Karaoke crackdown coming

PHUKET: Police in Phuket are to crack down on karaoke bars, Pol Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks, commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, said on Thursday. In a speech to assembled police patrol officers from across the island, Gen Kongpol said that the anti-karaoke drive would focus particularly on juke-box karaoke bars, most of which are to be found in Phuket Town. “It is the provincial government’s policy to get rid of illegal karaokes,” he explained. He warned, “Karaoke places should not be involved with prostitution or drug-dealing. They should also not be established near a school or a wat. In addition, karaoke places should not be open in a way that allows the noise to get out.”