Pattaya —
The Pattaya mayor was open to backing business operators’ proposals to sell alcohol from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in hotels as well as to extend legal opening hours to 4 a.m. to cope with tourists’ behavior.
Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches reacted to the Pattaya business operators who recently met with Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn to propose allowing hotels to sell alcohol from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and extending the legal opening hours to 4 a.m. in response to the tourists’ behavior.
The mayor said: “I fully support the two ideas. Pattaya is a world-class destination for tourism. Most venues are back to business now, and they are eager to service customers til 4 a.m. I am willing to let Pattaya pioneer the two policies.”
However, as both times are currently law, the law will need to be changed to allow the proposal and some groups, notably religious and anti-alcohol organizations, have opposed any easing of the laws.
More meetings at a national level to discuss the proposal are expected late this month or early next.
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