News Forum - CCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing

[Thaiger]

Hotels on Khao San Road in Bangkok were ready to offer special hotel room rates of 500 baht per night to guests if the government extended closing time to 4am. Unfortunately, no decision has been made and it’s left bar, restaurant, and hotel owners in limbo. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed last week that he would seek approval from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to extend the closing time of entertainment venues from 2am to 4am. The minister said it would help draw more tourists to the country and entertainment industries because late drinking fits […]

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[Loong]

The Thai bars (non- tourist) here in Khon Kaen are open til 3AM now. At least some of them are as I can hear their music.

I wonder what time they will close if the official time for tourists bars is extended!

[DesperateOldHand]

33 minutes ago, Loong said:

The Thai bars (non- tourist) here in Khon Kaen are open til 3AM now. At least some of them are as I can hear their music.

I wonder what time they will close if the official time for tourists bars is extended!

As per upcountry, these restrictions don't really apply - most real Thai bars, restaurants, sing-a-songs, clubs and other such venues have set their own closing times......usually 3-4AM, today. Been this way for a year or more. 

These predictable tabloid news deluges, regarding subject matter are centered around tourists or Farang ghetto type places......and has little to do [or effect] with the real working Thailand.

Edited August 19, 2022 by DesperateOldHand

[Cabra]

There are more than enough "after hours" bars in Bangkok already. 

[Manu]

16 hours ago, DesperateOldHand said:

As per upcountry, these restrictions don't really apply - most real Thai bars, restaurants, sing-a-songs, clubs and other such venues have set their own closing times......usually 3-4AM, today. Been this way for a year or more. 

These predictable tabloid news deluges, regarding subject matter are centered around tourists or Farang ghetto type places......and has little to do [or effect] with the real working Thailand.

Not really, it has also been the same in "Farang ghetto type places" as you called them for a very long time too. It is just the classic between the theory, top end authorities who are completely disconnected with the real people, and the practise, the real authority on the ground (the brown uniforms) who are running things. I was on Bangla Road in Phuket back in October 2021, it was party time as usual. But then all were closing religiously at midnight and the uniforms were making sure of that, without agressivity nor animosity, it seemed to be working fine. At that time, NO bar were allowed to open AT ALL in Thailand at ANY time.

But on the subject, while we have all debated and surely disagreed on the covid restrictions for the past 2 years plus, surely we can all agree to say that THIS one is simply the weirdest one at that stage (covid not being anymore a "dangerous infectious disease" apparently). This non-sense restriction of closing bars at 2pm instead of 4pm is obviously not based on science but has very much the taste of a political decision, in my opinion targeting the more conservative people of Thailand (that for most happened to be the same ones that do not really go to these bars) with the obvious message "we are doing all we can to keep you safe". Unsurprisingly, the current regime continue to use covid as a political tool (the emergency decree for a start) with the next elections soon in view and since they do not have many "real" voters left for the next election, it surely does not cost them much to keep THIS restriction in place and those "potential" voters on their side. Every little helps.