PHUKET: Nightclub owner and Phuket businessman Prab Keesin called tonight for a sensible approach to problems in Patong that could be fixed by extending hours rather than a three-day strike by venue owners.
''We should have an agreement with officials to open an extra hour until 3am to try to make money,'' Khun Prab, son of the late Mayor Pian Keesin, told Phuketwan.
Earlier today, venue owners who preferred to remain anonymous called for nightspots and bars to close on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in protest at demands for extra corrupt payments from a government organisation that wasn't among the 14 or so already accepting graft in Patong.
''We still have corruption but it's not getting worse than before,'' said Khun Prab, who understands that corrupt payments have a long tradition in the west coast holiday town.
Phuket's tourists are the ones who always pay for the corruption, but of late numbers for nightlife venues are falling so the idea of paying more graft does not appeal to venue owners.
''Closing venues is no help,'' Khun Prab said tonight. ''Bars should open and do business as normal.
''But we need to stay open until 3am, not 2am, to try to keep more people in work and make more money to cover costs. The extra one hour would help a lot.''
Khun Prab said venue owners in Patong accepted that the safety and security of tourists was a priority.
''But we also hope that officials understand that many people who come to Patong want to enjoy the nightlife,'' he said. ''It's not sensible when people have to pay staff to close down venues in a protest.''
A strike by the bars would have coincided with the first three days of the Asian Beach Games.
''We should have an agreement with officials to open an extra hour until 3am to try to make money,'' Khun Prab, son of the late Mayor Pian Keesin, told Phuketwan.
Earlier today, venue owners who preferred to remain anonymous called for nightspots and bars to close on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in protest at demands for extra corrupt payments from a government organisation that wasn't among the 14 or so already accepting graft in Patong.
''We still have corruption but it's not getting worse than before,'' said Khun Prab, who understands that corrupt payments have a long tradition in the west coast holiday town.
Phuket's tourists are the ones who always pay for the corruption, but of late numbers for nightlife venues are falling so the idea of paying more graft does not appeal to venue owners.
''Closing venues is no help,'' Khun Prab said tonight. ''Bars should open and do business as normal.
''But we need to stay open until 3am, not 2am, to try to keep more people in work and make more money to cover costs. The extra one hour would help a lot.''
Khun Prab said venue owners in Patong accepted that the safety and security of tourists was a priority.
''But we also hope that officials understand that many people who come to Patong want to enjoy the nightlife,'' he said. ''It's not sensible when people have to pay staff to close down venues in a protest.''
A strike by the bars would have coincided with the first three days of the Asian Beach Games.
All Belly-Dancers will have to rest during the three-day strike by venue owners.
Posted by Whistle-Blower on November 10, 2014 23:01