From today, nightlife venues in certain parts of Thailand can remain open until 4am. Bars and clubs in designated areas of Phuket, Bangkok, Chon Buri (Pattaya), Chiang Mai and Koh Samui, can get a two-hour extension to their operating time.
In Bangkok, the designated zones are along Ratchadaphisek, Silom and Phetchaburi roads, but do not include the so-called “backpacker mecca” of Khao San Road (or Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza). The president of the Khao San Road Business Association is calling for this to be changed.
Sanga Ruangwattanakul claims foreign tourists are confused, as they assume the new 4am closing applies to venues on the popular thoroughfare.
However, as with all areas outside the designated zones, Khao San venues that want to remain open until 4am are required to hold an entertainment venue licence or be located inside hotels. Sanga says there are only five such licenced operators on Khao San Road.
Khao San nightlife operators are appealing to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to include Khao San road in the 4am zones.
Sanga adds that 99% of tourism operators on the road have recovered post-pandemic. The 1% that hasn’t is mainly small hostels that relied primarily on Chinese tourists, who have not returned in the same numbers.
He adds that for travellers from European countries, things are back to normal, and visitors from Scandinavia and places like the UK, Germany and France, have helped push this month’s hotel occupancy to 70 – 80%, compared to 50 – 60% in recent months.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
