Gov backs earlier bar closing

PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura today came down squarely behind Bangkok’s push to introduce early closing for all entertainment venues. He added that he did not believe the island’s tourist trade would be affected because it was Phuket’s natural beauty that visitors came to see, an argument repeatedly put forward by his predecessor, Pongpayome Vasaputi. The governor’s comments put him at odds with people in Phuket’s entertainment industry, among whom there is a widely-held belief that a move from 2 am closing to 1 am or midnight, as proposed by the government, will cost jobs, lead to the closure of venues and reduce tourist arrivals. Gov Udomsak said that he believed that opening and closing entertainment venues earlier, from 6 pm to midnight, would help to reduce social problems and would improve the image of Thailand among travelers. Entertainment industry figures have organized a meeting for 3 pm Saturday at the football field on the Patong beach road so that people may sign a petition against the move to earlier hours. Gov Udomsak said police would be on hand to make sure the protest was peaceful. March 1 has been suggested as the likely date for implementation of any ruling on new closing hours.