun in their home countries.

As Parliament is not sitting right now, how do these laws get made and approved?

[ggold]

With the exception of certain gambling houses and massage parlours......and of course those that follow procedures:)))

Just another public show...nothing more.....

I think these other establishments have just been given notice, the tea money has gone up, so the BiB can turn a blind eye for another year!

[shaurene]

One of the main reasons for tourists is the night life in every tourist place in Thailand, I did hear few years back quit a few top police have their own places. These increases going to make the tea money well worth it.

What the Thai tourist board going to say when the visitors drop.

[ebean001]

You would think that instead of fighting it the police - for a fee - would simply increase patrols after 2am. the fee can be very small per bar or it can come from tax money which is best. everyone benefits. the police make a little more money, the bars make more, etc, etc. All of Thailand suck in more farang money.

[media]

More corruption, why not find some proper police work to do like solving a few serious crimes