Metropolitan Police headquarters is threatening disciplinary action against police who fail to exercise proper control over entertainment venues in areas under their jurisdiction.
The move was prompted by hundreds of complaints sent to the Prime Minister's Office, Royal Thai Police Office and police inspectors-general that many entertainment places were allowed to remain open beyond legal closing time and the noise emanating from them was affecting local residents' livelihoods and health.
Police spokesman Pol Maj-Gen Adul Narongsak said the problem would be tackled in three phases:
1. There would be a study of problems in various localities.
2. Analysis of the problems and zoning of entertainment places.
3. Improvements to safety measures and amendments of related laws in line with the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC).
In order to get as much information as possible on entertainment venues causing problems, the Metropolitan Police headquarters had on Jan 25 opened a PO Box 191 mailing address and a new email address, metropol1191@yahoo.com, to take complaints from the public.
On receiving complaints, police teams would be sent to find the source of the problems and take action to solve them immediately.
Officers in charge of police stations where entertainment places were allowed to continue to cause problems and who took no action would be subject to disciplinary proceedings, Pol Maj-Gen Adul said.
Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew, the national police chief, on Jan 22 issued an order regarding entertainment venues as follows:
1. The issuance of permits for the setting up of entertainment places should be limited, to control the number of such places.
2. Existing entertainment places which violate the law or conditions of the permit would have their operating licences suspended or revoked.
3. Legal action would be taken against entertainment places operating without a permit.