bars closing at 12 am

[stament]

Any update on the 2am petition?

[TheAppletons]

Any update on the 2am petition?

Post #445, and the news article to which it links, would lead one to believe it's a non-starter.

[stament]

Thanks must have missed that in all the other posts

[stament]

Chiang Mai CityNews - Junta Cracks Down on Alcohol Promotions

CityNews The junta has warned that it intends to enforce harsh measures regulating the advertising and promotion of alcohol, in a move that will affect thousands of businesses throughout the country.

Details of the law, which is vague and open to interpretation, are provided below. The following guidelines were given to CityNews along with around 30 hoteliers and members of the media who were invited to a meeting at the Tarin Hotel yesterday by the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office. The aim of the meeting was to clarify the nuances of the law and give warning as to their immediate enforcement.

I am only here to help you, the media and relevant businesses to understand the law, said Second Lieutenant Taweesak Jintajiranan. This law was put into effect due to the rapidly growing costs of alcohol to this nation. Alcohol-related accidents have increased significantly in recent years. While the government makes 70 billion baht income per year from alcohol tax, the cost to the government is upwards of 150 billion baht.

He went on to expand on the written law as follows:

<snip see above link for more>

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but this is a mational law presumably and not just for CM region? If so when will it be enforced as the party is still going on in BKK!

Most things I am ok with around advertising bans apply in England and it is costing the country money so fair enough they have to be sensible around some things. Heavier penalties for drink driving would no doubt help too!

But to ban beer girls, I mean thats just plain mean. I guess we will just have girls in coloured dresses with no logos selling the beer they are promoting or will that too be banned? Otherwise can they just wear some other non uniform fetching outfit of their choice? I wonder what impact this will have on drinkers at BIg C? ;-)

I presume there is no chance whatsover of seeing New Year in properly with a drink in hand in CM as said bar has to close at 12 with no drinking. Looks like a night in watching tv then!

[Konini]

I've never been one for conspiracy theories, but was leaning towards the illusion that Chiang Mai was being punished for sins past (on a related note, apparently police were out and about in very big numbers last night).

I found myself wondering this morning if rather than being punished, Chiang Mai is being used as a Petri dish to test the fallout of the ban being enforced elsewhere. It's a big enough place to be able to get a fairly accurate reading. Probably just my mind trying to occupy itself, but it is certainly possible even if not probable.

18 months ago, on the day we got back from England, the curfew was lifted, co-coinciding with the start of the world cup. Next year are the Olympics and European Cup, which I imagine an awful lot of Thais and expats will want to watch on big screens at bars, some (many?) because they won't have the satellite or cable package to watch at home. In my opinion, another reprieve seems unlikely. Perhaps bars will be able to open during the competitions selling soft drinks only.

Is the Junta really such a puritanical lot? It seems odd to me that they would be. I understand about how damaging alcohol CAN be, and can see why they would want some restrictions, but some of the rules seem to be a sledgehammer approach. I also think that the government think that they are doing the right thing. I don't agree with it, but can't see them doing something like this just because they can or for fun; somebody must actually think this is a national crisis and that this is the best way to deal with it. Probably if the whole country were a part of the military - trained to obey orders without question - it would work, but the general population aren't trained to obey it would be the best way (I know that Thais are brought up to respect and fear authority, but civilians aren't ever going to obey in the same strict way the uniformed types are).

[luke000]

I was in CM for the World cup and the curfews were still imposed .

12 30 AM and the bars were full of felangs watching football .

The Police and Army were patrolling telling the bars to close.

Patrons remained seated .

The Police took photos .

The bar owners looked worried and pulled the shutters down.

People went home after the game had finished.

[Konini]

My memory may be playing tricks - I know Mr K went out for almost all matches, maybe the curfew was lifted to different hours; I have a vague recollection that the times were changed from 10pm to midnight and maybe a 3rd time to a little later before being lifted altogether.

[buji]

Think best bet, all prostitution bars shut down. Cheers to the government.

[luke000]

My memory may be playing tricks - I know Mr K went out for almost all matches, maybe the curfew was lifted to different hours; I have a vague recollection that the times were changed from 10pm to midnight and maybe a 3rd time to a little later before being lifted altogether.

Yes, these were the games that started before the curfew and ended after it , and this was on the main street, so quite visible . There were also the not so visible bars that stayed open discreetly, You could always find a bar that was half open showing football.

But even those bars are now properly closed at 12 am .

I was watching a game a few months ago in a bar with the shutters completely down at 1 AM , a lock in . Two Policeman stopped by on a motorbike and paid a visit . We had to hide all our beers and explain that we were just watching the last few minutes of the game .

[Tywais]

A dangerous speculative post removed. Be careful about that or expect a warning.

[dave2]

re

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but this is a mational law presumably and not just for CM region? If so when will it be enforced as the party is still going on in BKK!

hes right ! ...its still party party party till 3 am in nana plaza

its a national law but they are treating us in chiang mai as " special "

dave2

[Tywais]

re

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but this is a mational law presumably and not just for CM region? If so when will it be enforced as the party is still going on in BKK!

hes right ! ...its still party party party till 3 am in nana plaza

its a national law but they are treating us in chiang mai as " special "

dave2

The designated "Entertainment Zones" are excluded based on previous articles. Apparently CM has no such zoning. Believe Phuket and Pattaya have designated zones also? So yeah, we're different.

[LivinLOS]

re

Sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but this is a mational law presumably and not just for CM region? If so when will it be enforced as the party is still going on in BKK!

hes right ! ...its still party party party till 3 am in nana plaza

its a national law but they are treating us in chiang mai as " special "

dave2

The designated "Entertainment Zones" are excluded based on previous articles. Apparently CM has no such zoning. Believe Phuket and Pattaya have designated zones also? So yeah, we're different.

Entertainment zones are allowed 1am only.. And of the 3 farang zones patpong nana and cowboy, only 2 of them are included.. (I forget which one is outside the zoning.. Cowboy ??) Same goes for Phuket where only a bit of bangla and sawadirak rd is included, yet the whole island operates late.

[cyberfarang]

I was recently up in Chiang Rai, stayed there with a friend for a few days. He took me to the bar area, Yot Yad or something like that and I did not see any restrictions there. Bars open passed 3. 00am and massage parlours open well passed midnight, freelance girls hanging about outside and not a policeman in sight. Customers in the bars were Chinese, Farlangs and Thais. Some of the Chinese tourists were being transported to bars at 1. 00am by mini buses.

I am at a loss to understand what is happening in Chiang Mai, the dreadful immigration service and restrictions on bars. I was in the Loy Kroy area 2 days ago and could have counted the amount of Farlangs I saw on one hand. Do they really want us here?

[dave2]

re

Do they really want us here?

you stupid boy ..... of course they do

i had a laugh when i landed here at lunchtime and saw this

warmly welcome all visitors to chiang mai sign

above the stairs into the arrivals hall

and then it got worse when i went out into the car park where this sign

was telling me im in the happiness kingdom of the north

yeah .. 12 am bars closing really makes tourists welcome and happy

dave2

ps ... getting a bit pizzed off at all these stupid rules in la la land that change almost daily

so im off to vietnam in march to see what living there would be like ?

[brommers]

Of course we get pissed off because we have a healthy disrespect of propaganda. But the audience of locals does not yet question these cynical messages put out by "important people", who we know are always to be blindly respected. So all the locals will continue to believe that this is the happiness capital. Meanwhile tourists are discovering that Chiang Mai is in the hands of those who have one agenda, and that is to eliminate outsiders as fast as possible. They do not want the evil influence of outide tourists and "the alien" who lives here courtesy of the one year visa. Chiang Mai is gradually experiencing ethnic cleansing so that it can return to a dream of Lanna purity. Accept that, or become pissed of to an even greater degree.

[Chicog]

ps ... getting a bit pizzed off at all these stupid rules in la la land that change almost daily

so im off to vietnam in march to see what living there would be like ?

I'm going straight to Cambodia for Xmas and New Year. Will report back, I don't like being told I have to be in bed by midnight by some jumped up uniformed muppet.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Of course we get pissed off because we have a healthy disrespect of propaganda. But the audience of locals does not yet question these cynical messages put out by "important people", who we know are always to be blindly respected. So all the locals will continue to believe that this is the happiness capital. Meanwhile tourists are discovering that Chiang Mai is in the hands of those who have one agenda, and that is to eliminate outsiders as fast as possible. They do not want the evil influence of outide tourists and "the alien" who lives here courtesy of the one year visa. Chiang Mai is gradually experiencing ethnic cleansing so that it can return to a dream of Lanna purity. Accept that, or become pissed of to an even greater degree.

That's classic paranoia, and looking at some of your previous comments I can only say that at least you are consistent. You don't seem to be too happy here, you seem to hold a very low view of the locals, and your views are getting more extreme. Quite surprising for someone that seems to have been here for so long.

I still haven't heard a convincing argument as to why Chiang Mai is being hammered by the alcohol police.

[LivinLOS]

Of course we get pissed off because we have a healthy disrespect of propaganda. But the audience of locals does not yet question these cynical messages put out by "important people", who we know are always to be blindly respected. So all the locals will continue to believe that this is the happiness capital.

You clearly dont talk to the same locals I do.

[LivinLOS]

I still haven't heard a convincing argument as to why Chiang Mai is being hammered by the alcohol police.

Well you have heard one.. You just dont accept that being the Shin heartland that the forced cleanup and adherence to anti profit making rules is being applied here most painfully.

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

[yorkieb]

Anybody care to hazard a guess as to how the whole bar closing at 12 am thing over the new year will be handled.

[stament]

Anybody care to hazard a guess as to how the whole bar closing at 12 am thing over the new year will be handled.

That was my Q earlier in a post but alas the mods in their wisdom removed it.

[LivinLOS]

Anybody care to hazard a guess as to how the whole bar closing at 12 am thing over the new year will be handled.

A wonderful celebration of the 'dropping of the shutter'.. 10.. 9.. 8... 7... 6...

Wheeee...

[yorkieb]

Seems a reasonable question to speculate on how the current draconian measures will affect the countdown celebration on the 31st. I myself have plans to visit CM over the new year contributing in excess of 0.25 million baht to the local economy. However if the hypocritical situation continues I will be investing my time and money elsewhere.

[dave2]

re

I'm going straight to Cambodia for Xmas and New Year. Will report back

thanks but i went to phnom penh for two weeks when i came back from england in july

to see if i could live there but living there was is no no for me as is sihanookvile which is a one eyed/ horse town with nothing there but bars and kareoke bars

the beaches are nice but the hawkers drive you nuts trying to sell you something all day even if its his sister

dave2

ps ... i did miss this huge sokha hotel which i was told on the way to the airport has a big soapy massage parlour on the top floor .. maybe next time ?

[Paul Catton]

We arrive in Chiang Mai on 30th December, and wonder if any places have a dispensation for opening later on New Years Eve, or will it be as previously remarked, a countdown to "shutters closing".

Are any of the larger hotels doing their compulsory Gala night (as in years past) and charging guests like a wounded bull or are they under curfew too?

[Chicog]

My guess is that they will "very generously" allow business as usual on New Years Eve and possibly Xmas Eve and be miserable gits for the rest of the time.

[brommers]

Correct. The owner of my favourite bar has been told that he can stay open for as long as he wants on the night of Dec31/Jan1. No extension over Xmas.

[luke000]

Correct. The owner of my favourite bar has been told that he can stay open for as long as he wants on the night of Dec31/Jan1. No extension over Xmas.

Which bar is that ?

[LivinLOS]

My guess is that they will "very generously" allow business as usual on New Years Eve and possibly Xmas Eve and be miserable gits for the rest of the time.

And probably very generously compensated for such generosity..