Hej - jag läste följande om nya regeler för barer på Thai Visa.
Kan någon bekräfta om det stämmer?
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New Laws - coming to a bar near you!
The previous weekend we had a number of Bangkok Police, accompanied by Patong/Kathu police visit Bars & Restaurants in Lala, detailing the new law regarding bars in Thailand, yes they said this law was coming into effect for all bars and restaurants in the whole country. Not sure at present if these laws are to apply to Hotels and Nightclubs, but cannot see why they would be excluded. Thought it was a scam or joke at first, but then they produced government posters etc confirming the points they made.
They only managed to visit 6 places in the first day and have not come back since, but was told this was because they had been called back to Bangers due to the unrest last week. So 6 places brought in the new law 60 bars in the village were not told yet so have carried on regardless, time will see if they return and inform all other establishments and also of course in Patong and elsewhere. I spoke to a contact last week about this and he confirmed they had already done this in Ranong, so its looking countrywide and not a joke?
Okay so to the new rules:-
Rule One – No alcohol to be served before 5pm on any day.
Can’t understand the reasoning behind this, as I do not know of anywhere that is suffering from say, daytime drunks activities? But I do know that this will hit a lot of bars and restaurants trade if no alcohol sales, no wine with your lunch, surely it has to apply to Hotels as well, wow what kick in the teeth on the back of a low low season, how can this not harm tourism?.
Rule Two – No internal or external alcoholic adverts, ie no product advertisement on bottle condoms, beer mats, clocks, mirrors, glasses, signage, posters etc.
I can see an argument for external advertising, maybe subliminally luring you in for a drink, but once inside why would I be influenced to buy a drink just because I saw a Tiger beer mat?, surely once I’m in my purpose has already been set? Bet Chang will be happy after just spending a squillion baht on all those external bar illuminated signs!!
Rule Three – all bars can stay open until 2am
The only new rule that offered something back, but not really as all bars in Kamala open until 2am anyway!!
Rule 4 – No smoking in ANY bar or restaurant. Penalty for bar owner 20,000bht for smoker 2,000bht.
Seen the posters on this one, sticky backed, in Thai, Chinese and English already up in a couple of Lala bars, already operating. I know they brought in the no smoking law last year but it then only applied to internal bars, it now applies all bars outside or not.
This rule will decimate the bar trade, just look at England, some bars here will open beer gardens, but then you will miss all the action by being outside, most bars do not have the space for beer gardens, they are small shop units. Consider Bangla Road, all sois except Eric cannot smoke as no area to do so, but Soi Eric has the table area outside, would that be out of the bar? If it is, then you’ve just made a fortune Nicke!! And anyone thinking of buying a bar, get one in Soi Eric double quick time!!!
I am not passing on a what a mate told me, this has happened in Lala. They are supposed to be coming back this week to tell all other bar owners. The first 6 complied on day one, but as they have been away most are reverting back now to taking no notice. The owners visited the local Orbitor and asked his opinion, he said to comply but to watch and see if they did it in Patong, if so okay, if not then he would complain, but to who and how much to get the locals police to turn a blind eye!
Hopefully this will be ignored by the Thais and we will go back to normal in a few weeks, but just a warning it is coming to a bar near you!!!
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I alla fall regel Nr:1 tycker jag verkar konstig.
Varför inte en öl mitt på dagen?
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