Bars should close at 11pm – Purachai

PHUKET: Interior Minister Purachai Piemsomboon shocked bar owners in Patong today when he commented he would like to see them close their doors at 11 pm each night. During a two-day inspection tour of entertainment venues in Patong and Karon, K. Purachai was stopped in Soi Bangla by three people claiming to represent owners of Patong entertainment venues. Handing him a petition urging him to extend the closing time for bars from 2 am to 4 am, they claimed that the bars still had many customers at that time of night, . Smiling, K. Purachai said, “Four am? I can’t answer that now. I’ll review the closing time for bars again, but I can’t decide that alone, or now. “Personally, I’d like to see them close at 11 pm.” He added, “I’d like to tell you about what Phuket should be doing in the future. Phuket sells sun, sea and sand. We want good tourists who enjoy nature and beautiful scenery. We don’t want drunkards.” Standing in the heart of Patong with officials, including Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi and Patong Mayor Surasak Maneesri, K. Purachai vowed to continue strictly enforcing the government’s Better Social Order policy. “I won’t give up,” he added. He explained that the purpose of his tour was to observe the problems facing the experimental CEO administration of the province and the introduction of entertainment zones.