Bars urged to close on holy day

PHUKET TOWN: Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, yesterday urged bars and nightclubs to close tomorrow (Sunday) and requested shops to refrain from selling alcohol between noon and midnight as a way of showing respect on Visakha Bucha Day. Col Paween told the Gazette, “I have sent a notice to bar owners asking them not to serve alcohol on Visakha Bucha Day because it is a sacred day. “Instead of drinking alcohol or hanging around in bars and nightclubs, people should turn to the temples for guidance on moral conduct,” he added. Visakha Bucha Day commemorates three crucial events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, his achievement of enlightenment, and his attainment of Nirvana. Falling each year on the 15th day of the 6th lunar month, it is one of the most important Buddhist holidays and is recognized by the United Nations as an international day.