A CRACKDOWN on night venues on Phuket has resulted in the operators of 12 establishments facing court appearances and fines over breaches. Checks on Phuket are to continue until the end of February.

All 12 establishments facing fines so far are in Phuket City, however the drive to make operators conform to regulations is expected to cover all parts of Phuket over the next six weeks.

The Interior Ministry is using Phuket as the model for controls on restaurants, pubs, bars and karaoke clubs throughout Thailand's south, according to Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha.

Phuket City has been the target for checks between November 8-10, with more to come. Inspections are aimed at establishing:

..the premises have a permit to open;
..the premises abides by legal opening hours;
..the sale of alcohol takes place only at prescribed times;
..underage persons are not permitted to buy or consume alcohol;
..there are no guns, knives or other illegal weapons on the premises;
..no illegal drugs are consumed or sold on the premises.

The 12 establishments in Phuket City where managers or owners have been accused of breaches of the law are: Andaman Country, Sofa Pub, The Bread, Seedman Club, Talingchtron, M2, Takai, Cowboy, Gortormor, Tedlom, River Beer Garden and Fan Plang.

The premises have not been closed but managers and owners have been told that will become a possibility if there are future breaches.

Authorities particularly want to protect young people from drugs and sex shows, Governor Tri said.

The directors of each district are responsible for controlling entertainment premises. It was once possible for police to close establishments, but that power was retained by the Interior Ministry when the Royal Thai Police achieved independence under the government of Thaksin Shinawatra.

While police do not have the power to close any establishment, they retain the power to make arrests where breaches occur in other laws.