As Thailand’s bars plan to reopen ‘officially’ in some areas, vendors want to extend hours

After Thailand’s CCSA announced yesterday that nightlife venues in both “green” and “blue” zones will reopen ‘officially’ from June 1, nightlife operators are calling to move the current midnight closing time to at least 2 or 4am. The 31 provinces defined as green and blue zones include busy tourist hubs such as Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri. The zones cover all the most popular tourist areas.

Thailand’s alcohol cut-off time has particularly impacted nightlife hotspots such as Pattaya, Phuket, Patpong and Patong in Phuket. The president of the Thai Hotels Association’s eastern chapter, Phisut Sae-Khu, said the Thai government must take more risks with the curfew if it wants to compete with other countries.

“The remaining barriers have to be dropped as soon as possible to make tourists feel truly welcome.”

The executive adviser at the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association, Thanakorn Kuptajit, said that pushing the closing time only 1 hour later (from May 1), from 11pm to midnight, was “unlikely to be enough to bring nightlife business back to normal”. He said Thailand should also revise its law prohibiting alcohol sales between 2pm and 5pm, since it impacts hotel and retail operators.

To know where bars, pubs, nightclubs, massage parlours and karaoke bars will be able to reopen on June 1, see the provinces designated as blue and green zones below.

Green Zones (14 provinces): Chai Nat, Trat, Nakhom Phanom, Nan, Buriram, Pichit, Ang Thong, Mahasakam, Yasathon, Lampang, Surat Thani, Surin, Udon Thani and Amnat Charoen.

Blue zones (17 provinces): Krabi, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Chon Buri, Chanthaburi, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nonthaburi, Narathiwat, Pathum Thani, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phang Nga, Phetchaburi, Phuket, Rayong, Songkhla.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post