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Hermanolobo
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from Stickman's latest weekly:-
Just when we thought they had forgotten about it, the early closing times have come back to haunt late night revelers. Authorities have been going around the bar areas and all bars are being closed at 1:00 AM at the moment. How long it will last isn't known but early indications are that the early closing times will be enforced for at least two months. The orders for this have apparently come from the top level police. Remember, this is the time of year when police are shuffled around and no-one wants to be sent to an inactive post for allowing all sorts of hanky panky to happen on their patch, hence the crackdown. Areas being closed early include Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Patpong and Rachada but I suspect all of Bangkok will be closed at 1:00 AM. Not good!
But in contrast it is business as usual in Pattaya and bars are open to 2:00 AM, if not later....so, for now at least, this crackdown would seem to be Bangkok centred.
In Phuket too it seems that there has been no change, with no discernible enforced closing time. A couple of bar owners who were asked what time they had to close replied, "whenever we like"! Certainly in some well known night entertainment venues down there the party is still going until 4 AM.
With rain lashing the capital very frequently, the bars are really suffering. Combined with the early closing it is yet another cruel blow. Low season, heavy rain, a perceived drop in farang visitors along with local politics all add up to a very grim reality for the Bangkok bar owners. Another bad year for them it would seem.
With all of the gogo bars required to buy a new licence at a cool 100,000 baht, this does seem like a lot of money, especially for some of the smaller bars. Having been privy to the books of some of the smaller bars in Cowboy, this can be more than some make in the low season in an entire month. I can see some bars knocking out walls and so extending the bar size to encompass bars on either side and thus avoid paying all these license fees for lots of different bars. What do you think? 3 bars at Nana. One bar per floor?!
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:13 am on Aug. 9, 2004
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Abrak
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If possible can people give an indication of what places are opening until 2.00am in BKK.
Lucifer (a disco in Patpong is one)
How about the Thonglor places (and Zantika) ?
The likes of CM2, Club 87, Spassos, Rivas should be open until 2.00 as they are in hotels. Anyone know if that is the case?
Seems remarkably little interest in this issue in the forum considering it is a pretty sudden change.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 5:31 am on Aug. 9, 2004
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Jafa
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Believe you me, the forum members do talk about this when we meet up.
One thing I can see is that those of us who live here can adjust to the early closing times faster than those who come here sporadically. I sympathise especially with those guys who're coming to LOS for the very first time, motivated to do so after discovering BTF.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 5:47 am on Aug. 9, 2004
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ringthebells
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latest word was, back to normal again soon, trial period is over and seemed to have failed.
I expect this weekend.
rtb
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 12:51 am on Aug. 10, 2004
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Jafa
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Hmm..trial period? What were they putting on trial - whether if bars were actually going to shut at 1am and still make a profit?
In any case a few bars/clubs were still going on past 1...
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 1:30 am on Aug. 10, 2004
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Manuel bkk
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Patpong: all closing at 1 AM. Yesterday night.
I had good intentions to go home early, got some help from the 1 AM closing time.......
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:17 pm on Aug. 10, 2004
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NightFall
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so somebody finally says the REAL reason for the early closing:
http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?id=3740&display=1
From: The Phuket Gazette <dailynews@phuketgazette.net>
Subject: Gazette News: Early hours will cut flesh trade – Gov
Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 11:26:02 +0000
Early hours will cut flesh trade – Gov
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has revealed a long-suspected but until now unstated reason for the new rules mandating 1 am closure of entertainment venues – the need to reduce prostitution.
The Governor was responding to threats by entertainment business leaders in Patong to close their doors indefinitely from October 26 to protest recently introduced rules requiring venues in entertainment zones to close at 1 am, and venues elsewhere at midnight.
Gov Udomsak told the Gazette, “[The government] believes that there are many advantages to having a 1 am closing time, such as reducing the problem of drugs. There’s also the issue of human trafficking, which is the cause of too many women coming [from other parts of Thailand] to work in the ‘service industry’.
“If there were no entertainment venues in Patong I don’t think we would have thousands of women comin g to work there.
“If we want to solve the problem of human trafficking, then we should [enforce the 1 am closing time] because this may reduce the number of women in the service business.”
The Governor appeared unmoved by the plan by entertainment business owners to close indefinitely in protest at the 1 am rule. “If [they] want to protest by shutting down, what are they going to get from that? It doesn’t matter if entertainment business owners want to protest or close their businesses. That’s up to them.”
Sompetch Moosophon, President of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) retorted, “Human trafficking is impossible in Patong. Women coming here from other provinces are adults. They know what they’re doing. They have escaped from bad conditions at home, from poverty and problems that the government has never fixed.
“I don’t understand why the Governor has raised this matter. The statistics of drugs and under-age drinking can be checked with the police – there have been no reports of [these problems] in Patong.
“As for naked shows, why don’t they check if the police in the area are working properly? As long as I have been here, I haven’t see any show like that.
“The association and I will discuss this soon. The Governor should know what is truly happening in [areas under] his control. He must know the truth before he makes a decision. I do not know where he got the information that we are a source of human trafficking.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 12:13 pm on Oct. 19, 2004
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ParadiseSeeker
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Still 1am around BKK? I'm thinking of heading up to Chiang Mai in Nov. and would have a night in BKK - arriving at midnight. So if the closing time is about 1am I'll try to make other arrangements. If closing time is about 2am, then I can still grab a girl for the lay over 
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:14 am on Oct. 25, 2004
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lacert
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Bangkok post 10nov 2004
NIGHTSPOTS / CALL FOR HOURS TO BE EXTENDED
No change in early closing policy, says Pracha
YUWADEE TUNYASIRI
Employees of Bangkok nightspots rally at Muang Thong Thani where a cabinet meeting was under way yesterday. - APICHIT JINAKUL
Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Maleenont insists on continuing his policy of early closing of night entertainment venues despite calls from operators for opening hours to be extended.
But he has given the go-ahead for all provinces to hold public hearings on whether to expand the special zones where nightspots can remain open until 2am instead of the 1am deadline.
Mr Pracha reiterated the government's policy after a number of entertainment venue operators publicly urged a government review.
Under the regulations, nightclubs in designated zones are allowed to open at 9pm and stay open until 2am.
Those outside the zones are allowed to open at 9pm but must close at midnight. Massage parlours inside the zones can open at midday and must close at midnight while those outside the zones can operate only between 6pm and midnight.
Karaoke bars and discotheques within the zones can open from 6pm and then close at 1am, while those outside must close at midnight.
All entertainment venues serving food and liquor with live music shows are allowed to open at 6pm and close at 1am.
Mr Pracha said he had been informed about the entertainment operators' requests, but opening and closing times for nightspots must remain as stipulated in the regulations that took effect in September as it was much too early for a review of the policy.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 1:37 am on Nov. 10, 2004
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Hermanolobo
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I wonder after the recent tragedy whether the authorities will get rid of this ridiculous 1am closing to attract the tourists again ?
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 9:31 am on Jan. 18, 2005
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