The Tourism and Sports Ministry will seek cabinet approval for its proposal that would see night entertainment venues in selected areas allowed to operate beyond the 2am closing time in an effort to boost the tourism industry and local economies.
Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Tourism and Sports Minister, said if the cabinet gives the go-ahead, nightspots located in certain areas in nine provinces will be allowed to operate until 4am.
These locations include Khao San Road, Silom Road, Soi Cowboy, Soi Nana, and a short strip of Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok; Bangla Road in Phuket's Patong district, Koh Samui's Chaweng Beach, and Koh Phangan's Rin Beach in Surat Thani; Pattaya's Walking Street in Chon Buri; Khao Lak in Phangnga; Nimmanhemin Road in Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Sadao district in Songkhla; Ao Nang in Krabi, and Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan.
These locations are highly popular with foreign tourists and, as such, have a high potential to become special zones for night entertainment, he said.
If the cabinet gives the proposal the green light, nightspots on Bangla Road in Patong will be the first to be allowed to operate until 4 am to allow authorities to gauge the readiness of local operators and communities, said the minister.
Mr Phiphat urged critics of the proposal not to oppose the plan, saying allowing night entertainment venues to operate until 4am will boost business earnings by 25-30%.
The strongest criticisms came from anti-drink driving groups, who are concerned that the extended hours will lead to more alcohol being consumed and, therefore, more accidents.
"I don't mind people criticising me, and I apologise to those who are offended. But there are others who need a boost. I think zoning should help address drink-driving concerns," he said.
The proposal has been widely welcomed by nightspot operators, who believe it will significantly boost their earnings.
Supatra Chalapol, owner of Skyfall in Pattaya's Walking Street, said the extended hours would be a huge boost for tourism as New Year festivities are approaching.
She said the businesses are ready to cooperate with local officials to make the scheme work.
Lertsak Ponklin, chairman of the Phangnga tourism association, said the government must put in place measures to mitigate the impact of longer drinking hours for the sake of tourists' safety.
Ekkawit Pinyothammanothai, ex-president of Krabi's tourism industry council, stressed that strict measures against crime and drugs are needed, otherwise, the longer operating hours will only cause harm.
The venues that are allowed to stay open until 4am must have operating permits and have necessary safety equipment installed, he said.
According to Mr Ekkawit, some tourist spots like Koh Phi Phi and Railay Beach are natural tourist attractions, so pubs and bars there should not be allowed to stay open until 4am.
However, critics of the proposal believe these suggestions do not go far enough, saying the longer operating hours will drive up incidents of driving under the influence (DUI) and road accidents. With New Year celebrations less than a month away, the move will only encourage people to drink more, said Theera Watcharapranee, manager of Stop Drink Network, an NGO that promotes alcohol temperance.
The proposal does not only heighten the risk of alcohol-related accidents, but it also attracts more young people to try drinking [alcohol] for the first time, he said.
"Thailand's road safety records are already considered one of the worst in the world, and this proposal will only make it worse," he said, noting an individual under the influence of alcohol is 10-20 times more likely to get into a traffic accident.
It will also worsen the severity of road accidents, as at night, particularly after 10pm, drivers tend to go faster as the traffic is normally lighter, Mr Theera argued.
"Alcohol is found to be a factor in more than 50% of road accidents resulting in injuries and hospitalisation, while the rate of such accidents is normally 5 to 10 times higher after 10pm," he elaborated.
The campaigner urged the government to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of extending operating hours at night entertainment venues, saying the expected economic benefits of the proposal may not be worth the serious negative impact it poses on the general public's health and safety.
