Ministry rejects bar owners’ 2 am plea

PHUKET: Provincial Governor Pongpayome Vasaputi said today that he has received an emphatic “No” from the Ministry of the Interior in response to a petition by Patong bar owners to allow them to stay open later than 2 am. Gov Pongpayome told the Gazette that the Ministry, in a letter to him, pointed out that there are many other tourist areas in the country that cater mainly to foreigners – the argument put forward by the Patong bar owners for allowing them to stay open past the legal closing time of 2 am. If Patong’s wish were granted, the letter said, then other places such as Pattaya or Bangkok’s Khao San Rd would also want exemptions from the law. The Ministry added that it wanted Patong to follow Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s order to close no later than 2 am as part of efforts to curb Thailand’s narcotics problems. Offering a faint ray of hope, the Ministry letter said that if provinces could organize specific entertainment zones, it would reconsider the enforcement of closing times. Gov Pongpayome told the Gazette that, of the three districts on the island, only Kathu has so far taken any steps toward the creation of such a zone.

Phuket News

Thaiger Talk

Join the conversation and have your say on Thailand news published on The Thaiger.

Thaiger Talk is our new Thaiger Community where you can join the discussion on everything happening in Thailand right now.

Please note that articles are not posted to the forum instantly and can take up to 20 min before being visible. Click for more information and the Thaiger Talk Guidelines.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Legacy Phuket Gazette

Archiving articles from the Phuket Gazette circa 1998 - 2017. View the Phuket Gazette online archive and Digital Gazette PDF Prints.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Check Also
Close