The Pattaya Business & Tourism Association has objected to a proposal to create a new entertainment zone in Jomtien Beach, insisting instead that bars there be better controlled and closed at legal times.
The group at its Sept. 9 meeting at the Grand Sole Hotel in Pattaya called on Banglamung District Chief Chakorn Kanjawattana to kill the plan proposed by Praphan Prathumchumpu, Assistant District Chief Officer of the Security Affairs Group, to make a stretch of Jomtien encompassing the Hanuman curve, Rompho Market and Jomtien Beach Road sois 1-6 a bar zone.
Praphan Prathumchumpu, Assistant District Chief Officer of the Security Affairs Group, proposes creating an entertainment zone in Jomtien to allow bars and entertainment zones to stay open later. The PBTA turned down the proposal.
The proposal was made at the request of bar owners in those areas who want to stay open later. Currently, bars in Jomtien legally are required to close at midnight. A formal entertainment zone would allow pubs and clubs to remain open until 2 a.m.
PBTA board member Komkrit Prasertnarith said an entertainment zone would only benefit the small number of business owners in that area. At the same time, however, it will lead to more complaints from residents due to noise and other disturbances.
He said what should happen is that police and district authorities should take stronger control of the area, cracking down on restaurants and bars staying open until the wee hours of the morning, including pop-up bars serving underaged youths.
Chakorn said he agreed with the association that a new entertainment zone was not needed.
He added it is necessary to remind bar owners that they are required to close by midnight and that the penalties for staying open later or serving those under 20 years old can be harsh.
The district recently has closed down several late-night bars, banning them from operating for up to five years. While Chakorn said the five-year ban is not mandatory, other clubs have been closed for several months or a year.
He noted that Thailand’s military government has made it easier to take action against illegally run bars, in part by ending the common practice of reopening a closed establishment at the same location under a different name.
