Mr Anutin revealed the prospective deadline after a meeting held at Phuket International Aiport with the provincial governors from all six Andaman coast provinces yesterday (Oct 26).
Mr Anutin made it clear to the provincial governors that “all sectors must work together to build confidence in the safety for tourists to strengthen the economy through tourism in a stable and sustainable manner”.
The six southern Andaman provinces are outstanding in tourism and make Thailand a top destination for tourists around the world, the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“It is important to increase the number of tourists, and provide for the safety in both life and property of both local people and tourists,” he said, according to an official report.
“Therefore, confidence must be built,” Mr Anutin continued. “Therefore, we emphasise that every province has in place comprehensive safety measures.”
Regarding the 4am closing regulation under serious consideration, Mr Anutin said, “As for guidelines for extending service hours of service locations, we are currently undergoing the process of amending ministerial regulations.
“Therefore we ask the provincial governors to use both local mechanisms to listen to people’s opinions,” he said.
“Another important part is business operators and local residents. We must cooperate in strict compliance with the law to create safety and confidence for citizens and tourists,” he added.
“If all operations are carried out according to the specified time period, it is likely that such guidelines will be released around December 15, 2023, which is considered another government policy that will create an even distribution of income at all levels.
“It will create an opportunity to stimulate the economy for the province and Thailand,” Mr Anutin concluded.
Patong nightlife operators have been calling for later closing times for nearly two decades, with some signs of finally making progress under previous Tourism & Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
The move to allow 4am closing received overwhelming support during Mr Phipaht’s visit to Bangla Rd last year.
While Mr Phiphat prudently said that many factors, including the impact on the local community, needed to be considered, the government was looking into allowing later entertainment venue closing times in popular tourist areas.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin encountered similar support for extending nightlife trading hours during his visit to Bangla Rd in late August.