Crackdown Over! Police lay down the law!

[Guest]

I'm posting this as a seperate topic because closings and police crackdowns have been discussed on several threads and it seemed a little manic to try and post this all over the board. So, new topic;

There was a meeting at the Lumphini police station with all bar owners today at 5PM today. Nana Plaza, Clinton Plaza and all bars within the Lumphini police district will now close at 1 AM sharp! No exceptions and no slack! No mention was made of shows.

Mention was made of the Thong Lo (Cowboy) and Bang Rak (Pat Pong) areas, but what was said is, as yet unconfirmed, and since the Police jurisdictions can act quasi-independently I don't want to pass on unconfirmed information.

Let me know if anybody has anything solid to report on these areas.

[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: nepfan ]

[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: nepfan ]

[Guest]

You said earlier that this was probably part of a crack down that is likely to blow over in two weeks. Is this a temporary two week deal or this the new rule for the forseeable future?

If the latter, can NEP survive? Can it compete with Patpong and Soi Cowboy?

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

Sounds to me the crackdown is still in full swing.

1am? Barowners, girls and punters won't be happy.

Sanuk!

[Guest]

As I live 50 m from Soi Cowboy, what can I say but: Hurrah!

Peace

[shamus]

BKKhomme says

As I live 50 m from Soi Cowboy, what can I say but: Hurrah!

Peace

 

Easy answer for you is to move!!!!!!! further out you go, the cheaper and better apartment / house you can get, no more Cowboy for you. if it is a work thing (close fo you) think of it this way, better nights sleep, early rise to go to work

[Guest]

I have followed this "crackdown" debate closely and am in two minds about whether it is good or not.

From one point I do tend to "enjoy?" the odd tipple, but then again one of my problems in the LOS is that they have had 24/7 drinking and without anything to make me stop; I don't.

So if they insist on 1am closing then as long as they keep consistent then for me this is probably no bad thing - (but then again this is typed sober in the UK and not drunk at 12.50am in BKK and wishing for another beer..... or two

I am also in two minds about a general crackdown on the fairly visible Farang sex scene - part of me thinks that it is about time that the Thais wipe it off the map, for their own self esteem so they lose their reputation in the west for ONLY being a country full of prostitutes. Of course another part of me (guess which!) is terrified at the prospect!

If it is the beggining of the end I suspect it will not be overnight - and I suspect that the internet and sites like this will have contributed to this - as although obviously the powers that be in Thailand have been aware of many Farangs attitude to Thailand they can no longer pretend that it does not exist and are now faced with evidence in black and white of EXACTLY what many think of the Thais and that they are basically laughing at and taking the piss out of them.

[Guest]

If the latter, can NEP survive? Can it compete with Patpong and Soi Cowboy?[/QB]

 

If the drinkprices and girls fees related to service of staff and quality of girls will stay the same in NEP as it was in July, then they can't IMHO compete any longer with Soi Cowboy and Patpong, even if they would stay open till 3.00 or 4.00 am.

[Lusty]

What about the Thermae and the Nana disco,what time will they close?Is it still worth coming next wee?

[Sarisin]

Thanks for keeping the board updated on these developments nepfan - I consider you one of the best resources around for accurate, timely information.

Also, David took the words right out of my keyboard as it were. I think this could be a bad thing for the old Sarisin lifestyle of staying out until 5AM, but maybe something better that will get me home earlier with my honey(s).

Now, here is a radical idea I would like to float with this august group:

We know the bars have to close at 1AM in NEP. How about if an enterprising gogo bar owner or two or three opened his bar EARLIER, like say noon? Yes, this might night be such a good idea during the week (but didn't a wise man say Bangkok is 24/7?), but how about the weekend? It might be fun to wander into a NEP gogo at say 2PM on a Saturday.

Run a couple of shifts of girls. This is SOP in Angeles City and it seems to work fine there. Also, some gogo bars in Pattaya, and many bar beers.

So, what do you think? Would it work for the gogo scene in Bangkok, especially NEP?

[Guest]

Nepfan, thanks for the information. I also saw your subsequent post in the 'End of Sanuk' thread, where you stated: "I have a lot more information but am confirming tomorrow."

If Nana is closing at 1 a.m., the next obvious question (to me, at least) is what are closing times in Patpong and Soi Cowboy? What about the Reggae Club and similar places in Koh Samui? Does the 1 a.m. closing time apply to all of Thailand?

I suspect the early closing times are of less concern to expats than visitors like me who may only have an opportunity to come to Thailand once a year if they are lucky. No matter where I go (e.g., Greek islands, Jamica, Amsterdam, etc.), when I am on holiday, I am always with a large group of friends, and we like to party late. If all of Thailand is shutting up at 1 a.m., it will have a major impact on holiday planning since late night revelery is bigger draw than the strictly Sanuk scene of Nana.

I know I am not alone in this sentiment; it will make a difference to tourism (I am in the industry.) Not trying to make any policy arguments about the appropriate closing policy or its impact on the tourism industry, just simply stating the obvious (perhaps more obvious to people who live outside of Thailand and therefore fall into that esteemed category, "tourists"), and trying to plan my own holiday.

Finally, if you don't mind my asking, how do you get this information?? I have an expat friend in Thailand, a finance guy, and he never has any information about any of this stuff.