bars closing at 12 am

[Chicog]

They're sending a clear message here : If you like to go out for nightlife on your holiday then give Chiang Mai a miss because it's closed.

And the message has been received and understood.

[WaiLai]

Maybe....just a wee maybe there is a little method in their madness.

Firstly, the police never were able to do an effective job controlling non-farang general crime, driving behaviour, wayward thugs and predators etc; especially in the evenings. ......and there was a lot to deal with, let's be honest.

It's not the strategy I would use in correcting those problems but maybe the police feel that "the earlier that there are fewer on the streets then the greater control and effectiveness" they may have. Of course, incident statistics will have to bear this out.

I'm sure that the authorities are aware that they eventually have minimal control over the conduct of their rank and file so maybe this strategy will have a positive spin-off in that area as well.

Must be frustrating for the crooked ones who used to make a fortune in tea money and roadside payoffs!

Local admin., their Chinese entrepreneur friends and Chinese tour groups are going to love it!

Sustainable and rewarding for the few, miserable for the majority.

Edited November 15, 2015 by WaiLai

[fang37]

Chiang Mai is a conservative city with many pensioners.

These young ones are disturbing our welfare.

I have a bath @ 4pm; put on my winter PJs, dressing gown & slippers. A hot cup of milo.

Then I say the Lord's Prayer & off to sleep.

Lights out at 8.30pm seems reasonable.

[Chicog]

Chiang Mai is a conservative city with many pensioners.

These young ones are disturbing our welfare.

I have a bath @ 4pm; put on my winter PJs, dressing gown & slippers. A hot cup of milo.

Then I say the Lord's Prayer & off to sleep.

Lights out at 8.30pm seems reasonable.

Is it your trolling day today?

I see you've had one thread nipped in the bud already.

[fang37]

Chicog,

It has been an excellent day - 2 threads cremated within 10 minutes.

The rationale for closure is bewildering.

[Chicog]

Chicog,

It has been an excellent day - 2 threads cremated within 10 minutes.

The rationale for closure is bewildering.

I don't think so somehow.

You're simply not that good at it.

[bangmai]

Chiang Mai is a conservative city with many pensioners.

These young ones are disturbing our welfare.

I have a bath @ 4pm; put on my winter PJs, dressing gown & slippers. A hot cup of milo.

Then I say the Lord's Prayer & off to sleep.

Lights out at 8.30pm seems reasonable.

I think some of you older guys may have it worse than anyone. Waking up at 4am and having to wait 7 whole hours for some bars to open.....must seem like an eternity. I'm sure many have literally lost their minds, or simply expired, during the agonizing wait. Maybe it will make a good Nat Geo series; Thailand: Unrest in a Rest-home.

[fang37]

Bangmai

The post was my sick humour in action - nothing else.

Social media needs more of this.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Bavarian beer breakfast at 9am on a Sunday with head of northern police and army. Posted by City life.

I wonder what happened with the alcohol sales time : Alcohol beverages can now only be sold from 11.00 am – 2.00 pm and from 5.00 pm – 12.00 am every day. ..

Not applies for the head of the Northern Thai police and army of-course.

Wonder if they stayed up after raiding the bar scene area ?

Edited November 16, 2015 by terminatorchiangmai

[Phrafarang]

Just spent the weekend in bangkok, everywhere bar wise was open to at least three am and then the street pop up bars were, in some cases, open till 5am.

They are definately picking on CM bigtime

[SooKee]

Just spent the weekend in bangkok, everywhere bar wise was open to at least three am and then the street pop up bars were, in some cases, open till 5am.

They are definately picking on CM bigtime

Indeed. Been here (BKK) about 14 days now, most regular clubs open until 3, several open until 5/6. Same us Phuket. Not much closes before 3 beer/gogo/coyote bard wise, discos mostly until 5 and one or two until 6. Then there's still places legit to drink until 8 or 9 am if you're STILL craving by that time.

Edited November 16, 2015 by Pick of Penang

[kalbo123]

I also noticed that most bars have blacked out the names on the beer signs out of their bars.

Only on the government billboards we can still see the logo's of the beer companies still being displayed, double standards?

[khwaibah]

Nice mention of Chiang Mai in the Sticks weekly yesterday.

[puukao]

Is that bar Spicy or Spicy's or whatever still open?

[PostmanPat]

Was also in BKK this weekend. Noted a whole variety of differential treatments

1. Absolutely no problem having a drink during the afternoon period between 2 and 5....although a few places are aware of "the law"...Wine Connection wouldnt sell me a bottle during those hours, and Cloud 47, the superb rooftop bar in Silom only opens at 5 even though they could do a roaring trade during the day because of the spectacular views.

2. Hemingways Pub at Suk Soi 14, a very well respected and long established pub open as normal and selling beer between 2 and 5, I had lunch there at 2.30 one day!

3. Absolutely nowhere taping over beer signs, or beer mats, or any of that stuff like they seem to enforce in some places here.

4. Popped out onto Sukhumvit Road for a walk Sunday morning about 8am from my Soi 10 Hotel and noticed a number of (very!) late night revellers still going strong, beers in hand, from the state of them, had clearly been drinking all night without restriction.

Then I read the thread where the boys in blue and brown have been harrassing drinkers in CM at 11.30pm again.

For the first time ever in my 11 years in Thailand it struck me this weekend that living in BKK might have a few advantages. Its not going to happen because I m committed here, but now I m really pissed off and quite depressed about the state of the nanny state and the sheer illogicality and nonsense going on in Chiang Mai.

[WaiLai]

Was also in BKK this weekend. Noted a whole variety of differential treatments

1. Absolutely no problem having a drink during the afternoon period between 2 and 5....although a few places are aware of "the law"...Wine Connection wouldnt sell me a bottle during those hours, and Cloud 47, the superb rooftop bar in Silom only opens at 5 even though they could do a roaring trade during the day because of the spectacular views.

2. Hemingways Pub at Suk Soi 14, a very well respected and long established pub open as normal and selling beer between 2 and 5, I had lunch there at 2.30 one day!

3. Absolutely nowhere taping over beer signs, or beer mats, or any of that stuff like they seem to enforce in some places here.

4. Popped out onto Sukhumvit Road for a walk Sunday morning about 8am from my Soi 10 Hotel and noticed a number of (very!) late night revellers still going strong, beers in hand, from the state of them, had clearly been drinking all night without restriction.

Then I read the thread where the boys in blue and brown have been harrassing drinkers in CM at 11.30pm again.

For the first time ever in my 11 years in Thailand it struck me this weekend that living in BKK might have a few advantages. Its not going to happen because I m committed here, but now I m really pissed off and quite depressed about the state of the nanny state and the sheer illogicality and nonsense going on in Chiang Mai.

If you can believe the Guv, then 70% of tourists to Chiang Mai are Thai. Their cash input to the local economy probably far exceeds what farangs put in.

The majority of Thais outside of Pattya, Phuket area, Bangkok and very few streets in CM have so little personal contact with farangs that they probably couldn't care less if the farangs disappeared. (unless they were investing in high level deals) Beer and spirit companies aren't sweating buckets over it either.

Having said that, the cash well is running dry amongst the Thais. If in fact the police are putting the boots to the Thai bars as well then it's up to the Thais to seek change!

The general Asian populace does not believe as we do that" to cut your nose off is to spite your face".

I say "don't stop at the nose......"

I think that what we are really seeing here is the "cherry picking" of places in the country that the military and cops can achieve what is critical to their feeling of self-importance and accomplishment - the installation of fear amongst the people.

And let's not forget the historical colour of the area and what family has it's origins in CM.

Retribution and re-distribution of wealth and power is an interesting game to watch from the sidelines. Fortunately, my ability to purchase and imbibe 24/7 allows me to never have dry mouth as I watch the game played out and leaving me with mouth wide open and in disbelief of the very primitiveness of it all.

Edited November 16, 2015 by WaiLai

[PostmanPat]

I think that what we are really seeing here is the "cherry picking" of places in the country that the military and cops can achieve what is critical to their feeling of self-importance and accomplishment - the installation of fear amongst the people.

And let's not forget the historical colour of the area and what family has it's origins in CM.

Retribution and re-distribution of wealth and power is an interesting game to watch from the sidelines. Fortunately, my ability to purchase and imbibe 24/7 allows me to never have dry mouth as I watch the game played out and leaving me with mouth wide open and in disbelief of the very primitiveness of it all.

For the first time in this ongoing debate I think I m starting to agree with those who say CM is being picked on because of past loyalty to "a certain family", because otherwise all thats happening defies all logic even here in the so called land of smiles!

Saturday evening my mixed, Foreign and Thai, group of nine stayed at Indigo, a French Restaurant in Silom until about 11.30, then we moved on to two other nice bars, not a "girlie" in sight, just normal places, stayed there until about 1am, then a few went on to some nightclub or other.....my times are vague, not because of alcohol, but because I hardly looked at my watch!!

And just to reiterate, this issue isnt about "alcohol desperation" or anything like that, its about the frustration of living in a very confused and confusing Country right now, and it also isnt about the ability to drink at home. If I wanted, and I dont, I could fill every room in my house with alcohol, no, its about the ability to make choices about what time to go home, the human right (does it exist here?) to live a very reasonable and normal life without the constraints of police intervention for no good reason.

[LivinLOS]

I also noticed that most bars have blacked out the names on the beer signs out of their bars.

Only on the government billboards we can still see the logo's of the beer companies still being displayed, double standards?

The difference being one is the beer advert.. And the other is the company logo, who makes other non alcoholic products..

The singha logo is applicable to the singha soda water..

[heybruce]

A friend has almost no reservations at her guesthouse for Loi Krathong. She blames this on widely publicized restrictions on the release of lanterns, but I'm sure the restricted nightlife has a lot to do with it as well. Last year, when we still had martial law, was bad for her business, this year is worse.

I don't know if it's a conspiracy against Chiang Mai or just government idiocy, but a lot of businesses are hurting.

[Chicog]

Perhaps they are developing Chiang Mai for the SAGA holiday market.

[StevieH]

A friend has almost no reservations at her guesthouse for Loi Krathong. She blames this on widely publicized restrictions on the release of lanterns, but I'm sure the restricted nightlife has a lot to do with it as well. Last year, when we still had martial law, was bad for her business, this year is worse.

I don't know if it's a conspiracy against Chiang Mai or just government idiocy, but a lot of businesses are hurting.

the same draconian enforcement is not in place in bangkok, pattaya, phuket, samui. . . .all major tourist destinations just as chiang mai is. think it's an easy conclusion to draw really.

[CMKiwi]

I had to look that one up Chicog....SAGA is a UK founded company that specialises holidays for the 50+ age group.

So brush off your slippers and hide away your best false teeth! The mouldy oldies are gonna love this place if the powers at be have there way. Im sure bingo halls are going to take off down LK road once all the bars have closed up shop.

I shudder at the thought

[bangmai]

I saw a hotel on Agoda, with its lowest price ever for the end of this month...240 per night...a/c wi-fi, some english TV, cctv, and 24 hour security....1) Oversupply 2) their campaign to discourage people from coming seems to be working.

[Chicog]

It's the first time in a long time I'm getting off a plane in Bangkok just to get on another one.

I'll wave as I fly past.

[kalbo123]

A friend has almost no reservations at her guesthouse for Loi Krathong. She blames this on widely publicized restrictions on the release of lanterns, but I'm sure the restricted nightlife has a lot to do with it as well. Last year, when we still had martial law, was bad for her business, this year is worse.

I don't know if it's a conspiracy against Chiang Mai or just government idiocy, but a lot of businesses are hurting.

If you go on the Agoda booking site, you can see that in the Loy Crating week, 420 hotels have still accommodation... a bad sign... but tourism is up, guess our Chinese vistors are sleeping in the rice fields?

[stament]

420 in CM? Is that a lot at this time of the year then?

[WaiLai]

It's all rather simple isn't it?

The new government is having tremendous success at instilling fear in the population outside Bangkok, Pattya and a few lesser bright spots .

In CM it is the heavy boot being stomped upon drinking establishments. Constant 2-cop moto patrols. A very focussed and in your face intimidation of both faring and local establishments and patrons.

Now the question to be answered is: "Why can't this "approach" be replicated in other areas of public safety?"i.e. road safety

Let me rephrase the question: "Where's your balls and brains boys?"

On a lighter note: what impact on driver behaviour would result if every monk in the country drove himself on a motorcycle? (we know they get chauffeured, but do we read any statistics in the news about monks injured while enroute?)

*** mmmm, I might just pick up the saffron garb at Big C this week and test this out..... I mean if Thuggee found safety in donning the garb shouldn't it work for me as well?

[Lampang2]

To control maffia, just limit their income.

Show who's the boss.

Once defined who's in charge you can start negotiate, if not you have nothing to negotiate about.

[WaiLai]

Perhaps they are developing Chiang Mai for the SAGA holiday market.

Used to be that it was seldom ranked but with all of this heavy boot stomping on the local ambience, the circular benches in the foyer of the Edinburgh bus station have risen a few notches up the ladder of popularity ( you know the place I'm speaking of... where the hobos spend sleeping the night)

[WorkingTourist]

420 in CM? Is that a lot at this time of the year then?

I don’t think it’s telling us a lot, for example Four Seasons Residence have a “last room” available at ฿90k and 137 Pillars House have their “last room” available at ฿30k. With such offers included in the list, I wouldn’t make calls about whether or not the hotel industry is bleeding…

I do remember last year it was impossible to get a plane ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai during Loi Kratong, but this was 1-2 days before, and the train was not going all the way (due to track renovation), so that might have put additional pressure on the planes.

Right now AirAsia have the plane tickets (DMK → CNX) at about ฿3k.

If fewer tourists are coming to Chiang Mai (in general), my money would be on the air quality rather than nightlife crackdowns.