Nightlife venues in Thailand extend opening hours to 4am

Anutin Charnvirakul, the Interior Minister, has expressed his satisfaction with the compliance of business operators and customers to the new opening hours of nightlife venues which now extend to 4am. During an inspection of these venues in Bangkok, including the RCA area along Rama IX Road, he noted that the authorities are diligently checking operating licenses and maintaining public order.

Patrons are asked to produce identification cards and undergo weapons checks before being admitted to the venues. Anutin added that most of the patrons make use of public transport or taxis to commute, avoiding the risk of drunk driving.

“I am satisfied with the overall situation,” he noted. “The extension of the operating hours is intended to create jobs and revitalise tourism, which is key to stimulating the economy. During the extended hours, employees, waiters and waitresses, bartenders, chefs and security officers can earn more income, but most importantly, everyone must follow the law.”

The new regulations, which permit some nighttime entertainment venues to remain open until 4am, came into effect last Friday. These rules apply to venues in Bangkok, Phuket, Chon Buri, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui in Surat Thani and bars registered within hotels across the country, reported Bangkok Post.

While restaurants can operate into the early hours, they are prohibited from selling alcohol after midnight. Only establishments with valid licenses are permitted to sell alcohol after midnight.

In a related incident on the first day of the extended opening hours, a worker was killed and two others injured in a road accident involving drunk driving in Chiang Mai’s Muang district. The workers were laying cables underground along Kotchasarn Road when a speeding car, driven by a foreigner, hit them. The driver had a blood alcohol level exceeding the legal limit and was subsequently charged with reckless driving causing death and injuries, according to the police.