Pattaya police chief tells entertainment venue owners: Closure time is 11:00 PM, stop pushing it

Pattaya-

The Pattaya City Police Chief spoke with The Pattaya News this morning and wanted to deliver a firm message to entertainment business owners in Pattaya-Close at the current legal time or face the music.

This follows a holiday weekend in which some local nightclubs and bars allegedly violated the currently mandated 11:00 P.M. closure time set by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) for “orange” zones, which is what Chonburi is currently coded as. Viral footage of what appeared to be a packed local nightclub with no social distancing or mask-wearing was shown on multiple Thai media outlets over the weekend.

This footage in turn caused police to crack down hard, especially yesterday, Valentine’s Day, closing many venues even slightly before 11:00 P.M., sending hundreds of confused party-goers into the street.

Col. Pisit Poonsap, the Pattaya Police Chief, said that he understood how difficult times were for the hospitality industry and that in “normal times” in Pattaya, due to being a special administrative zone, the nightlife industry is open legally until the wee hours of the morning. However, under the current emergency decree rules to control Covid-19, these “exceptions” for Pattaya are not in place and the city’s entertainment venues must be closed at the time set by the CCSA.

That is currently 11:00 P.M. If Chonburi becomes a yellow zone, which the CCSA has not yet announced a firm date on reviewing zone status levels, that would become Midnight. Previously, depending on the part of town, venues were open hours later as Pattaya has always been known for its nightlife. Many venues have not reopened due to the early closing time, stating it is impossible to make a profit with such an early closing.

Pisit added that he wanted people to comply with the rules because the faster everyone does the faster they can be lifted for everyone. He also stated that “nobody” is exempt from the closing times, no matter how big or popular.

Pisit concluded by saying that police would be patrolling the most popular areas nightly at the legal closing time, ensuring the rules were followed. They are giving “soft warnings” to first-time violators, but if people continue to break the rules they face stiff fines and potential jail time.