Midnight closing for Pattaya Music Festival

PATTAYA: More than 300,000 people are expected to attend the annual Pattaya Music Festival this weekend, although the government's social-order campaign means they will not be able to listen to performers past midnight.

Santisuk CMK, managing director of festival organiser Extraorganiser Co Ltd, told a press conference yesterday that the midnight stoppage would have to be obeyed. Performers often played well past 1am last year.

Speaking at the same press conference, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sontaya Kunplome said the government hoped to draw a bigger crowd than last year's event after pumping between Bt500 million to Bt700 million into the three-day festival, which starts on Friday.

The festival will feature 78 Thai artists and 17 international performers.

Santichai Euachongprasit, deputy governor for the Tourism Authority of Thailand's tourist product department, said Jewelry, a female quartet from South Korea, and Thai rock siblings Assanee and Wasan Chotikul would be the highlight of this year's festival.

The festival aims to turn Pattaya, a resort town 130 kilometres east of Bangkok, into a cultural city by drawing both international and local tourists.

Chon Buri governor Pisit Ketphasook said it was estimated tourists would spend around Bt2,900 on average each day.

Sattiparp Muangkoom, director of Pattaya's Public Work Bureau, said the 30,000 rooms available in the city should be sufficient for visitors.Apart from artists from neighbouring countries such as Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei and Japan, there will be many famous jazz bands joining this festival, as well as a music workshop presented by Meefah Music School to provide all techniques and showcases for students who are interested in music.

--The Nation 2004-03-16

Way to go, pump the money in and then cut em off at the knees

i might be wrong but i thought the music stopped midnight last year

I thought so too Dave

Jeez a newspaper beating up a story. Now thats a first!!!!

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a balcony jumping festival....

nevermind the music ending at midnight it's been pissing down today and maybe it'll rain again , there's a nice indoor music club in soi lucky star walking st open till 2am.

nice one davethailand