Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the government would review the opening hours of the entertainment venues in a bid to boost tourism and the local economy.
Mr Srettha said the government was considering the options to extend the opening hours for pubs and bars to welcome more tourists. He pointed out that despite having several advantages, the country is still below par in the promotion of tourist attractions and the organization of world-class events.
Mr Srettha mentions about the law amendments to extend the operating hours of the entertainment venues. However, he acknowledges that opening 24 hours a day is not the answer as it can cause social and security problems.
Therefore, it was needed to reconsider if the current closing hour of 1am is enough to make Thailand competitive compared to other cities in order to become the tourism hub of the region.
Mr Srettha said that the idea whether the closing time of the entertainment venues should be extended will be considered and it should be carried out along with improving the taxation system in a bid to make Thailand better.
The premier said he wanted the pros and cons to be raised and the involved parties should have candid talks and recommend constructively.
Meanwhile, the entertainment business operator reacts with optimism. Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of Khaosan Business Association, said the proposal to extend the closing time for nightspots would be positive for the economy and tourism particularly the international tourists who are returning to the country.
He proposed the addition option that the government should make the events held for festivals permanent events and held annually to create the identity and reminder which can help attract more tourists.
Mr Sanga said he personally believed that the most suitable operating hours of the nightspots, which evaluate from the habits of the night owls, is the opening until 4am.
There are some people are worrying that the longer operating hours will make the drink driving problem getting worse. Mr Sanga says he believed that the problem was not depended on the operating hours as the few hours longer will not have any strong impact. He said it depended on the discipline and responsibility of each person.
As for the public opinion, particularly the people who live near the entertainment venues in Pattaya, mostly believe that the longer operating hours will help stimulate the economy. However, some people are worried about the loud noise and fighting of the drunken revelers. They would like the agencies concerned to plan the response measures. They believe that open until 3-4am is acceptable.
Thanawat Polvichai, rector at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the longer hours will benefit the economy as the tourism business would be bustled and more employments. The negative issues were the crime but he believed that the authorities can handle them. (TNA)
