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Pattaya to close at 1 am


eyebee

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I know exactly who you are... Is your hair still dyed? How is your girlfriend/wife? Or is that your business partner I am talking about? But I know one of you two... Lets play guess who...

 

haha

 

Oneye

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I beg to differ here, but as I do not have the privilege of being a member of Taksin?s inner circle, I don?t know what his real intentions are. Perhaps you would be kind enough to enlighten the rest of us as to his true intentions, since you seem to be in such a position?

 

I know what I see, and fail to understand how some veteran sanukers on this board seem blind and totally oblivious to the changes that have taken place over that past couple of years. How they can dismiss these changes as just temporary, and somehow convince themselves that there is no hidden agenda, and things will soon return to the ?good old days? with business as usual is beyond me.

You are correct that major changes have occurred (more about that in a moment), but I wouldn?t necessarily conclude that is part of puritanical crusade. I am also not a member of Thaksin?s inner circle, but I do have the privilege of having a newspaper clipping from the 17 August 1997 edition of the Bangkok Post where a leading member of his inner circle, Khun Snoh Thienthong, offered some rather interesting advice on what Phuket needed to do boost tourism. Khun Snoh advised Phuket officials to spruce up massage parlours and hire younger masseuses to boost tourism.

 

Khun Snoh is often identified as the most important power broker behind Thaksin, and he obviously isn?t much of puritan. Nor is the inner circle. They have sent up trial balloons on a number of occasions about bringing the under ground economy above ground. Dr Pasuk and Chris Baker ? who know more about Thai politics than I ever want to know ? say Thaksin favors legalizing and regulating gambling and prostitution, but fears losing votes if he pushes that agenda too strongly.

 

I still haven?t quite figured out what the government?s strategy is here. The major measure they have implemented ? earlier closing times ? isn?t going to reduce teenage drug use, under age prostitution or address any of the other problems it is claimed to be aimed at. My guess, and it really is no more than that, is that the inner circle is pandering to social conservatives in TRT.

 

You need to keep in mind that TRT is a party of different groups with very different agendas. The inner circle is primarily oligarchic big business that depends on government protection and concessions for huge profits. But TRT also includes a large number of social conservatives, people who also feel threatened by ?Western influences? and, on the surface, at least disapprove of social vices (even if they privately indulge in them). I suspect that many of the policies we see are intended to garner support from that group.

 

Like I said, there have been major changes. But at the same time, the number of bars, pubs and discos in Bangkok over the last few years has grown. Why? Because there is a tremendous amount of money in the industry. These are not charitable organizations, and they wouldn't exist if there wasn't demand and money to support it. And, at the end of the day, this government is about money.

 

Of course at the present time the government and TRT have bigger concerns than early closing times. The South has become a major problem, and seems likely to get worst before it gets better.

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Night venues win ?unofficial? 2 am reprieve

PATONG: Entertainment venues in Patong and Kata-Karon this evening won an interim "unofficial? reprieve from the Governor, who has said they may stay open until 2 am.

 

In return, they have agreed to call off their protest at the football field on Thaweewong Rd.

 

After meeting with Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura early this evening, Sompetch Moosophon, President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA), told the Gazette that entertainment venues in Patong are now "unofficially? allowed to stay open until 2 am.

 

He said that Gov Udomsak had asked for the protest at the football field on Thaweewong Rd to disband, and for entertainment venue owners to wait "one or two weeks? for the Cabinet to come to a decision on the matter.

 

"The Governor has asked the Cabinet to extend the closing time to 3 am, which I believe they will approve,? he said.

 

"But that?s not enough. It?s not what we want; we need [to trade until] 4 am.?

 

PEBA Secretary Pratheep Rerksomroj told the Gazette, "The Governor seemed to be very worried about the situation in Narathiwat, and concerned that the protest [in Patong] might give the impression of violence. He asked us to stop [the protest] because it might affect tourism, and we accepted that.

 

"We will open tonight as usual,? he added.

 

The reprieve applies only to venues in the entertainment zones in Patong and Kata-Karon.

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