Jomtien Complex Raided

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catawampuscat
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Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by catawampuscat »

This past weekend saw the restaurant/bars start serving alcohol on Saturday and last night several boy beer boys reopened selling
alcoholic beverages. Joining @ Home bar/restaurant, Sun boy bar reopened last night and was packed with farangs. Noticeable
were 4 or 5 handicapped motorized vehicles as well as large numbers of customers. Cockatoo bar was also open for
business. Restaurants were busy as well. Several of the boy bars were still closed.
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Gaybutton
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Re: Jomtien Complex some boy bars Open.

Post by Gaybutton »

catawampuscat wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 2:57 pm This past weekend saw the restaurant/bars start serving alcohol
I hope this is a solid beginning to Pattaya making a comeback. I hope things continue to get better. If there is enough continuous customer support perhaps Pattaya can bounce back much quicker than I thought.
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Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by SP55 »

Last night the police raided Jomtien complex and closed down several bars.
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Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Gaybutton »

SP55 wrote: Sat Dec 11, 2021 9:41 pm Last night the police raided Jomtien complex and closed down several bars.
Unfortunately I can personally confirm that.

For details see the following topic on the Gay Guides board:
https://www.gayguides.com/forums/topic/ ... ed-closed/
_________________________________________________

Police ban the appetite for booze in Jomtien’s gay street

By Barry Kenyon

December 11, 2021

A police raid at the Jomtien Complex, sometimes known as Super Town, has effectively closed the open-street gay bars just one week after they had reopened. It had been widely assumed that the bars were in the clear serving alcohol provided that they had obtained the SHA (Safety & Health Administration) certificate issued by government bodies.

However, Pattaya police and officials from the Department of Provincial Administration, which issues licenses, pointed out that the SHA certificate covers many types of businesses including restaurants, accommodation, travel agencies, health spas, souvenir shops etc. The SHA is not in itself a go-ahead to serve booze. The other requirement is that the business is licensed to serve food and – crucially – has eating as its main income earner.

Bars which serve booze as the mainstay, but offer food to customers as a sideline, are not deemed to be eligible under the Chonburi governor’s provincial edict of December 4 which specifies “restaurants”. They must also have the SHA certificate which requires a vaccinated staff, satisfactory sanitation and high-level public services. The popular Yupin’s restaurant in the Complex is an example of a fully-qualified business which can legally serve beer, wine and spirits to dining customers.

Police captain Tanakit said that the bars in question were really posing as eateries to justify selling alcohol, but this was not the purpose of the provincial edict which was designed to limit the spread of Covid. If bars wished to operate, they must offer food and soft drinks only and should close by 9 pm. Making a commercial profit on this basis is a no-no, although one Complex bar has been open for coffee and cakes for several weeks already.

Properly licensed restaurants with SHA certification can serve alcohol from 11 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 11 pm under the provincial decree. Police added that they had received reports in the last few days that parties had been held in the offending bars until well past midnight with minimal attention paid to social distancing and mask wearing. No bar owners, staff or customers were arrested during the initial raid, but warnings were issued in clear language.

The Jomtien Complex, prior to the pandemic, was the center of Pattaya’s once-famed gay scene with competitors Boyztown and Sunee Plaza already well past their prime. Police later told reporters that they were not specifically targeting gay venues, pointing out that their raids until now had been on non-gay establishments operating illegally. But bar workers in the Complex commented that a merry Christmas 2021 now seems out of the question.

Government spokesmen have said that the intention is to allow night life to operate normally from mid January. But this depends on the success of the national vaccination program, the level of Covid infections and, in particular, the behavior of the Omicron virus variant. Meanwhile, Pattaya’s well-known nighteries such as Walking Street and Sexy Soi 6 remain mostly shuttered. Shaking off the resort’s ghost town image is proving very difficult indeed.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... eet-382600
Pattayamale
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Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Pattayamale »

It has been a while since I posted. But this closing of Jomtien is bothersome to me because it occurs at the same time as the music festival on the beach in Pattaya.
I walked by the music festival and saw that it was very crowded. People standing shoulder to shoulder. No masks on many and people drinking alcohol. It didn't bother me. I was happy to see the people were having a good time and I felt that this is a good sign for the city of Pattaya.
Last night on my way home from a friend's house in Jomtien, as I was riding my motorbike on 3rd Road towards my house, I noticed that many of the old Thai bars we're doing a great business. They were filled with young Thais, drinking dancing to the very loud music, having a great time. I believe I drove by at least seven Thai bars that had previously been closed on my way home.
And of course as every night I would see at least one if not more police trucks on the street with their lights blaring. Who knows where they were going but I see them going somewhere all the time with their lights flashing.

There was no way that they could have missed all of those Thai bars that were open for the younger Thais having a great time. I am very happy that they did not close them and that people could enjoy themselves after all we have been through.

When I read where one of those in authority said that the closing of most of Jomtien Complex had nothing to do with the fact that this was a gay part of Pattaya, I believe that actually that was coded meaning that it was because it is a gay crowd. If not, why say it?
Of course there is nothing we can do. It is unfortunate to see the great change in Pattaya that many of us moved here for or came as tourists to enjoy the special life that we used to enjoy in Pattaya.
This is just my personal view.
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Jun

Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Jun »

There are bars open and busy in various parts of town. Including a busy disco bar within earshot of the police station in Central Pattaya.
Law enforcement does not seem to be consistent
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Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Gaybutton »

I have heard, but not personally confirmed, that the Jomtien Complex bars that had been shut down by the raid have now reopened. I don't know what the circumstances behind that are. I imagine they are selling only soft drinks.

If anyone happens to be there and can provide information, please post.
Jun

Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Tue Dec 14, 2021 8:18 pm I imagine they are selling only soft drinks.
I shall investigate. Since the bars open all over Central Pattaya are selling alcohol, I'd hope the Jomtien bars get the same "settlement".
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Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Gaybutton »

Jun wrote: Wed Dec 15, 2021 3:00 pm I shall investigate. Since the bars open all over Central Pattaya are selling alcohol, I'd hope the Jomtien bars get the same "settlement".
I don't even know anymore if they are acting within the rules, in defiance of the rules, or the rules are only being selectively enforced (and if that's the case, who is doing the selecting and why?).
Jun

Re: Jomtien Complex Raided

Post by Jun »

Gaybutton wrote: Wed Dec 15, 2021 4:00 pm or the rules are only being selectively enforced (and if that's the case, who is doing the selecting and why?).
Recent conversations with bar staff and owners usually mention that the policing is all about money. So I suspect that is the main selection criteria.
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