"Tourists Not Here to Ogle Exotic Dancers" says Interior Minister!

[Guest]

From today's Bangkok post :

Purachai claims early closing is for `good of society'

Tourists not here to ogle exotic dancers

Temsak Traisopon

Interior Minister Purachai Piumsombun has defended his iron-fisted clampdown on nightspots _ claiming it will benefit society.

He was responding to complaints that by religiously enforcing early closing he is hurting tourism, has slashed the incomes of workers in the industry and taken police from more important crime-busting duties.

``Tourists are here because they want to see natural beauty,'' Mr Purachai said yesterday.

``They don't want to see exotic dancers or take drugs. The nightlife is secondary.''

By restoring ``social order'' he was simply enforcing the existing regulations.

``The ministry hasn't set up any new rules. It is enforcing the existing law more effectively,'' he said.

The crackdown was likely to deter crime, as police would be patrolling on a regular basis. Mr Purachai said he was concerned about possible bribery problems. Surprise inspections would be made because some nightspots were still being allowed to operate beyond the legal closing hours.

Officers who failed to enforce the law would surely be affected when the next police reshuffle came around, the minister said. In some areas he had informed the police of planned inspections, but they had still failed to ensure nightspots were shut down on time.

A number of police superintendents have been transferred for failure to comply with the order.

The crackdown targets three types of establishments, incoming police chief Pol Gen Sant Sarutanont said.

- Entertainment venues, which must close at 2am;

- Venues which serve alcohol, which must close at 1am;

- Food shops and stalls, which must stop serving alcohol at midnight.

Pol Gen Sant, deputy police chief, said that no legal action would be taken initially against food shops and stalls if they failed to comply.

They would be served with warnings in the first phase of operation, he said.

The first and second groups, however, would face revocation of operating licences and alcohol-selling permits, he said. Police stations throughout the city have been told to enforce the law strictly or they would face disciplinary action.

Operators of night entertainment places have called off a planned rally by employees to protest against the crackdown, pending talks with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The entrepreneurs earlier decided their employees should ``beg for mercy'' at the homes of the prime minister and the interior minister.

Somyos Suthangkool, chairman of the Entertainment Operators Association of Thailand, and owner of Rama IX Cafe, said operators would meet on Sept 2 to discuss further action.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/28Aug2001_news04.html