Chanchao Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 So, seems everything will stay the same. (Told everyone so, but most kept squeeking that the sky was falling..) This is Thailand remember.. Laws CAN be proposed with big fanfare to be enforced a scarce 4 weeks later, only to be effectively cancelled a day before with some face saving blurb. This type of law-making and governance would be funny if it wasn't so sad. What else is new. In a strange way I regret that we didn't see a couple of weeks/months of early closing. Would be fun to see all the creative ways everyone would find new ways to party.. And I secretly looked forward to have all girls available w/o barfine come midnight. And I secretly looked forward to see over-charging NEP businesses get squeezed a little.. Not all of them, but many. Oh well. Cheers, Chanchao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotus Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Absolutely. There are going to be several people tempted so say "told you so" myself included! There was a clear case of "think too mutt" on here recently! Totally text-book Thai politics. The phrase "the Government denied this was a policy reversal" has a correct transalation of "this is a huge u-turn but let's not lose face by admitting it". As no-one in politics will now want to touch this subject with a barge-pole, there might even be a relaxation of the rules from the current situation. What should happen now (but won't) is that the NEP, and to a lesser extent SC owners should have a long hard think. They have probably incorrectly been blaming the loss of customers on a bad atmos created by fear of the impending rules. (a thought that seemed to be shared by a minority of posters on here) but most people know what the real reasons for the decline are down simply to lack of service and all the other management failings that are not worth repeating again as they have been well moaned-about already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 I agree with you lotus that Nana Plaza has to look at its service standards, prices, entertainment value, atmosphere etc first for its lack of customers etc before it blames govt policy. However I think people were certainly justified into being worried about the latest govt policies. You could even argue that part of the reason for the reversal is a result of the medias interests in reporting the stories, the heated debates on discussion forums and street protests etc which have made the govt think more about the implications of what they were doing. March 1st as still not arrived so we must wait and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 >>>So, seems everything will stay the same. (Told everyone so, but most kept squeeking that the sky was falling..) This is Thailand remember.. Laws CAN be proposed with big fanfare to be enforced a scarce 4 weeks later, only to be effectively cancelled a day before with some face saving blurb. This type of law-making and governance would be funny if it wasn't so sad. What else is new.<<< yes, and please do you also remember that this is thailand - a place where campaigns are ordered and occasionally gone through with utmost efficiency and utter brutality. last year we had the drugwar, which was such a case. and just because it did not affect the lives of the average farang here does not mean that it did not happen. it did, and left thousands of corpses. if people would please care to remember (part of this place being thailand is unfortunately also that its inhabitants including resident farang tend to forget things very fast). so, the only part of this place being thailand is that we never will know if the government is going through what they announce, or not until its over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Purachai's early-closing plan slammed Published on Feb 29, 2004 Thai Rak Thai MPs from Bangkok yesterday blamed Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piumsombun for pushing through an impractical and overzealous early-closing policy, even though his popularity remains undiminished among residents who want him to stand for governor. Patarasak Osatanukroh said he would ask Purachai about the entertainment industry business hours at Tuesday's meeting for party MPs. So far, the closing times have been decided by high-level policymakers, leaving Bangkok MPs in the dark as to details. He said he wanted to know the particulars so he could explain the new regulations to his constituents when they ask him, adding that he personally disagreed with the policy as it would spell problems for the entertainment industry. Pramon Khanakasem said Singapore used to have entertainment establishments close two hours earlier at midnight and lost a lot of tourists and income as a result. The island-state had to move the closing time to 4am, which led to more revenue growth. The Singaporean government earnestly observes zoning, and has turned a row of old shop houses into a street of entertainment outlets. "It's too late for our government to enforce zoning because built-up areas are distributed unevenly. Tourists visit the Khao San area in droves, but even though the locality offers only dining facilities it will have to close at midnight. A-go-go bars in the red-light district of Patpong get to stay open to 1am. This leaves us at a loss as to which segment of the tourism industry the government wants to boost," he said. Pitipong Temjaroen, who is an aide to Purachai, said entertainment venues needed a new legal definition. "Legal measures should not send guys onto the street and into trouble, but should address underage access to night spots and drug problems. We should return to square one. And this has nothing to do with fears of mobs gathering. We simply want to put miscreant businesses in order." Addressing the confusion over whether the ministerial regulations apply to old nighteries, Pitipong said the law regulating high-rise buildings on the beach applied to new buildings only, not existing ones. "But cafes should not admit unaccompanied minors." He said most of his colleagues disapproved of the restricted hours, which have been widely protested against. rtainment workers, businessmen, taxi and tuk-tuk drivers and others dependent on the industry for their livelihoods. The entertainment rules are never raised as topics of discussion in the party, he said, adding that the midnight lock-up is too unrealistic and may lead to general protests. He said the government had already been on the receiving end of mobs protesting such issues as bird flu, unrest in the South, and power plants. Pitipong took a dim view of Purachai for never coming forth with a definite yes or no to the suggestion that he run for governor. This made it hard for Bangkok MPs to give their curious constituents a satisfactory answer. Purachai is the favourite as a candidate for city governor among Bangkok MPs, but some criticise him for being too aloof. He is, however, well liked by residents as a candidate for Bangkok governor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 if this is turned around...how much damage has already been done to Thailands tourist industry and reputation of being a place to go for a good night out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanchao Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 > how much damage has already been done to Thailands tourist industry :-) Not all that much. There are in my humble opinion only two factors right now that reduce tourist arrivals: 1: Among the adventurous: The notion that Thailand is over-touristed, over-developed, and paradise beaches are turned into something resembling Phuket. 2: Among family holiday makers and group tourers: General wimping out over terrorist fears and health fears. The people who are coming for the nightlife I think are informed enough.. And Bangkok as yet doesn't seem to fail first time visitors / accidental business travellers............. Cheers, Chanchao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanchao Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 > "It's too late for our government to enforce zoning because built-up > areas are distributed unevenly. Tourists visit the Khao San area in > droves, but even though the locality offers only dining facilities it > will have to close at midnight. A-go-go bars in the red-light district > of Patpong get to stay open to 1am. This leaves us at a loss as to > which segment of the tourism industry the government wants to boost," > he said. Ohmegosh.. a politician making sense. Actually if Patpong/Nana/Cowboy type nightlife would ever be discouraged then I'd just as happily party at Khao San Road.. and so would even more girls than the numbers that are already going there. Cheers, Chanchao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith doug Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 its sad we dont get Saracins views... but then i guess... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 From the BBC website.....nothing new except some comments from David Jacobson.... Thai bars face midnight curfews, Bar and club owners say the law threatens their livelihoods Thailand's entertainment industry is prepared for a blow as a new law comes into effect to enforce midnight closing on bars and clubs. The only exceptions will be a few zones in the capital, Bangkok, and some resorts, where bars can open to 0200. Thailand's government says the law is part of its campaign to curb juvenile crime and drug abuse. But it has provoked an outcry from the entertainment industry which says it threatens livelihoods. "Basically my business starts at midnight," said David Jacobson, a partner in Bangkok's long-running New York-style nightclub Q Bar. "It probably means we won't be able to survive. We'll try, but I'm not too optimistic," he told news agency AFP. Mr Jacobson was quick to laud Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's efforts to clean up what the bar owner called Thailand's "reputation as the cheapest destination for sex and drugs and rock and roll". But he said the premier had gone about the campaign the wrong way. The new law will allow late night closures at the red-light district of Patpong, the New Petchaburi area known as RCA popular with Thai teens, and Ratchada Phisek which teems with massage parlours and karaoke bars. At the end of March a new night time curfew aims to stop under-18s from being on the streets, between 2200 and 0400, without parental supervision. Correspondents say it is unclear how strictly the measures will be enforced, in part because many young people work in night jobs. The measures are being introduced after justice ministry figures showed an alarming rise in violent crime, particularly sex crimes, among young people in Thailand. Reports said rape increased by 16% on the previous year in 2003, with gang rape rising by 70%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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