Thai Alcohol Control Committee opposes selling booze till 4 AM

The Thai Alcohol Control Committee opposed a proposal to extend the legal hours for selling alcoholic beverages to 4 AM, citing a potential rise in traffic accidents.
Dr. Opas Karnkawinongpop, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, revealed to Thai reporters today, November 25th, after completing a meeting with the Alcohol Control Committee that the committee initially opposed the idea of allowing the sale of alcohol from 5 PM to 4 AM.

The committee said it was too long because it meant alcohol could be sold for 11 hours per day, which could increase alcohol-related health problems, injuries, and casualties.

Dr. Opas stated the chance of drunk-driving-related accidents could also rise by more than 27% or 10-20 casualties per day if alcohol was allowed to be sold from 5 PM to 4 AM despite all-night police checkpoints.

The Thai Alcohol Control Committee had already considered the economic benefits of the proposal, but still had agreed that the extension should not be mandated, Dr. Opas added.

Nonetheless, the committee’s objection was only a suggestion, which would be forwarded to the National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee for consideration on December 22nd.

Dr. Opas said the objection against extending alcohol sale hours had nothing to do with another proposal to extend the legal closing hours for entertainment venues.

Technically, the two rules are seperate notes TPN media, and even if the Thai Cabinet agrees to extend nightlife closing hours in theory alcohol sales hours would also need to be legally extended.

The Thai Cabinet is set to meet Tuesday, November 29th, to discuss extended nightlife hours in tourism zones.

Source - Pattaya News

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Confusion reigns as Thai PM announces end of quarantine and alcohol restart "spoiler"

It was supposed to be Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's chance to announce the end of quarantine and the opening of the country's nightlife and serving of alcohol.

Instead it has just created more confusion if the online reaction is anything to go by.

Posters on ASEAN NOW seemed more confused than ever and criticized the lack of clarity as par for the course of a government that has chopped and changed at every turn throughout the pandemic but especially over the last six months.

Many felt the proposed relaxation had not gone far enough and that nothing should have been announced before the decisions were set in stone.

Many posters said this kind of "might" and "mull" philosophy was hopeless for foreign tourists who have to plan for a visit well in advance.

Prayuth's Monday televised address was also just a precursor - a spoiler if you like - for the actual decision that will be made by the CCSA on Thursday.

Will they tweak the proposals or reverse them? Tourists both foreign and domestic, expats, and operators in the industry are all desperate to know the score.

Desperate for an ounce of clarity.

As it stands Thai Rath reported what has been announced internationally.

That tourists from ten countries including Singapore, Germany, the US and the UK will not need to quarantine but will need to have been double vaxxed and have tests before and after arriving.

But what other documents they will need and what other countries are on the list remained unclear.

China was also on Prayuth's lips - but there has been no announcement from the Asian giant that they are allowing their citizens to travel. So that is effectively a moot point.

When it comes to alcohol the situation is still utterly unclear.

About as cloudy as a Pernod and water.

The Thai media interpreted the PM's announcement that alcohol would be allowed in restaurants from December 1st.

But that pubs, bars and nightclubs would only be allowed to reopen.

It wasn't stated that the blanket alcohol ban would be lifted for all establishments.

Prayuth has stated that the tourism industry cannot stand another decimated high season. He has avowed that the risks of reopening outweigh the continuing calamity caused to the economy by the pandemic, especially its tourism sector.

But his comments about the possibility of reversing these "decisions" remains if cases spike, as they are expected to even by the PM's own admission.

Others like the Rural Doctors group have stated in the last 24 hours that Thailand's infection rate is not dropping as official stats state.

Yet another example of "you pay your money and take your choice" when it comes to believing police and stats coming out of Thailand.

Thursday's Center for Covid Situation Administration meeting may provide a little more clarity.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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#Thailand - Major makeover proposed for Pattaya’s Walking Street

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Thailand - Major makeover proposed for Pattaya’s Walking Street

… but few are impressed. Images on the Facebook page of Pattaya City reveal plans for a major re-imagining and makeover of one of the resort’s most notable, and notorious, landmarks – Walking Street. Gone are the grotty road, broken pavements and lurid signs and frontages, and in their place will be an easy to navigate walking area fit for families.

Problem is the tourists and traffic Walking Street has attracted in the past are likely not interested in the swish makeover and quite liked the red light atmosphere and the bar girls in hot pants leaning out of the noisy bars.

But the Thai government has seemed fixated on cleaning up the streets’ reputation for years, with little success. Now, the futuristic design and slick new look make the red light district look like just another shopping street. Online critics are already jumping on the bandwagon saying it will be “just another mall.”

“There is not a hanging wire – or streetwalker – in sight!” one complained. Where are the tangled coils of telephone and power cables? Where are the neon signs with at least one letter not working? Where will the crusty old expats end up if they’re pushed out of Walking Street?

The designs were presented by the city’s engineering team to Pattaya’s mayor and his deputies yesterday, to an apparently “lukewarm” reception.

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The mayor remarked that Walking Street has to be “fit for purpose” and any revamp “must not adversely affect livelihoods. Though he seemed to agree that the area must be fit for daytime as well as nightlife use, he stressed that any makeover must ensure that the “special smell and flavour” of Walking Street are maintained. Oh yes, THAT smell.

“After all, Pattaya is a renowned world class resort. And it must be able to generate revenue, that’s important.”

He sent the engineers away to revise their designs ahead of the next discussion on the issue.

Thai and foreign comments on the news were extensive and mixed. Most agreed that it’s time for a makeover, but opinion differed widely over exactly how and how much.

The reality for the city is that the Walking Street occupies prime real estate and the owners of the land want to maximise the potential value of retail and food and beverage offerings, and would prefer that it had a broader appeal beyond its raunchy nighttime-only activities. It’s inevitable that the red-light district will move into lower-rent areas of the city.
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Source - ThaiVisa / The Thaiger

#Sydney to ease drinking rules to boost nightlife

Sydney's lackluster nightlife received a long-awaited boost when officials announced an end to rules severely limiting where and when people can drink alcohol.

New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian announced pubs' trading hours would be extended and laws curbing after-midnight drinking would be eased in most of central Sydney.

"We need to ensure we have a strong and vibrant night-time economy that reflects our position as Australia's only truly global city," said Berejiklian.

For a city famed for its New Year's Eve parties and weaned on alcohol -- rum was the currency of choice among early settlers -- Sydney is surprisingly dead at night.

Under famed "lock-out laws", bar doors close at 1:30 am, there are restrictions on serving cocktails, shots or "drinks in glass" after midnight, and bouncers and police hover over proceedings.

The measures were introduced in early 2014 to limit alcohol-related violence.

The laws have thrown up some tragicomic results -- with Madonna and Justin Bieber famously unable to attend their own after-parties because they arrived too late from gigs.

A TimeOut.com survey placed Sydney the 39th best city in the world in 2019, largely because residents ranked "our city worst in the world for nightlife".

The new laws take effect on 14 January

Source - TheJakartaPost