Thai bars to close at Midnight

BREAKING NEWS: Bars Closing Midnight From 1st March

CABINET DECISION: Anger over midnight closing time
Bars Closing Midnight From 1st March
Cabinet agree lunatic proposals

BANGKOK: The Cabinet yesterday endorsed a new regulation for a
midnight closing time for most entertainment venues, while allowing
nightspots in designated zones to stay open two hours longer.

After a brief discussion on the proposed regulation, the Cabinet
agreed to an earlier decision by a government committee which called
for different closing hours for nightspots in different zones, Deputy
Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont told reporters yesterday.

Owners of night entertainment venues yesterday denounced the decision,
labelling it a death sentence for businesses and bad news for tourism.

Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piumsombun's committee in charge of
combating vice at entertainment venues proposed the different closing
times on Friday. The new closing times come into effect on March 1.

All entertainment venues outside the designated areas, including food
shops selling liquor and music, will now have to close at midnight
instead of the current 2am.

In the designated zones, nightclubs and bars can stay open until 2am,
while pubs and discotheques are required to close at 1am.

Shops selling khao tom (rice porridge) can stay open all night as they
are not covered by the new law, Pracha said.

However, the shops must comply with relevant laws, such as the smoking
ban at all food outlets.

In Bangkok, the zones designated for entertainment venues cover the
Patpong area and New Phetchaburi and Ratchadaphisek Roads. The
Interior Ministry regulation will be imposed under the Entertainment
Venue Act, which came into effect early last month but sets no
specific hours for entertainment venues.

Pracha voiced concern, however, that entertainmentvenue operators
could take legal action against the Cabinet for breach of their
constitutional rights.

But Purachai told the Cabinet he had no such worry, he said.

The deputy interior minister said that personally he believed the same
service hours should be applied to all night entertainment venues to
allow easier supervision and enforcement for authorities. But the
ministry was ready to follow the decision.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told the Cabinet yesterday that
efficiency of enforcement rather than a possible violation of the
Charter should be the main concern, the source said.

Somyos Suthangkoon, who heads an association of entertainmentvenue
operators, said the early closing time would have a severe impact on
most nightspots.

Allowing nightclubs and bars to stay open for only three hours a day
was "strange", compared to eight hours for massage parlours.
"Everybody knows massage parlours is the front for what," Somyos
added.

Praphan Pumchaosuan, leader of entertainmentplace owners in the
Patpong area, said yesterday that shorter service hours would drive
away foreign tourists.

The new regulation will take effect in all provinces, except Chiang
Mai, Lamphun, Samut Prakan and Uttaradit, where the zones for
entertainment places have yet to be designated, deputy government
spokeswoman Sansanee Nakapong said yesterday. In the four provinces,
the current opening hours will be retained.

Praphan Pumchaosuan, leader of bar owners in Patpong, said yesterday
shorter service hours would drive away foreign tourists.

The new rules will take effect nationwide, except in Chiang Mai,
Lamphun, Samut Prakan and Uttaradit, where entertainment zones have
yet to be designated.

Source: The Nation