News Forum - Thai nightlife midnight closing time under pressure this week

[Thaiger]

The current ‘official’ closing time for nightlife venues, in 31 provinces around Thailand (yellow and blue zones), is midnight. That all kicked in at the start of this month. But, hey, it’s Thailand and there’s also been plenty of venues, particularly in the tourist zones, where the midnight close time has been stretched a bit. But some netizens have noticed that there’s been a slightly stricter approach to the closing time recently. The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has put his foot down and ordered police to enforce the time more enthusiastically and crack down on venues who keep their lights […]

The story Thai nightlife midnight closing time under pressure this week as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Pinetree]

what is so unreasonable about midnight closing? I just don't get it . 

[Cabra]

3 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

what is so unreasonable about midnight closing? I just don't get it . 

No so much unreasonable as it is lame. 

[JJJ]

32 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The current ‘official’ closing time for nightlife venues, in 31 provinces around Thailand (yellow and blue zones), is midnight. That all kicked in at the start of this month. But, hey, it’s Thailand and there’s also been plenty of venues, particularly in the tourist zones, where the midnight close time has been stretched a bit. But some netizens have noticed that there’s been a slightly stricter approach to the closing time recently. The Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has put his foot down and ordered police to enforce the time more enthusiastically and crack down on venues who keep their lights […]

The story Thai nightlife midnight closing time under pressure this week as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

The quote from Cinderella—maybe even Alice—is apropos. They are living in a fantasy land. 

From a similar BP article summarizing the CCSA, “The government sees the face mask-wearing mandate as a key mechanism to ensure continuity in its efforts to revive the country's economy, so any further easing of this particular restriction will have to be carefully considered, he said.”

What utter garbage. This government is so disconnected from reality. 

It is time to drop EVERYTHING. If you’re vulnerable—get boosters, wear an N95, and find somewhere that has paxlovid. 

How in the world does closing bars at midnight or healthy people wearing a stupid mask outside help prevent granny from covid? It doesn’t.  

[Pinetree]

17 minutes ago, Cabra said:

No so much unreasonable as it is lame. 

why?  A quick google check:

UK, usual close 11pm, weekends may be later for some Cities 

Australia  11pm or midnight

Texas   11pm or midnight

Ireland  (Dublin) 11.30pm

Naturally there will be some local variations to these times.  but it appears that generally, the World seems to stop drinking at or around midnight. 

[Loong]

22 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

what is so unreasonable about midnight closing? I just don't get it . 

Not unreasonable in my opinion. When I go out at 8 PM, I'm often home by shortly after midnight.

From what I see though, most Thais don't seem to go out until around 10 PM, so midnight closing is too early for them

[Pompies]

Why should central government decide that midnight is closing time when in our city the police have been offering their protection to bars that wish to remain open for longer. Before the extension from 11pm was announced they would allow businesses to chose when to close in return for paying a facilitation fee. Not quite sure what the basis is for their calculation of this fee but a "restaurant" operator told me of one place paying 200k per month to close at 4am. I think it is laudable that the police are encouraging entrepreneurial flair and enabling the freedom of people to enjoy themselves.

[Gerardinho]

2 hours ago, Pinetree said:

why?  A quick google check:

UK, usual close 11pm, weekends may be later for some Cities 

Australia  11pm or midnight

Texas   11pm or midnight

Ireland  (Dublin) 11.30pm

Naturally there will be some local variations to these times.  but it appears that generally, the World seems to stop drinking at or around midnight. 

Nightclubs do not close at 11pm. Let us not be disingenuous. Clubs close at 3am or later.

[Pinetree]

57 minutes ago, Gerardinho said:

Nightclubs do not close at 11pm. Let us not be disingenuous. Clubs close at 3am or later.

I said that local rules sometimes apply and clubs are not bars

[JJJ]

4 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

I said that local rules sometimes apply and clubs are not bars

The point is as a covid prevention rule the midnight closing time has lost any justification. 

If you or others (including the government) want to argue that they should close for some societal or moralistic reason be honest and say that it’s because you don’t think they should go out after midnight. Not because you want to protect them from covid. 

[Pinetree]

9 minutes ago, JJJ said:

The point is as a covid prevention rule the midnight closing time has lost any justification. 

If you or others (including the government) want to argue that they should close for some societal or moralistic reason be honest and say that it’s because you don’t think they should go out after midnight. Not because you want to protect them from covid. 

I don't care one way or the other.  Midnight closing seems very  reasonable to me for whatever reason , but then again, I don't prop up bars as my main entertainment in life.