 |
|
|
#36
21-02-2004, 14:42
|
|||
|
|||
|
Scores on Nation
Your re-action on the government's mid-night closing laws on the entertainment industry:
Great ! Now I can sleep peacefully at night. 3% Hmm...now where can I go after midnight? 6% What !?! This is ridiculous!!! 91% 
|
|
#37
24-02-2004, 20:06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Well 4 days to go and still no news on what the hell is going on, RE: the Nation poll the current stats are so one sided it is almost funny - the poll was supposed to end last week but is still going, gotta love the efficiency. I think it would be statistically impossible to make the result anymore emphatic than it currently is as i doubt their system supports decimal places !
New poll posted every Friday Your re-action on the government's mid-night closing laws on the entertainment industry: Great ! Now I can sleep peacefully at night. 1% Hmm...now where can I go after midnight? 3% What !?! This is ridiculous!!! 96%
|
|
#38
25-02-2004, 14:58
|
||||
|
||||
|
Still almost no news about something that will affect all nightlife industry in one week.
However, I talked to a police yesterday and he said 2 o clock when I asked him what time we have to close in Bangla.
|
|
#39
25-02-2004, 16:10
|
|||
|
|||
|
From another board:
__________________________________________________ ____________ Spoke with a very high government official yesterday. He stated that it’s all in Thaksin’s hands now. Some shocking comments such as paragraph 3 or 4 that I was not aware of. Only because who this person is, is why I’m repeating it because otherwise I look rather foolish, if something else happens:-) Please remember I’m just repeating what I heard, these are not my opinions or do I necessary agree with every word of the reasoning. Here is his take… On March 1st.. 1. Khun Thaksin could declare that its 2. a.m or even 1 a.m. for everyone. In his opinion 70% chance of that happening. If he does this, expect also the statement that” no NEW entertainment licenses can or will be issued outside the zones.” Thaksin definitely does not want any new places springing up outside the zones. 2. Thaksin could declare midnight for businesses outside the zone and 1. a.m and 2 a.m in the zones as is proposed now. 30% chance for this. 3. Thaksin however can NOT change the zones or add zones. This has already been proclaimed by the King a long time ago and would take six months minimum to add more. 4. The zones themselves can be changed to 3 a.m or even 6 a.m. if the local government such as Pattaya wants longer hours for their zones. 5. The new entertainment law is modern. The previous was written 50 years ago and had many gray areas. This is black and white and should have no police corruption. It’s positive for the businessman as he knows the laws and can follow them. 6. The reason for the zones is so they can control everything. It may look having RCA in the zone is not proper if they are concerned about teenagers welfare but they can keep a eye on them at least here rather than having them spread out through the city. They expect older Thai people will start going to RCA as well and this will help change the atmosphere. 7. If the zoning goes through, expect the properties to skyrocket upwards around the zone. They expect the outer areas of Bangkok to die off in the next three years. More and more people will be attracted to living in areas around the zones. 8. If the zoning goes thru, they expect a minimum of two million people to be effected in the pocketbook and large protests as a result. “It will be a zoo” No matter how large the protest, don’t expect Thaksin to back down like other PM”s in the past. However keep in mind that the government term is ending and their will soon be a new election. On a sidenote heard of a large protest on Friday the 27th being planned. 9. A pub can be open at 6 p.m in the zone and close at 1 a.m. A disco in the zone can open at 9 p.m in the zone and close at 2 a.m. 10. Outside the zone, a disco can be open from 9 p.m to midnight and a pub from 6 p.m. to midnight.
|
|
#40
28-02-2004, 06:03
|
|||
|
|||
|
Twists
Time called on early bar closing
Published on Feb 28, 2004 Leave the bar at midnight? Just wait and see. The government's plan to impose midnight-closing on nightspots outside designated zones from Monday might be postponed or even aborted because of a new draft regulation that maintains the current closing time. The Interior Ministry yesterday sent the draft ministerial regulation for Cabinet review, possibly next week, said Vichien Chavalit, chief of the Department of Provincial Administration's Investigative and Legal Affairs Bureau. The draft, which was written under a Cabinet resolution on February 10, sticks to the present closing time stipulated in the latest version of the Entertainment Act, which came into effect on January 13, Vichien said. This requires that all entertainment venues licensed before January 13 close at 1am, nightclubs and bars must close at 2am, and lounges, tea houses and massage parlours at midnight. He said that only entertainment venues licensed after January 13 and outside the designated zones would be subject to the midnight-closing time. There are only three designated entertainment zones in Bangkok - Patpong, New Petchburi, and Ratchadaphisek. Vichien denied that the draft was a policy reversal for the Ministry. It had pushed for early closing of nightspots as part of its social-order campaign, but the move has come under intense criticism from the night-entertainment industry and disgruntled club-goers. The guideline for keeping the status quo on closing times came from Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. "The draft follows the Prime Minister's views," Vichien said. Thaksin said on his weekly radio address on Valentine's Day that the midnight-closing time would not be imposed on businesses that were open before the new rule took effect. The recent changes in opening hours and zoning policies has left the night-entertainment industry in limbo, with business owners unsure what the new rules would be and what effect they would have. When contacted by The Nation, several high-ranking metropolitan police officers and owners of major entertainment venues yesterday declined to comment on the issue, saying that they needed to see the final decision from the Cabinet first. A source in the Metropolitan Police Bureau said that the police would make sure that nightlife businesses strictly comply with the closing time stipulated in the new ministerial regulation. Phermsak Lilakul THE NATION ----------------------- An open and shut case? Operating times for entertainment venues, subject to Cabinet approval: Nightclubs and bars: 9pm-2am Lounges and tea houses: 11am-2pm; 6pm-midnight Massage parlours: 4pm-midnight Pubs, discotheques, cafes, restaurants with live bands, and cabarets: 6pm-1am
|
|
#41
28-02-2004, 16:47
|
||||
|
||||
|
From Pattaya Mail...Beer Bar..Opening hours 11 a.m - 2.00 pm?
Zoning, new entertainment operating hours begin March 1
Pattaya hopes to receive special tourism status and gain exemption from new regulations Suchada Tupchai The new entertainment laws and zoning regulations are scheduled to come into effect as of March 1. However, there is still much confusion among business operators as to where the zones are and what will be the final word from the government on the amended legislation. Officials at the Banglamung district office announced that they will begin enforcing the new entertainment laws and zoning regulations beginning March 1. The shaded area of this map represents Pattaya’s entertainment zone. Officials at the Banglamung district office announced that they will begin enforcing the amended legislation, announced on January 13, as of the first of the month, but there is hope for Thai business operators and employees to overturn the laws that would otherwise put them out of business and cause what they predict will be a major drop off in tourism numbers. They could gain recourse under a clause in the Thai constitution that allows the people to overturn government legislation with 50,000 signatures on a petition, giving them 60 days from the date of announcement to act. Whether it comes to that remains to be seen. The legislation, proposed by Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piumsomboom, would have entertainment venues tightly governed concerning operating hours. Under the amended laws, dancing venues or those that provide dancing inside the entertainment zone would be allowed to open from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., those outside the zone could only operate from 9 p.m. to midnight. Neither is totally acceptable to entertainment venue owners, as 3 hours a day or 5 hours a day is not deemed a sufficient amount of time to successfully operate any business. Places offering service girls, such as beer bars, would only be able to open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the zone. As for Traditional Thai massage venues in the zone, their hours would be restricted from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., whereas outside the zone they would be able to open at 6 p.m. and close at midnight. Venues offering live music or shows inside the zone have slightly more leverage by opening at 6 p.m. and closing at 1 a.m., whereas outside the zone such places would close at midnight. The zone boundaries are as previously outlined in the Pattaya Mail (issue 26, July 29, 2001), and are as follows: the areas on and around Beach Road, 2nd and 3rd Roads from North Pattaya through to Bali High Point in South Pattaya to be classified as an entertainment business zone. The boundaries of this zone would be the beach on one side, through to and including up to 50 meters west (towards the beach) of 3rd Road. The northern boundary of this zone would start 50 meters south of North Pattaya Road from the Dolphin Roundabout up to 3rd Road and in the Naklua area would be 100 meters to the west (ocean side) of Pattaya-Naklua Road through to 50 meters on the other side of Pattaya- Naklua Road from Dolphin Roundabout to Soi 13 (Wongamat). Entertainment businesses would be allowed to operate inside this 150 meter wide stretch of land. Banglamung officials have questioned business operators as to the amendments to legislation, and most are saying that such stringent measures are inappropriate for Pattaya as a tourist town, particularly on the issue of operating times, with others pointing out that license registration fees are far too overpriced. Such implementation would effectively destroy their business. One person, who prefers to enjoy the city’s nightlife told reporters, “Regardless of the social order campaign and the emphasis on impinging stringent rules on the youth, they will still do what they want, whether it be at home or at a hotel. The legislation doesn’t solve the problem they (the government) are aiming at. Crime inevitably remains at the same rate, if not higher. The zoning issue will just create traffic problems within the zone, the whole thing is ridiculous and will definitely affect tourism.” Some parents are, however, in favor of the idea of keeping their children away from such places and bringing order to the populace. Taking the matter from his position, Sontaya Khunpluem, minister for tourism and sports has approached the Interior Ministry to exclude major tourist centers around the country where large numbers of foreign tourists are known to visit. These include Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. The plea bargain is that these are major tourist centers and as such require special status. The final outcome remains yet to be finalized. Perhaps in the coming weeks there will eventually be some decisions made on a business level not a puritanical one.
|
|
#42
29-02-2004, 20:59
|
||||
|
||||
|
TRT members opposition to opening time plans
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.
|
|
#43
29-02-2004, 21:12
|
||||
|
||||
|
Bangkok Post - Social Order Campaign
Nightspots in Hat Yai want own night zone Massage parlours say they will also be hurt Vichayant Boonchote Operators of nightspots in Hat Yai have called on the government to declare their areas nightlife zones, saying midnight closing would deal a heavy blow to their businesses. Sorachak Joothong, president of the Entertainment Places Operators' Association of Thailand, said the association has lodged a letter with Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh asking the government to allow nightspots inside and outside specified nightlife zones to stay open until 2 am. It also wanted the government to declare all areas in Hat Yai nightlife zones similar to Pattaya and Phuket. He said the early closing of nightspots would badly affect many entertainment-related businesses such as nightspots, restaurants featuring musical performance and karaoke shops. About 200 entertainment places were inside the nightlife zones while about 300-400 were outside the zone. At least one billion baht was circulating in these entertainment businesses, said Mr Sorachak. From March 1, all nightspots inside specified nightlife zones must close at 1 am while those outside the zone must close at midnight. Mr Sorachak said the early closing time would drive away foreign customers. Hat Yai was a popular entertainment venue which attracted a large number of tourists, particularly from Malaysia and Singapore. About 1.2 million foreign tourists visited the town annually. ''Hat Yai is known among tourists as a paradise of entertainment. Most tourists travel to the town to visit nightspots and other entertainment places. The early closing time will adversely affect the entertainment and tourism businesses here,'' said the association chairman. Hat Yai, which had no natural tourist attractions like other provinces, would turn into a quiet town after the new closing time was enforced, he said. Many entertainment businesses would be forced to shut down and hundreds of employees would be left jobless, he added. Thepparit Ammarapitak, a musician at Submarine pub in Hat Yai, said the early closing time would hurt musical bands as they would be left only a few hours to perform their music. Their incomes would also drop. Before nightspots were allowed to stay open until 3-4 am, he could play music at 3-4 pubs a night and earned more than 30,000 baht a month. Ms Noi, 24, who worked at a massage parlour in Hat Yai, said the early closing time of nightspots and massage parlours would affect women working in this business. Before the social order campaign was strictly enforced, she could provide services to 6-7 customers a night and earned tens of thousand baht a month. If the midnight closing was enforced, her income would drop as she may get only one customer per night. ''If massage parlours are closed at midnight, I have to look for customers outside my workplace and risk being caught like other sex workers in Bangkok hunting for customers along main roads,'' she said.
|
|
#44
01-03-2004, 16:16
|
|||
|
|||
|
Hot off the Press
Midnight curfew rule postponed for further review Published on Mar 1, 2004 BANGKOK, March 1 (The Nation) -- Thai night entertainment establishments operators have won a reprieve from a government plan to impose a midnight curfew, according to government official. Last month the Cabinet approved a regulation that will close all venues outside specified entertainment zones, including bars, clubs, restaurants and massage parlors, at midnight instead of 2 a.m. in its campaign to curb youth crime and restore traditional values. Today, the government appeared to backtrack on its plan, saying it was still open to review. The Cabinet will reconsider this matter during its meeting on tomorrow, government spokeswoman Sansanee Nakphong said.
|
|
#45
03-03-2004, 00:15
|
|||
|
|||
|
Done
Midnight closing reprieve for venues
Published on Mar 3, 2004 Night entertainment venues licensed before January 13, 2004, would not be subject to new midnight closing rules, under draft regulations approved yesterday by the Cabinet. The new provisions also stipulate that no new night spots would be allowed to open outside designated entertainment zones in Bangkok and other cities after the rules take effect. The draft rules on entertainment venues’ opening and closing times require all establishments licensed before January 13 to close at 1 am. Exceptions include night clubs and bars, subject to 2 am closings, and lounges, restaurants, tea houses and massage parlours, which would have to close at midnight. Any new entertainment locales licensed after January 13, but before the new statutes take effect in April, and that are located outside designated zones would be subject to the midnightclosing time. The regulations don’t stray much from current laws requiring pubs, discotheques, cafes, restaurants with live bands, and cabarets to close at 1 am. In spite of the law on the books, most of them generally stretch out their closing times until 2 am. In January, the Cabinet assigned Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piumsomboon to conduct a study on closing times. His solution was to apply a zonesensitive midnight closing, a controversial proposal abandoned yesterday. During the Cabinet meeting yesterday, Purachai argued that the government should stick to the zoning approach he originally proposed. But Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the government preferred to focus on night spots with illegal activities on their premises. Any clubs found breaking the law outside the zones would be forced to close at midnight. The new regulations would take effect April 1 and all entertainment venues would be required to request new licenses from the Ministry by March 13, Pracha said. After April 1, the Ministry would not allow new night spots to open outside designated entertainment zones, according to Pracha. The regulations designate entertainment zones in every province except Chiang Mai, Uttaradit, Samut Prakan, and Lamphun. Bangkok has only three established entertainment districts – Patpong, New Petchburi and Ratchadaphisek. Some business owners on Khao San Road and Sukhumvit Road recently demanded that their areas be designated as entertainment zones too. Additional ministerial regulations on entertainment zones were likely to be submitted for the Cabinet’s approval this month, said Vichien Chavalit, of the Department of Provincial Administration’s investigative and legal affairs bureau. Chanya Saipornchai, owner of Krungthon Entertainment Complex in Bangkok, said nightentertainment businesses owners and employees would gather in front of the government house at 5am today to thank the government for allowing night spots to stay open past midnight. But she added that even though entertainment spots would close at 1am, the government should allow customers to stay and drink until 2am. Piyanart Srivalo The Nation
|
|
#46
10-03-2004, 15:21
|
|||
|
|||
|
According to the last news on the Phuket Gazette (www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=3359) the uncertainty about the new closing times goes on.
The news reports: "New closing times are expected to be imposed in April. K. Wisut confirmed that entertainment facilities in large hotels will close at 2 am, other venues will shut at 1 am, and massage parlors will have a midnight deadline. Large hotels are apparently given the leeway to open until 2 am because – so the theory goes – they attract wealthy people and foreign tourists, not the teenagers that the Better Social Order Policy aims to protect. The closing times are not dependent on a venue’s location – whether it is inside or outside an entertainment zone." Any news from Patong about that.
|
|
#47
10-03-2004, 18:34
|
||||
|
||||
|
In the Nation article posted above they also stated:
Quote:
And also 2 o clock is what I have heard from Police here, so I guess things will be pretty much same before except that we have to apply for the new license at 50 or 100,000 baht each and no new licenses will be handed out outside the zones after this deadline. I talked with a barowner from Gonzo yesterday, he said he will not apply or pay for this new license, if more people do like him, we may see a few bars closing down the coming months.
|
|
#48
10-03-2004, 18:54
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
Nicke, The wife went to change the name on a license yesterday, and was told bar beers license 30K and gogo's 50K, these are a one off fee. There was talk about if its 2am closing for Patong then these new license fee will not be passed on, but they are expecting later than 2am to allowed for Patong, so then the new licensing fees will be applied. God only knows. I guess there is so much if but maybes being passed around, that no one really knows where they stand. Sounds like we will all know 1st April. That date doesnt really have the same meaning in Thailand as it does to us farang. Steve
|
|
#49
10-03-2004, 19:11
|
||||
|
||||
|
These new licenses are confusing. I have one paper left to give authorities (I applied yesterday) but they also wanted tabian baan, I will give them tomorrow.
But another barowner from Soi Eric was there today and when all papers were complete, they asked what "options" they wanted, there was two options at 50,000 baht each and it was possible to take both of them, thus, 100,000 baht. They didnt understand these options but I hope I will hear more about it tonight. Besides, different kind of papers are around bar owners in Patong. We got 1-page papers, Soi Crocodile bars got a 3 page form, and yesterday Soi Crocodile bars got another paper of a new Whiskey License (?) with deadline March 16. And many bars don't get any paper or information at all and some are even not aware of these new licenses. The whole situation is very confusing.
|
|
#50
11-03-2004, 05:03
|
||||
|
||||
|
licenses
Quote:
Sounds like the goverment have planned this whole thing from the start Nicke as a way of making money just for the sake of it , perhaps they dont actually care that much about the social problems thailand faces at all , they just want $$$$$ at the end of it 
|
|
#51
11-03-2004, 05:20
|
||||
|
||||
|
Quote:
My God, it sounds like they might be thinking of treating each soi differently. I bloody well hope not, again!! Steve
|
 |
«
Previous Thread
|
Next Thread
»
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
All times are GMT +7. The time now is 22:27.
| Hotel Guide |
