The Hatyai Songkhla Hotels Association is urging local authorities to approve a night entertainment strip in Ban Dan Nok, Sadao district of Songkhla, which borders Malaysia, to boost the local economy and attract more visitors from the neighbouring country.
Association president Sitthiphong Sitthiphatprapha said Ban Dan Nok has been left out of the province's policy to promote the area for tourism, although many tourists from Malaysia crossed into Ban Dan Nok.
The association wants local authorities, especially the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC), to promote the area.
"We want to have a designated zone about two kilometres long for night entertainment venues where pubs and restaurants can stay open until 4am," said Mr Sitthiphong. "The bordering area is a suitable zone because there are no schools, hospitals or residential communities within this 2km area on Kanchanawanit Road, starting from the border checkpoint."
The longer hours of operation will benefit local businesses and will attract more tourists from Malaysia, he said, adding the average spending per Malaysian tourist is about 5,000 baht a day. The association also cited a study that every hour that nightspots can extend their operation, about 100,000 baht per hour is generated. He said if restaurants and pubs can open until 4am, locals will earn another 400,000 baht more a day.
Mr Sitthiphong said the Hatyai Songkhla Hotels Association had discussed the matter with the SBPAC, which said it would try out the idea in Hat Yai district of Songkhla first.
"The endorsement of nightspots should be implemented in both Dan Nok and Hat Yai, not Hat Yai first," said Mr Sitthiphong. "If implementation in Hat Yai does not succeed, it will affect the plan to promote night entertainment venues in Dan Nok."
He is confident that if zoning is implemented in Ban Dan Nok before being implemented in Hat Yai, the chances of success are high.
A hotelier in Hat Yai said local businesses have benefited from visitors arriving from Malaysia, especially during Malaysian elections, as they tend to stay a while and can visit several towns.
Many Malaysians crossed from Dan Nok in groups to travel to Hat Yai and other parts of Songkhla. Local entrepreneurs said restaurants, hotels and bars were fully booked during the period.