Thailand Nightlife Curfew Eases to Midnight-4am: Fun Returns to Phuket, Pattaya, Bangkok
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
PHUKET: Thailand's coup command announced this evening that the nationwide nightlife curfew will be be eased to midnight to 4am from Wednesday night.
The announcement means the 10pm-5am curfew will disappear after tonight, the fifth night of imposition. The curfew has been strongly criticised by tourism industry spokespeople from Phuket and other tourist destinations in Thailand.
The lifting of the curfew is a sign that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is starting to ease measures imposed after the coup was announced last Thursday.
Lifting the curfew will be greeted with glee in Phuket, Pattaya and other tourists destinations. There have been hints that some of the more remote destinations did not comply anyway.
The extension of the curfew to midnight will be welcomed in Bangkok, one of the world's most exciting cities after dark . . . until the coup.
So far the generals now in control of Thailand have proven to be astute in asserting control without bloodshed or being seen to be heavy-handed. Thailand has had so much practice at coups that the latest one seems to have applied all the lessons from the past.
Tourism, though, has been hard-hit because insurance becomes much harder to get for travellers with the generals in control.
The easing of the curfew by two hours is the most hopeful sign yet that the path back to democracy is being taken, if a little slowly and step by step.
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Comments
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Extending the curfew 2 hours means more tourists will die of unnatural causes,mainly on roadways, mainly while drunk. The 10 pm curfew saved a few lives already, not that they know who they are..
Posted by
farang888
on
May 27, 2014 21:12
Reading how the Junta reacted to Bangkok Post military affairs reporter Wassana Nanuam and her counterpart at Thai Rath asking "tough" questions I have to disagree with the conclusion about lessons learned from past coups.
Posted by
ThaiMike
on
May 27, 2014 22:40
Editor Comment:
What's probably confusing you is whether the reporters were called in to be criticised or to be asked for advice, ThaiMike. Both are happening now.
@farang888
I suggest you wrap yourself in cotton-wool , stay in your room and never go out. Quality of life over quantity of life.
Life kills everyone in the end.
Posted by
sir burr
on
May 27, 2014 22:40
Perfect for the happy people. Come at 12, leave at 4. Curfew no prob anymore.
Posted by
Lena
on
May 28, 2014 00:34
The question is whether Thailand is ready for a democracy. Even when everybody will calm down, the issues that divide people so deeply here won't be solved within 1 or 2 years...
Posted by
Jakub P.
on
May 28, 2014 09:35
not understand the curfew timing and nightlife open time, pls explain
Posted by
amit
on
May 28, 2014 09:42
Editor Comment:
Every visible business has to be closed before midnight tonight, amit. It's what they call the Cinderella Clause. People must be off the streets by the time the clock strikes 12. They can return to the streets with the monks doing their alms rounds at 4am. If you live at a restaurant, though, you can eat there around the clock as if nothing has changed.
Jakub P, many people will have differing answers to your question...here's mine. After 19 coups, 12 being successful(since 1932) and being under military rule for almost half that time, Thailand still has no managed "democracy." In order to have democracy the "people" need to know/understand what it is, what it entails and a government that works for the "people" not for themselves, so, is Thailand ready for democracy... maybe, is it "capable" of having a democracy, well that is a resounding "No!"
Posted by
Laurie Howells
on
May 28, 2014 11:01
So the new Curfew time from 12-4am would continue everyday or is it only for today. I heard the curfew is only until 28th May? and 29th May onwards its normal?
Posted by
Miman
on
May 28, 2014 11:06
Editor Comment:
The curfew will be in operation daily until further notice.
Do u think this curfew will ends by 2nd June? I am so excited for my 3rd trip to Phuket yet all this turns me down.
Posted by
San
on
May 28, 2014 11:57
Editor Comment:
Maybe. But most people enjoy life and also manage to be in bed before midnight anyway.
Hi I was planning to go to Phuket. I don't "go to bed" at midnight. Are there clubs that stays open from midnight to 4am? We can all be indoors to comply with the curfew, no?
Posted by
Long
on
May 28, 2014 13:13
Editor Comment:
I doubt that clubs of the kind you're seeking have ever been raided but you'd need specific local knowledge.
Could you please tell me if the television broadcast are still affected by the curfew. We would like to watch the world cup when we come over and the games will be televised around midnight and 2:00 am
Posted by
Denise Boden
on
May 28, 2014 14:45
Editor Comment:
I have a feeling the World Cup games will be watched as avidly in Thailand as everywhere else.
Hi Editor.. I realise that...I love coming to Phuket every couple of years to watch the World Cup and Euro Cup without having to worry about work, but there was to be no televised tv on during curfew..Is this over now ??? for the broadcast I mean :)
Posted by
Denise Boden
on
May 28, 2014 14:54
Editor Comment:
Some stations coming through the True Vision service have been blocked and are still blocked but it's not universal. With the curfew being eased, signs are that other restrictions should also be eased shortly.
@ sir burr, did you get another one under your saddle? That would be irritating. Two of my relatives work at Vachira, and they constantly ask me "why many farang come to hospital dead every day?" Any ideas on that sir burr?
Posted by
farang888
on
May 28, 2014 21:53
You have a good point sir burr; with the quantity of expats that die of unnatural causes in Thailand, is there a correlation to their quality? That more expats ( and Thais ) will die with the curfew lifted is just a symptom of the quantity/quality paradigm of which you allude to.
Posted by
farang888
on
May 28, 2014 22:07
farang888
Since your relatives work at the hospital they really should be able to tell why people arrive dead..It's usually (I would guess) quite obvious? Or are there a number of untouched looking westerners that arrive dead at the hospital without any apparent cause of death? THAT sounds like a sensational story!
Also, I call mega BS on your claim that there are "many" farang arriving dead at the hospital EVERY DAY..
Plus, aren't there any thai people dying at Vachira?
Posted by
christian
on
May 28, 2014 22:42
Coming to Thailand with members of my family 17th June intending to get night train to Ko Phangam for 10 days 3 days in Bangkok...do you think trains will be running normally by then ?
Posted by
Richard...UK
on
May 28, 2014 23:04
Editor Comment:
Sure. No reason why not.
Hello Editor! I & my friend will be coming to Pattaya on 11th june morning will the curfew end completely by that time? I come to Thailand every year to enjoy my holiday with a beautiful nightlife will I be enjoying this time too? or will I be disappointed this time?
Posted by
Rajat
on
May 29, 2014 00:58
Editor Comment:
Probably all over by then, Rajat.
To clarify Christian: for some reason - the Thai relatives frequently remind me of the sheer numbers of farangs that come to the hospital dead or injured, the latter usually without health insurance,"penniless" and bunging up the system. Then they sometimes say, "what wrong with all these farang?" That they exaggerate numbers is par for the course; its too high at any rate. Many times I am told the farang was riding a bicycle or motorbike prior to the fatality. BTW, the other one I get from them all the time is "why farang come to Thailand for lady?"
Posted by
farang888
on
May 29, 2014 01:55
when is pattaya nightlife time? every massage parlous are open
Posted by
sujoy
on
May 29, 2014 02:32
Editor Comment:
life is normal sujoy except you must be home before midnight.
An excellent cross-section of (Soi Bangla) society for the well-chosen picture:
Bless 'em all,Bless 'em all,
the short-legged ones and the tall...the latest new rookies may lose all their cookies, cheer up my lads bless 'em all!
Posted by
farang888
on
May 29, 2014 03:15
wowww...its great.I hope it will be totally free like before as soon as possible.
Posted by
FarshadRoza
on
May 29, 2014 04:16
farang888
Shouldn't you be able to answer the last question yourself?
Posted by
christian
on
May 30, 2014 10:21
any immigration problem? rules of Thailand tourist visa and when curfew stooped?
Posted by
sujoy
on
May 31, 2014 02:31
We r comng on 6th june by that will curfew of 12 to 4am will be over???
Posted by
Anonymous
on
June 1, 2014 22:22
Editor Comment:
No way of knowing, but life goes on with people going to bed early.
Coming to bkk on 7th June. Will the nightlife near Sukhumvit soi 3 and Patpong Market be safe?
What are the areas I should absolutely avoid at night.
Posted by
Sanchit
on
June 2, 2014 21:18
i want to visit Bangkok and pattaya in the last week of July. what is the curfew position now and in last week.
Posted by
siva
on
July 7, 2014 18:05
Editor Comment:
The curfew ended long ago but perhaps you should be in bed by 10pm anyway.
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Extending the curfew 2 hours means more tourists will die of unnatural causes,mainly on roadways, mainly while drunk. The 10 pm curfew saved a few lives already, not that they know who they are..
Posted by farang888 on May 27, 2014 21:12