Extended nightlife hours to start Dec 15
published : 6 Nov 2023 at 08:10
writer: Gary Boyle
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Mongkol Bangprapa
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has agreed to extend opening hours for nighttime entertainment venues, including pubs and bars, to 4am in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Phuket from Dec 15.
The extension will be temporary, and discussions about a change of zoning will be held in the future.
Mr Srettha pointed out that some foreigners do not have similar dining habits as Thais. Some dine at around 9pm-10pm. If opening hours are limited to midnight or 2am, customers might have to dine earlier, and that decreases the amount of food they order.
Mr Srettha also said extending opening hours to 4am is workable after having spoken with security agencies and added that the Interior Ministry will look into zoning and licences.
Police will try to ensure people's safety and increase drug suppression.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government also plans to extend the operating hours of restaurants that are run like entertainment venues from midnight to 2am.
The current law only permits the selling of alcoholic drinks until midnight, while music is not allowed after midnight.
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Vocabulary
- agency (noun): a government department that provides a particular service - หน่วยงานราชการ
- decrease: to become less - ลดลง, น้อยลง
- dining: eating (especially dinner) - รับประทาน
- extension: making a period of time longer - การขยายออกไป
- habits (noun): things that you do often and almost without thinking, especially something that is hard to stop doing - กิจวัตร, สิ่งที่เป็นนิสัย, สิ่งที่ทำเป็นประจำ
- interior minister: the minister with responsibility over the Royal Thai Police, local administrations, internal security, citizenship, disaster management, land management, issuing national identity cards and public works - รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงมหาดไทย
- Interior Ministry: the Thai ministry with responsibility over the Royal Thai Police, local administrations, internal security, citizenship, disaster management, land management, issuing national identity cards and public works - กระทรวงมหาดไทย
- licence: an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something - ใบอนุญาต
- permit (verb): to allow someone to do something - อนุญาต, อนุมัติ, ยินยอม
- suppression: stopping an activity from happening, in this case, criminal activity - การปราบปราม
- temporary: for a limited time; not permanent - ชั่วคราว
- zoning (noun): when government controls how the land is used in different areas of a city or country, limiting some areas to homes, other areas to stores and yet other areas to factories - การแบ่งอาณาเขตของประเทศหรือเมืองหนึ่งๆ ออกเป็นเขตต่างๆ
