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Curfews and 'fun zones' take bang out of Bangkok
By Jan McGirk in Bangkok
15 February 2004
Early closing hours and stringent zoning regulations are taking the bang out of Bangkok.
Legislators, who have already dented Thailand's reputation as the nocturnal party animal of Asia by requiring all bars in the kingdom to close at 2am, have ruled that from next month businesses must be shuttered at midnight, except in designated fun zones. The owners of massage parlours, discos, karaoke halls, hostess bars and restaurants are howling that one night in Bangkok cannot be very memorable - or profitable - if it has to end at midnight.
The clampdown on after-hours clubs may be followed by a strict curfew for teenagers nationwide. Without a parent chaperone in tow, anyone under 18 must keep off the streets between 10pm and 4am. Visitors to entertainment venues must carry proof of identity or face fines up to the equivalent of £45. Anyone under 20 years old is supposed to be turned away.
Unsuprisingly, fake IDs are readily available, and red-light districts have recently attracted motorcycle gangs from rival schools. Clashes have resulted in murders, kidnappings and gang rapes. In an effort to curb crime, Thailand's government is reviving the Youth Protection Act, which has languished on the books since a military government passed it in 1972. A list of 16 "inappropriate behaviours" to be avoided by students is circulating. These include gambling, visiting brothels, carrying weapons and damaging property. Fair enough - but the blacklist also bans sex between consenting teenage partners, dyeing hair, skiving off class and using rude gestures, as well as going out in public after 10pm.
But there is a growing backlash against the "family values" promoted by the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who wants to impose the work ethic of stodgy Singapore on freewheeling Thailand. Last night, tens of thousands of defiant adolescent couples were intent on dancing till dawn with their Valentines. Multi-level discos off the Sukhumvit Road, such as X-Club and Q-Bar, were heaving with hormones.
In Thailand, Valentine's Day is an imported holiday that involves more than sending teddy bears or roses. Recent surveys revealed that 17 per cent of Thai schoolgirls choose to surrender their virginity on 14 February as the ideal token of love. Last night, police were put on alert to prevent "Valentine gang rapes", and pairs of cops were sent to motels, public parks, vacant lots, empty buildings and supposedly haunted houses on love patrol.
One factor that might temper the law-makers is the impact on tourism. At least 600,000 Britons visit Thailand each year. Under the new regulations, the entire resort island of Phuket will be deemed a "designated area", open until 2am. But until the government started regulating opening hours, many bars did not even open their doors until midnight. In Bangkok, 1,000 masseuses came out in broad daylight to protest against the government's prescribed fun zones in the capital. They demanded that far more space be allotted to entertainment venues.
"I believe we close earlier than any other city in Asia," said Chuwit Kamolvisit, a massage parlour tycoon who is running for mayor of Bangkok.
15 February 2004 14:15
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By Jan McGirk in Bangkok
15 February 2004
Early closing hours and stringent zoning regulations are taking the bang out of Bangkok.
Legislators, who have already dented Thailand's reputation as the nocturnal party animal of Asia by requiring all bars in the kingdom to close at 2am, have ruled that from next month businesses must be shuttered at midnight, except in designated fun zones. The owners of massage parlours, discos, karaoke halls, hostess bars and restaurants are howling that one night in Bangkok cannot be very memorable - or profitable - if it has to end at midnight.
The clampdown on after-hours clubs may be followed by a strict curfew for teenagers nationwide. Without a parent chaperone in tow, anyone under 18 must keep off the streets between 10pm and 4am. Visitors to entertainment venues must carry proof of identity or face fines up to the equivalent of £45. Anyone under 20 years old is supposed to be turned away.
Unsuprisingly, fake IDs are readily available, and red-light districts have recently attracted motorcycle gangs from rival schools. Clashes have resulted in murders, kidnappings and gang rapes. In an effort to curb crime, Thailand's government is reviving the Youth Protection Act, which has languished on the books since a military government passed it in 1972. A list of 16 "inappropriate behaviours" to be avoided by students is circulating. These include gambling, visiting brothels, carrying weapons and damaging property. Fair enough - but the blacklist also bans sex between consenting teenage partners, dyeing hair, skiving off class and using rude gestures, as well as going out in public after 10pm.
But there is a growing backlash against the "family values" promoted by the Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who wants to impose the work ethic of stodgy Singapore on freewheeling Thailand. Last night, tens of thousands of defiant adolescent couples were intent on dancing till dawn with their Valentines. Multi-level discos off the Sukhumvit Road, such as X-Club and Q-Bar, were heaving with hormones.
In Thailand, Valentine's Day is an imported holiday that involves more than sending teddy bears or roses. Recent surveys revealed that 17 per cent of Thai schoolgirls choose to surrender their virginity on 14 February as the ideal token of love. Last night, police were put on alert to prevent "Valentine gang rapes", and pairs of cops were sent to motels, public parks, vacant lots, empty buildings and supposedly haunted houses on love patrol.
One factor that might temper the law-makers is the impact on tourism. At least 600,000 Britons visit Thailand each year. Under the new regulations, the entire resort island of Phuket will be deemed a "designated area", open until 2am. But until the government started regulating opening hours, many bars did not even open their doors until midnight. In Bangkok, 1,000 masseuses came out in broad daylight to protest against the government's prescribed fun zones in the capital. They demanded that far more space be allotted to entertainment venues.
"I believe we close earlier than any other city in Asia," said Chuwit Kamolvisit, a massage parlour tycoon who is running for mayor of Bangkok.
15 February 2004 14:15
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