Curfew enforcement getting more repressive

[chiang mai]

you're going to leave the country over a 4 hour curfew??? why not just stock your fridge? want a drink after midnight? problem solved.

No, I'm just not going to stop in it. I prefer to go to a place where I might have a better chance of being treated as both a paying guest and a responsible adult.

You realize of course that the curfew applies to all, doctors, surgeons, judges, university professors, captains of industry, resident and non-resident!

You realise of course that I have a choice in the matter?

But of course, I was merely pointing out that you are not the only "responsible adult" that is impacted by all of this and most seem able and willing to adhere to the rules during this interim and temporary period, goodness, this might go on for days yet!

[true blue]

Winnie, you don't fully understand. The curfew is for your own good. You would be the first to complain if you took a bullet in the head as a result of cross-fire from behind the counter of Lek Bar or Tim Bar or "I'm a bloke really even though I look like a woman when you're pissed" Bar.

It is like seat belts. People complain about them unaware that they have saved their life on a number of occasions.

wouldnt be saying anything with a bullet in your head,not wish any injury on any one,but got to admit winnie does stir it up a bit.

[heybruce]

I don't understand the problem, there's a curfew, folks either need to live with that fact or be prepared for jail time and fines, it doesn't seem that difficult to understand.

Right, it like the law requiring helmets on motorbikes. Some people don't like it, but nobody breaks that law or complains about it.

[heybruce]

I have a flight booked to Bangkok in July, and if this petty nonsense is still going on then, it will be to connect to pastures new I think.

Let us know what you find. Some of us are considering our options.

[chiang mai]

I don't understand the problem, there's a curfew, folks either need to live with that fact or be prepared for jail time and fines, it doesn't seem that difficult to understand.

Right, it like the law requiring helmets on motorbikes. Some people don't like it, but nobody breaks that law or complains about it.

Comparing military law governing marshal law/coup curfews with the law requiring motorcyclists to wear crash helmets, is too silly to even contemplate.

[khwaibah]

The junta has no plans to ease curfews during the World Cup tournament in Brazil, NCPO spokesman Col Winthai Suwaree said. /Bangkok Post

[daoyai]

Even though they have no plans to lift the curfew for the W.cup....that does not mean they have ruled it out, I predict it will be lifted as a surprise gift to the masses as "happiness" is an oft stated goal of the junta.

[JesseFrank]

^

Rewind -> Stop -> Playback:

Note: This post should serve as a bit of a heads-up and status update, to advise people that it remains unadvisable to be out near/past curfew times. Police can grab anyone and extort basically any fine they please.

So, that and nothing else.

(I think military rule is just great, too. But a status update / status confirmation serves a purpose IMHO.)

Thailand must be the only country then,

All other countries in the world where military rules, it isn't great at all.

[khwaibah]

RS in talks with Truevisions to screen World Cup matches

BANGKOK: -- RS chief executive Surachai Chetchotisak does not rule out a possibility of having World Cup matches on Truevisions platform, with only a week to go before the kickoff of the world's biggest sporting event in Brazil.

RS's initial plan allocated only 22 of 64 matches on free TV, while football fans can follow the whole event through the company's recently-launched World Cup top set box.


-- The Nation 2014-06-05

[northernjohn]

Well i would have no problem with this if it was consistent everywhere. It is quite clear though that some businesses (discos etc in BKK central Sukhumvit and certain places in CM) continue to operate openly through the curfew hours while others are not able to. Clearly this is because some businesses have deeper pockets than others (or are owned by people with more influence). I thought the coup was supposed to stop this corruption wasn't that what it was all about? So why is this stuff going on just a few weeks after the coup started?

Well here in Chiang Mai I heard they had actually hit a after hours joint owned by the police. I don't think their first target is the satong and 2 baht corruption. It will take them a long time to get to that in fact it will probably be the next elected government that gets into that.

It is a bit of a rip off that they will cater to the tourist places that have wide open bar scenes for the public.

[heybruce]

I don't understand the problem, there's a curfew, folks either need to live with that fact or be prepared for jail time and fines, it doesn't seem that difficult to understand.

Right, it like the law requiring helmets on motorbikes. Some people don't like it, but nobody breaks that law or complains about it.

Comparing military law governing marshal law/coup curfews with the law requiring motorcyclists to wear crash helmets, is too silly to even contemplate.

It seems like you presume to choose which laws are important and must be followed, and which laws are ok to ignore. That can't be right, can it?

[heybruce]

^

Rewind -> Stop -> Playback:

Note: This post should serve as a bit of a heads-up and status update, to advise people that it remains unadvisable to be out near/past curfew times. Police can grab anyone and extort basically any fine they please.

So, that and nothing else.

(I think military rule is just great, too. But a status update / status confirmation serves a purpose IMHO.)

Thailand must be the only country then,

All other countries in the world where military rules, it isn't great at all.

Winnie is just stating the obvious, we all approve of what the military is doing. We love the coup, the curfew, the censorship and everything else. Keep up the great work guys!

BTW, on another thread somebody claimed that there was a military coup in Portugal in the '70's that did good things. So sometimes military coups have good results. Well once, anyway...maybe, I haven't really confirmed that Portugal thing.

[northernjohn]

I had started another thread asking how the military government was affecting people personally for the most part it was not affecting them at all.

It's not subject to opinion, and it's not a matter of 'for the most part'. Because:

* Everyone with a lifestyle that results in being home by midnight is completely not affected by a curfew. 100% of this group is not affected.

* Everyone with a preference or need to be out close to midnight and/or before 4am is affected. They may not mind and they may not have a problem with it, perhaps even appreciate it. But all 100% of this group is affected.

Does it matter if 90% of us are in the first group and 10% in the second? That's an interesting lifestyle statistic about TV forum members, but it's not an possible answer to 'does a curfew have an effect yes or no'. Because there isn't a single answer to that.

The few dissenters were like Winnie wanting the bars to stay open and there was two posters who for some reason were intimidated by the army but it did not affect there life in any way.

?! 'Dissent' to your apparent claim that nobody should rightly feel impacted in any way? Ok.

(Even after it was explained that some people appreciate having insurance, and that flights do come in around 10-11pm and that those tourists have no option but to quickly grab a sandwich from 7-11 and then lock themselves in. The rationale seems to be "I'm in bed by 10pm and therefore nobody else can possibly be impacted in any way. )

Wonder why Winnie didn't buy them some booze in the 7/11s? That seems to have been one of his concerns easily answered.

I have no idea what that means. People had been in the air for 24 hours out of the US, and normally I'd drop them at a place like Riverside so they could get a bite to eat and take in some atmosphere. Instead it was a 7-11 visit, then get indoors.

Winnie you are grasping at straws it is a yes or no answer. and most of the people say no. You are quite correct. There are people affected by it who are employed during those hours. So far I have not heard a report from any of them. As for the buy them a drink at the 7/11 well you are the one who mentioned buying them a drink not me.

You want to take people who have been in the air for 24 hours to a night club at 11:00 at night to relax. I would take them to a hotel where they could relax in comfort and if they need a drink to relax buy it for them at the 7/11. Or many hotels have a small bar in the room after 24 hours they probably are not looking for a lot of booze. Chances are if they need a drink to relax they had some in the air.

Also the curfew is now midnight and I still go to bed at 2:00 in the morning notice the time on my post. Also if you recall you mentioned that when it was first implemented you were in a bar and they just shut their doors at 10:00 and carried on.

The only complaint I have with it is that it has been relaxed in some areas not in all areas. The ones they relaxed it in probably need it more than Chiang Mai.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Note: This post should serve as a bit of a heads-up and status update, to advise people that it remains unadvisable to be out near/past curfew times. Police can grab anyone and extort basically any fine they please.

So, that and nothing else.

(I think military rule is just great, too. But a status update / status confirmation serves a purpose IMHO.)

Thailand must be the only country then,

All other countries in the world where military rules, it isn't great at all.

'Great' was maybe overstating it a bit, but the following is actually very true:

Because in most countries when there is a coup, democracy is lost and there is a fundamental change in leadership. For Thailand though, it cannot lose what it doesn't have.

(A coup in Thailand is at a much more superficial level, just a reset/reboot of the window-dressing that is elected government, i.e. the layer that is allowed to take care of the day-to-day, as long as they don't mess up too much.)

It's actually puzzling why the curfew is still in place; typically you impose a curfew in a direct response to disturbances, in order to deal with those. In the absence of disturbances it's strange to have a curfew continue. (Keeping in mind that it can just be re-enacted on really short notice when deemed necessary.) And even if someone was planning a protest or disturbance, 10 or 11pm is just as good a time to do it as 2 or 3am.

[Tokay]

I'm a night owl and am usually out past curfew. I've seen several random points around the city where the police stop with the prison truck and stop everyone driving through. Watched them pull up to a food stall area that was not closed down and started to round them up. I didn't stay around to see if they took them off or not, I did a u-turn and split. The past 3 nights they have been really cracking the whip at midnight. Last night a policeman on a motorbike jumped my bum because I was walking out of a still open 7-11 at 12:05am. Then he went in and let the staff have it, was yelling at them.

Seems a little silly considering they are not lifting the curfew elsewhere.

Also notice the police around the gate, many now carry riot shields and not guns. Image, image, image. They have to look good for the pics with the Chinese tourists I guess.

[No1]

Last night at 22:30 at the Shell gas station on Huay Kaew Rd there were 3-4 Humvees, big Police arrest truck, several police vehicles and a total of 30 armed soldiers blocking traffic, searching the area. I stopped and asked one of the soldiers and they smiled at me saying I should not worry, it was just a routine job to enforce the curfew. (at 22:30???) Driving on there were smaller groups of soldiers, between two and eight, patrolling the street as if they were searching something.

[harrry]

I had started another thread asking how the military government was affecting people personally for the most part it was not affecting them at all.

It's not subject to opinion, and it's not a matter of 'for the most part'. Because:

* Everyone with a lifestyle that results in being home by midnight is completely not affected by a curfew. 100% of this group is not affected.

* Everyone with a preference or need to be out close to midnight and/or before 4am is affected. They may not mind and they may not have a problem with it, perhaps even appreciate it. But all 100% of this group is affected.

Does it matter if 90% of us are in the first group and 10% in the second? That's an interesting lifestyle statistic about TV forum members, but it's not an possible answer to 'does a curfew have an effect yes or no'. Because there isn't a single answer to that.

The few dissenters were like Winnie wanting the bars to stay open and there was two posters who for some reason were intimidated by the army but it did not affect there life in any way.

?! 'Dissent' to your apparent claim that nobody should rightly feel impacted in any way? Ok.

(Even after it was explained that some people appreciate having insurance, and that flights do come in around 10-11pm and that those tourists have no option but to quickly grab a sandwich from 7-11 and then lock themselves in. The rationale seems to be "I'm in bed by 10pm and therefore nobody else can possibly be impacted in any way. )

Wonder why Winnie didn't buy them some booze in the 7/11s? That seems to have been one of his concerns easily answered.

I have no idea what that means. People had been in the air for 24 hours out of the US, and normally I'd drop them at a place like Riverside so they could get a bite to eat and take in some atmosphere. Instead it was a 7-11 visit, then get indoors.

I may be wrong as it is a couple of years since I have flown but when I did airlines served food even if on some you have to pay for it seperately.

Edited June 6, 2014 by harrry

[ebean001]

The curfew has reduced business income in Chiang Mai by as much as 80%. This hurts the owner but much more importantly the 'employees'. I am sure the alcohol providers are also concern. The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division. Most responses on this board are oriented towards the locals. Ok, the locals can stay home for a few weeks or go home early. Winnie is concern about the tourist who have gone and the working people who have no income now.

[Ulysses G.]

The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division.

We are smack in the middle of Thaksin territory. I am all for lifting the curfew, but I can understand the army's thinking.

[hml367]

The curfew has reduced business income in Chiang Mai by as much as 80%. This hurts the owner but much more importantly the 'employees'. I am sure the alcohol providers are also concern. The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division. Most responses on this board are oriented towards the locals. Ok, the locals can stay home for a few weeks or go home early. Winnie is concern about the tourist who have gone and the working people who have no income now.

Unity not division by making the curfew the same for everybody?

Ok but the locals can stay home for a few weeks or go home early, and the tourists and working people can come out and play?

Edited June 6, 2014 by hml367

[robblok]

The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division.

We are smack in the middle of Thaksin territory. I am all for lifting the curfew, but I can understand the army's thinking.

Indeed, if there ever was a place where trouble needs to be controlled its in the heart of redshirt country.

I don't like it either that they haven't opened up BKK but also that is a place to start trouble and make a statement.

I would not be surprised if Chiang Mai would be the last place to have the curfew lift and the strongest enforced.

[robblok]

The curfew has reduced business income in Chiang Mai by as much as 80%. This hurts the owner but much more importantly the 'employees'. I am sure the alcohol providers are also concern. The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division. Most responses on this board are oriented towards the locals. Ok, the locals can stay home for a few weeks or go home early. Winnie is concern about the tourist who have gone and the working people who have no income now.

Tourists could go to Phuket or Pattaya even Samui where they are more relaxed. Chiang Mai is the heart of red shirt country. Trouble is most likely to originate from there and not from the more anti government orientated provinces.

It is also still low season.. maybe better to be tough now then to have to change it in the middle of high season.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division.

We are smack in the middle of Thaksin territory. I am all for lifting the curfew, but I can understand the army's thinking.

Because a disturbance can only happen at 2am and not at 10pm? (Or 10am for that matter; much easier to have a flash protest and then blend away again. But even this is not happening in Chiang Mai, unlike Bangkok.)

(Noting also that the urban center of Chiang Mai is largely pro military. But they're being punished with a strictly enforced curfew. It's actually quite counterproductive.)

Edited June 6, 2014 by WinnieTheKhwai

[Tywais]

I'm going to say it again as I did in the previous topics. Do not let this get into a political discussion or comments on the coup or the military junta. Removed a post just now and will remove any further ones in that vein. I would really like to be able to keep this topic open so stay on topic regarding the curfew and its effects. Warnings and/or suspensions will be given if I see another post like the one I just removed which was highly dangerous.

[robblok]

The point Winnie is making is why not lift the curfew for the whole country. Let us have unity not division.

We are smack in the middle of Thaksin territory. I am all for lifting the curfew, but I can understand the army's thinking.

Because a disturbance can only happen at 2am and not at 10pm? (Or 10am for that matter; much easier to have a flash protest and then blend away again. But even this is not happening in Chiang Mai, unlike Bangkok.)

(Noting also that the urban center of Chiang Mai is largely pro military. But they're being punished with a strictly enforced curfew. It's actually quite counterproductive.)

Its also psychological of course.. this shows the red supporters who is boss (not saying i support this just explaining).. if this is lifted everyone is happy and they can use it as a threat and blame game later on. That does not work well if its not enforced strictly.

But of course trouble starts more under the cover of darkness criminals saboteurs special forces all use the cover of darkness (no not saying there are special forces out there). Just disproving your points. Trouble can start anyway but its easier to spot during the day as at night.

[Lancelot]

Curfew, it is what it is. I doubt that the junta is losing any sleep because we TV posters are unhappy about the situation in CM. And yeah, I think they are showing the north who is boss

[Gonzo the Face]

I think the military is doing a very good job. Yes the entire situation does have an effect on my business.......and not a positive effect. but I am in agreement with the need to do it. ....... and I am not going to put myself in the position of thinking I know better than the entire brain trust that is running the show. Its obvious that those blowing smoke are only spewing because their own ox is being gored....

Stay home with your family,..... go to a movie..... attend some sporting event....... there are plenty of things to do , even as a family on holiday, that can get you back in before curfew. Stop being so selfish and self centered because you can't sit around on a bar stool half the night. {and you can for half the night}

To those bitching..... you say you love Thailand,.... well prove it...... give up a little..... give the cause a chance to work....... again give a little even if you don't like it..... it will only be for a short time....

You have adopted Thailand as you home country....... so remember what Kennedy said....... " Ask not what your country can do for you.... ask what ..................". to get along go along .... help.... and stop the self centered bitching.

G

Edited June 6, 2014 by Gonzo the Face

[heybruce]

It's not subject to opinion, and it's not a matter of 'for the most part'. Because:

* Everyone with a lifestyle that results in being home by midnight is completely not affected by a curfew. 100% of this group is not affected.

* Everyone with a preference or need to be out close to midnight and/or before 4am is affected. They may not mind and they may not have a problem with it, perhaps even appreciate it. But all 100% of this group is affected.

Does it matter if 90% of us are in the first group and 10% in the second? That's an interesting lifestyle statistic about TV forum members, but it's not an possible answer to 'does a curfew have an effect yes or no'. Because there isn't a single answer to that.

The few dissenters were like Winnie wanting the bars to stay open and there was two posters who for some reason were intimidated by the army but it did not affect there life in any way.

?! 'Dissent' to your apparent claim that nobody should rightly feel impacted in any way? Ok.

(Even after it was explained that some people appreciate having insurance, and that flights do come in around 10-11pm and that those tourists have no option but to quickly grab a sandwich from 7-11 and then lock themselves in. The rationale seems to be "I'm in bed by 10pm and therefore nobody else can possibly be impacted in any way. )

Wonder why Winnie didn't buy them some booze in the 7/11s? That seems to have been one of his concerns easily answered.

I have no idea what that means. People had been in the air for 24 hours out of the US, and normally I'd drop them at a place like Riverside so they could get a bite to eat and take in some atmosphere. Instead it was a 7-11 visit, then get indoors.

I may be wrong as it is a couple of years since I have flown but when I did airlines served food even if on some you have to pay for it seperately.

Yeah, who wants fresh air, a chance to stretch their legs and a restaurant with an extensive menu of good, reasonably priced food when they can eat airline food?

Like many here I have some experience with flights that take 24 hours or more and the associated airline and airport food. At the end I want a good meal, a shower and bed. It would be nice for people arriving late to have the option of going to a restaurant.

[Gonzo the Face]

HeyBruce,

While I can and do agree with most of what you say, I think I would also add.......the coup did not happen while they were in the air.....its already a week or two old. I am sure most would be aware of that fact before they departed. Common sense should dictate that things just may not all be operating as normally would be , so what should I prepare for. Don't think that after coming in at midnight after a 24 hour trip, that bar hopping and carousing would be of the first order...... after all they are not coming all the way to Thailand just for the one day.....JMHO

[heybruce]

HeyBruce,

While I can and do agree with most of what you say, I think I would also add.......the coup did not happen while they were in the air.....its already a week or two old. I am sure most would be aware of that fact before they departed. Common sense should dictate that things just may not all be operating as normally would be , so what should I prepare for. Don't think that after coming in at midnight after a 24 hour trip, that bar hopping and carousing would be of the first order...... after all they are not coming all the way to Thailand just for the one day.....JMHO

Travel arrangements were probably made before the coup, with assurances that everything was fine in Chiang Mai. Last minute changes probably would have been expensive and inconvenient. Neither I nor the OP mentioned bar hopping and carousing, we mentioned restaurants and a decent meal.

Negative first impressions aren't doing the Chiang Mai tourist industry any favors.