The order came at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall late yesterday (Oct 30). Officials were ordered to investigate the “zones”, that is, the exact areas, where the 4am closing will come into effect.
For Phuket officials, the clock is ticking. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the Interior Minister, late yesterday announced in Bangkok that the late closing will be in effect in time for the New Year holiday period.
This year the Cabinet has approved a four-day holiday for the New Year, starting Dec 29.
Mr Anutin said yesterday that decision to move ahead with the 4am closing was in line with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s directives and that the new hours will be gradually implemented across the country, starting with provinces which are popular with tourists, such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
The move is also consistent with PM Srettha’s promise during his visit to Phuket in August to ‘reignite Phuket’s tourism engine’.
PRAISE
Local businessman Preechavude ‘Prab’ Keesin, owner of the Pisona group of companies and son of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, praised the move to finally allow late trading for nightlife venues.
“We are pleased to support and are fully ready to support the extension of the opening hours of entertainment venues until 4am, and call on the government to look at the reality of the context of foreign tourists’ access to services in Phuket,” he told The Phuket News’ Thai-language sister-newspaper Khao Phuket.
“We also agree that extending entertainment hours until 4am will greatly stimulate the economy of Phuket and Thailand, and help to distribute income to citizens who provide services related to tourism as well,” he added.
“It will definitely help the economy. When the potential of late trading is increased, we have more time to make more money. More taxes will be collected, more people will have employment, and more people will have more confidence in committing to investment and the economy,” Mr Prab said.
Even if launched for just a trial period in tourism areas in the country, Mr Prab expects great returns from the policy change. “In terms of stimulating the economy, I personally believe that from the original B2 trillion baht expected to be generated from tourism may become B4trn or even B6trn trillion in the future,” he said.
SAFETY
Mr Prab noted that extending the trading times for nightlife venues will actually help to improve safety for tourists in the town.
“When entertainment venues close at midnight or 1am, tourists will buy drinks at convenience stores and then sit and eat and drink on the beach. This creates a risk of crime, and even increases the risk of tourists drowning at night. It affects the protection and safety of tourists in various aspects. We want to have sustainable tourism driving the economy and community of Patong as a destination for tourists around the world,” he said.
Mr Prab denied that nightlife operators were leveraging to allow venues to remain open 24 hours a day.
“We don’t have to open 24 hours a day; 4am is enough. If we close at 4am, it leaves staff with enough time to get home without disturbing anyone, and staff who are parents will be able to get home in time to take their children to school,” he said.