Staying out 2:00am-4:00am? Guess what you may have to do when you leave the venue . . .

[Gaybutton]

So where are we?!

For me it's a "who cares?" I don't know about anyone else, but between 2am and 4am you know where I am? I'm home in bed, sound asleep, hoping that at my age I still get to wake up in the morning . . .

[Jun]

They are saying that venues cannot sell booze to people who are considered drunk…in their words those who have already had 2 beers. No more for you!

Difficult to imagine that at your favourite bar

What do the politicians think people will do until 4:00 am ? Drink lemonade ?

Irrespective of what the halfwit politicians say, going to a bar will be exactly the same as it was last year. The only change might be closing time.

[Gaybutton]

What do the politicians think people will do until 4:00 am ? Drink lemonade ?

I think it is unreasonable for the politicians, or anyone else, to think the bars will all act responsibly. A responsible bar will cut off alcohol for someone obviously impaired from being drunk no matter what the hour.

But in Pattaya there are constant news articles about bars being raided for being open and serving beyond legal closing hours. Under-age customers. Drugs. These are the bars that are going to stop serving customers, enforce breathalyser tests, forcibly arrange alternate transportation for those who drove their own vehicles?

I think the bars should offer alternate transportation, but cannot be held responsible if the customer refuses it. And let's not forget language barriers.

Let's also not forget that not all bars are gay bars. Suppose an obviously drunk customer is in a bar in the middle of Pattaya's Walking Street. How would alternate transportation even work? Would taxis and motorbikes be allowed to go up and down Walking Street to pick up drunks? If not, would the bar staff be responsible for physically escorting the customer to wherever he can get a taxi? If it is a reluctant or violent customer, would the bar have to call the police to escort the customer to a taxi?

Powers-that-be - is anybody actually thinking this through?

How would the bars even know whether a customer drove his own vehicle, arrived by taxi, or simply walked from wherever he is staying? Are the bars to be held responsible if a customer lies and says he didn't drive?

In my opinion bars can only be responsible for cutting off obviously drunk customers. But just like most anything else, the customers should be responsible for their own actions.

As for 4am lemonade, I would think a customer who wants to remain in a bar beyond 2am or whatever the stop serving time will be, will simply order a bottle shortly before the cut off time or order several drinks and just nurse them until they leave, especially if the bar announces a last call.

However, if anyone truly expects all the bars to comply with a stop serving time, good luck with that one. And if a stop serving time is imposed and the bars comply, then what is the point of remaining open until 4am?

To me the only thing that makes any real sense is if the bars are allowed to remain open until 4am, then they should be allowed to serve liquor until closing time. Again, the customers are responsible for their own behavior and actions, not the bar.

Using my favorite of your words to describe my opinion of the rules, regulations, and expectations the powers-that-be are coming up with - DAFT!

[Gaybutton]

This is another one of those ideas that I believe hasn't properly been thought through. Sobering up areas? What if the number of customers who need to sober up exceeds the capacity of the area? What kind of area? What if the customer refuses?

How would it be possible to force reluctant customers to submit to the breathalyzer test? Who at the bar would be responsible to do the enforcing with reluctant customers? What if customers who refuse or fail the breathalyzer test say they walked to the bar or took a taxi?

I understand the intent, but trying to make the bars force breathalyzer tests on people is hardly the way to do it. Bar employees are not trained police officers. Are bar employees going to be expected to try to physically force the test? What if the customer gets violent about it?

I see no way to enforce this idea without all kinds of problems arising. In other words, in my opinion this idea is simply ridiculous.
_______________________________________________________________________________

Thai Authorities to Impose Sobering-Up Areas to Prevent Drunk Driving Amid 4AM Bar Closings

By Tanakorn Panyadee

11 December, 2023

Entertainment venues that are set to stay open until 4 AM in line with the Thai government’s policy have been ordered to set up sobering-up areas to prevent patrons from driving home drunk.

The announcement was made by the National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, on Saturday, December 9th.

Santi Promphat, deputy minister of public health, announced after the committee’s meeting that bars and nightclubs must strictly obey the rules and regulations when they are allowed to operate until 4 AM, starting on December 15th, to ensure patrons safety and minimize alcohol-related incidents.

Entertainment venues in legal zones in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Bangkok and Surat Thani (only on Koh Samui) will be given this privilege, which also applies to hotels nationwide.

Santi stressed that operators are to specifically follow the Entertainment Place Act and Section 29 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which prevent nighttime venues from selling alcoholic beverages to people under 20 years old.

He went on to say that venue operators will be required to conduct breathalyzer tests on patrons. If customers’ alcohol level is above the legal limit of 50 milligrams per deciliter, they will need to rest at the areas provided by the venues until they are sober enough to drive home.

In the event that a customer refuses to rest and has a breath alcohol level exceeding the legal limit, the bar operators must contact the customer’s friends or relatives or hail public transport to arrange for their transportation at the customer’s expense.

Relevant agencies will collect data to assess the impact of extended operating hours.

TPN Media notes it is unclear how this plan is expected to be enforced and many entertainment venue business owners have already brought up many issues, including logistical, with breathalyzing every customer leaving a venue as well as to who would be responsible for paying for the equipment and what to do if a customer refuses the test.

https://thepattayanews.com/2023/12/11/t ... -closings/

[Dodger]

More genius proposals...gotta luv it!

You can now buy pot on any street corner in Pattaya - but if your get caught with pot in your possession that exceeds 0.2% THC (which all pot does) you could get arrested, or more realistically, end up contributing to the BIB's tea money express.

You can now enjoy drinking at the bars until 4:00 AM - but if you get caught drinking more than 2 beers (which every patron does) you could get arrested, or more realistically, end up contributing to the BIB's tea money express.

The way these things are unfolding the only ones with cause for celebration are the BIB.

I wonder if they'll put similar limits on "Prostitution" once it's legalized? I can see the headlines now:

PROSTITUION IS NOW LEGAL

"It is now legal to engage the services of a Prostitute (boy or girl), although there is a limit of one prostitute per customer per night - and you must show proof that a condom was used for public safety. Those failing to produce a condom when requested by the BIB could face a stiff penalty (meant literally)". All Prostitutes must be over the age of 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

[Gaybutton]

"It is now legal to engage the services of a Prostitute (boy or girl), although there is a limit of one prostitute per customer per night - and you must show proof that a condom was used for public safety. Those failing to produce a condom when requested by the BIB could face a stiff penalty (meant literally)". All Prostitutes must be over the age of 18 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.

I won't be surprised if that is exactly what happens . . .

I don't know if it is still done this way in Amsterdam, where prostitution is legal - the last time I was there was in 1987, but the prostitutes would all be located in the same area as I recall, sitting at the windows of their little cubicles, while potential customers stroll by deciding which one they like. If the prostitute had a customer, the window curtain would be closed and the red light over the cubicle would be turned off.

If and when prostitution becomes legal in Thailand, something like that would be much better than streetwalkers, although I won't be holding my breath for Thailand to do it that way. I wondered how much the prostitutes would pay to rent those cubicles and who really owned them.

[gerefan]

Returning to the breathalyser.

The clue is in the headline in the local rag.

“Thai Authorities to Impose Sobering-Up Areas to Prevent Drunk Driving Amid 4AM Bar Closings”

I would argue that if I am not driving then I am not required to do a test. It is clearly aimed to prevent drink driving.

I’m either going to walk or use public transport.

Otherwise it’s ridiculous. The larger bars in places like Walking Street have literally hundreds of customers each. Are they seriously suggesting every one should be tested even if they are not driving?

Most if not all in Walking Street have to walk anyway…there is nowhere to park…even if they have a car…which most tourists don’t!

Anyway I’m not worrying. It’s will be like the Covid tests that were required before entering a bar. Each bar had them but never ever insisted a customer took a test.

TIT.