Police knock bars back to midnight-closing

[hhfarang]

Johan, I don't think the point a lot of people are making is about not being able to have a drink. A lot of the posters own bars or their families own bars and this is not good for already struggling businesses.

[Super Joe]

Johan, I don't think the point a lot of people are making is about not being able to have a drink. A lot of the posters own bars or their families own bars and this is not good for already struggling businesses.

The MIB do allow them 2 hours 'overtime' for the other 50 weeks of the year but yeah, in all seriousness it's a complete pain in the arsenal, a nightmare for the 'karaoke area' bars as they're not getting a penny in trade basically, and it's very weird how quick the evening's over with. There's a few places you can sneak a drink behind closed doors, but I've been having a nightmare trying to find my house in the dark

They were getting a bit stroppy with a couple of the bars that didn't quite shut up shop bang on 12 last night. And yes it's as BaaBaa said, karaoke area closed, Hilton Brewery D-I-S-C-O open. No change there then.


A couple of Thais were saying last night it's finishing in a few days rather than the full fortnight, but I don't think there's anything concrete behind that so I'm not even gonna bother mentioning it.

SJ

[sandman67]

Johan

the point my old chum, as HHF points out, s that some here like me have interests or missues with interests in NOT pissing off tourists who may come back next year. If you mess with tourists, who wont get the "its only a temporary thing" issue, then they aint coming back. Just like the stupid no bars open during the wank crank elections here where out of the several thousand residents of HH only a few hundred bother to vote. Only thais can vote, but they still close all the farang bars...sometimes for four days at a go.....bars where thais dont drink. Result....pissed off tourists who DONT come back.

If, as Mrs S was told by the plod, this is for HM The King, do you think it makes ANY sense? Do you think he cares, or is even aware?

No....but the people who DO care and ARE aware are the tourists, and they are the ones who put money in my missus' pocket and pay the bills. They also buy stuff off market traders, and out of the local shops. So when they dont come back, its not just the bar owners who suffer.

And like SJ points out...those poor sods who run the karaoke places who are effectively told to shut up shop for 2 weeks. Where the F do you think they get their dosh from. Do you think their money grubbing landlords will let them not pay the rent and bills this month? Do you think they are all rolling in it and can afford a two week business closedown? I have two mates down that strip who are seriously knackered by this.

Even in happy happy loadsamoney times of good economic flows that is bad. In a time of half empty hotels and half empty planes and a baht that is out of control its just plain pig ignorant stupidity. But This Is Thailand, and this is HH, so like happy happy Oliver Twists, we eat our bowls o cack, hold em out and say "please sir may I have some more". We carry on carrying on in the hope that some day, as they do in Patayya and Phuket, they will take their tea money, sod off back to plod HQ and GrammyLand, and leave us business owners the hell alone to make a living. As in other resorts where the local powers actually do listen to local business owners occasionally rather than just seeing them as ATMs, some day the idiots here may just realise that when you own a Golden Goose, roast goose and rice AINT on the menu ANY day of the week ever.

We live in hope.



(I should watch less Keith Olbermann)

[Johan]

Oh, so you should talk about business and money not about having a drink. So yes if they are closing the bars and you own a bar... you are in fact fucked. I agree at 300%. I thought you guys didn't know where and how to drink when bars are closed.

[usual suspect]

Well said S.M.
The 1st night of the Midnight closing, by 12.10/12.20 there were lots of male tourists in the Sois walking around dumbfounded holding their bottles of beer in their hands..as the girls in the bars had taken the condom off their bottles, handed them the beer back, and politely kicked them out before shutting shop.
If a bar has to shut at 12 & be empty/closed..in effect it could be stopping drink-sales around 11.30..another half hour of time lost..another blow for the ailing bars.

As S.M. suggests no-one 'running' HH gives a toss about the bars or their owners..but when,when
,when are they gonna wake up and realise the revenue the bars create, and the simple reason many tourists come here...not to play bloody golf or visit the 'Big Bhudda' on alternate days..
Many of our customers suggest we should have a Bar-owners association, and meet with police and the Amphur each month.. I simply tell 'em it would be a non-starter cos who in the Amphur would want to sit down and listen to any suggestions we made about bars in THEIR
prestigous 'Paradise City'...

[ste860]

Many of our customers suggest we should have a Bar-owners association, and meet with police and the Amphur each month.. I simply tell 'em it would be a non-starter cos who in the Amphur would want to sit down and listen to any suggestions we made about bars in THEIR
prestigous 'Paradise City'...


to be honest with you that could be a good idea ,maybe see if enough bars would be interested,i did something similar before but you need a majority ,nearly all to get onside,no use 40-50%,

[BaaBaa.]

There is a lot of solutions to have a drink with friends :

- At your house
- On the beach
- Somewhere else
- On the street with chairs
- On the pier

Some great tips there, thanks for sharing!

I thought you guys didn't know where and how to drink when bars are closed.

[Gus]

The early bar closures can be overcome by everyone putting their watch back by 2 hours, so when it is 2am your watch shows 12, so you are out at 8pm your watch shows 6pm, have a few drinks, pull a bird and everything is just a normal night.

When they have bar closures for makka Buddha, 5th |Dec, elections etc, I also feel sorry for the peripheral traders such as flower sellers, bintaburgers, food carts, even taxis and the Thai ladies with the stupid hats and frog sound thingys.
Bar closures hit so many more people financially than just bar owners, falangs can normally get a drink without too much trouble.
In Pattaya certain events mean the bars can open up again at midnight, I know HH is not Pats though, that's why i come.

[Acadian450]

Sad indeed..........

[News]

The first time this happened a few years back I was told that all the provinces top brass had come for a conference and some seminars, the local police chief at that time deciding to make a good impression by closing the bars at midnight in line with Bangkok.
This happened again the foloowing two years and watching Hua Hin TV news recently there have been reports on this years conference.
The police used to use their permission to revert to 1.00am closing as an excuse to increase their protection money but I haven't heard of them doing it again this year.

[Takiap]

I was just recently told this is because their are several big shots in town, and that once they leave, things will return to normal.

[STEVE G]

Well they've had their 14 days now; perhaps they're waiting for a good night out before they go home!

[PeteC]

If HRM was there, he no longer is. Article in the Thai press this morning that a group entertained him with Chinese music for CNY, in his Bangkok hospital room. Pete

[NOKYAI]

It's not the King being here...over the years I have often seen him around. I remember when he sailed his dinghy, then his motor boat to Salom hotel for lunch (surrounded by gun boats)

As a Tourist here for a few weeks R & R it DID PISS ME OFF!

But as an old hand I went to the usual Thai clubs, driving range etc that were still open all night

TIT....get used to it! there is always some reason for the Thais to remind us who is in charge here!!

[E-Dork]

... there is always some reason for the Thais to remind us who is in charge here!!

And reminded some of us need to be. Though some of their actions are disagreeable we are just specks of dust on their desk of problems. Though difficult at times, especially when it cripples us financially (which I have been unfortunate enough to have experienced on occasion) we must take a breath, remember why we left our home countries, bite our lip about inconveniences and be grateful to the fact that we are able to enjoy far better lives living in THEIR country than we were in our homeland. Hard at times, but aint nothing the Thai people could do to make me want to return to England.