All the more reason for the 'rule makers' to stop bringing in stupid alcohol bans, and for the supposed rule/law enforcers to perhaps prosecute people who kill other people - whatever the motive.
A litttle bit of law an order wouldn't go amiss here. Otherwise (as Richard says) Cambodia and Vietnam are going to clean up on not only the tourist numbers, but also possibly ex.pats looking for a hassle-free, and relatively comfortable place to retire to.
VS
Let the fun begin
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Vital Spark
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margaretcarnes
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Let the fun begin
This alcohol 'ban' over election times has gone on for yonks. Yes it upsets tourists who are not forewarned because a) they wouldn't book in the first place or b) travel agents don't have the faintest idea what goes on in LOS anyway and don't give a flying you know as long as they get their fee.
Bar owners were, and probably still are, always called to meetings at the police station before these closures. In most cases the mama san or cashier will go to the meeting, and fail to convey the regulations to the farang owner.
In rare cases where the farang holds the licence they will be summoned to the meeting, and sit there like a dumbo while the cops rabbit on in Thai. I know. I was that dumbo.
At the end of the day its a small loss to bar trade overall and a good opportunity for bar keeps to have a night off. If tourists have a real problem with it they aren't suited to LOS longer term.
Bar owners were, and probably still are, always called to meetings at the police station before these closures. In most cases the mama san or cashier will go to the meeting, and fail to convey the regulations to the farang owner.
In rare cases where the farang holds the licence they will be summoned to the meeting, and sit there like a dumbo while the cops rabbit on in Thai. I know. I was that dumbo.
At the end of the day its a small loss to bar trade overall and a good opportunity for bar keeps to have a night off. If tourists have a real problem with it they aren't suited to LOS longer term.
Well, I just returned from my local shop and had absolutely no problem buying some beer. Then again, the owner probably dosn't know anything about the elections anyway. (Think there was a news thread recently that said some 60% (?) of those questioned didn't know elections were on).
Bars will be a different matter though. For the general election, the same shop served my wife on the first day, but forewarned that there would be no way on the second.
Bars will be a different matter though. For the general election, the same shop served my wife on the first day, but forewarned that there would be no way on the second.
Was in a little bar on soi 80 last night, it was like a scene from WWII France, shutters down, gossip about the beer Gestapo from the Resistance, rumours of big fines in town, beer in coffee mugs ...
Only in Hua Hin where the poor excuse for a police force can extort money from people trying to run a business, the rest of Thailand just gets pissed as usual as they dont really care about politics anyway.
Only in Hua Hin where the poor excuse for a police force can extort money from people trying to run a business, the rest of Thailand just gets pissed as usual as they dont really care about politics anyway.
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson
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KelpieKiss
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Weird, the bars get official letters for Buddha days and the genuine one day elections but not for these two day affairs that were first imposed on us for the pre election votes last December.sandman67 wrote:seems they havent issued police notices about the weekend yet..... a guy buzzed past last night and said the bars were supposed to close but none of the bar owners I asked had received official written notification
so who knows.....
Also the missus gets an official letter to attend next Sunday's election but nothing at all in the post about this weekends affair.
Makes you wonder just who is pulling the strings. We know the police are not too fond of the bars but many of the them are owned by policenen so it is difficult to believe that they would impose these
closures on their colleagues.
The only people who can gain is the hotels, with tourists reurning home early for a drink because the bars are closed, or the restaurants who are openly seving drinks to one and all. It's a certainty that someone somewhere is getting a big back hander to allow the closures to occur.
My regular beach bar in Takieb had no problems. Went there on Thursday and asked if it was okay to have a beer, "Of course you can, you're not Budhist". Many farangs there enjoying the night.
Friday night I was there with my family for dinner. Over 30 farangs in the place drinking beer etc. Thai owner says, "No problem. You can't vote". Followed the same pattern on Saturday and Sunday.
Sensible interpretation of the law.
Friday night I was there with my family for dinner. Over 30 farangs in the place drinking beer etc. Thai owner says, "No problem. You can't vote". Followed the same pattern on Saturday and Sunday.
Sensible interpretation of the law.