Looks Like The ( Late Night ) Life Has Been Sucked Out Of CM

[ggt]

Try Jomtien Soi 6...when late night revelers gets the life sucked out of them...they often come back for more...

[PostmanPat]

Welcome to Pattaya if you want some late night action

If you read the thread from the start, you will see that this issue isnt about "Late night action " nudge nudge wink wink......Its about the fact that in a supposedly civilised environment, people, be they residents, tourists or whatever should surely be entitled to a quiet drink within reason even if it strays past midnight, without being rousted out and made to feel guilty by police and military!

You can have a sophisticated late night drink in London, New York, Paris, Sydney and so many other places. Thailand is not Talibanland, why are we now being made to feel guilty for simply wanting to enjoy a normal life !!

[anto]

>>Pat...another poster stated Number 1 is now Ladyboy City....so you're not missing much. <<...only one very butch looking LB in Number one bar ,that i know of .All the rest of the floor staff are 100%female ;-)

[LarryBird]

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Welcome to Pattaya if you want some late night action

If you read the thread from the start, you will see that this issue isnt about "Late night action " nudge nudge wink wink......Its about the fact that in a supposedly civilised environment, people, be they residents, tourists or whatever should surely be entitled to a quiet drink within reason even if it strays past midnight, without being rousted out and made to feel guilty by police and military!

You can have a sophisticated late night drink in London, New York, Paris, Sydney and so many other places. Thailand is not Talibanland, why are we now being made to feel guilty for simply wanting to enjoy a normal life !!

For most of my life in the UK, pubs closed at 11pm and night-clubs, that were hard to get a membership for, closed at 1am and no-one thought anything about it, or considered it uncivilised. You could of course say that this is 2015 and not 1975, but in many respects modern-day Thailand can be compared to 60s-70s in the West, especially in the provinces.

Whist I agree that you should be able to have a quiet drink late at night, and I sometimes do, I think it is a bit over-the-top to be comparing it with Taliban tactics and the like, as some people have. You also have to bear in mind that there is an alcohol problem in Thailand, it is an issue that needs sorting out, and like most countries in the world the solution is often the equivalent of using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.

Although Chiang Mai is a tourist town I don't think anyone here wants it being compared to Phuket, Bangkok or Pattaya, and possibly the majority of local people would prefer a quieter nightlife. In the last year or two I've spent a night in most small cities between here and Bangkok and often been amazed as to how early some places shut up. In Uthai Thani we turned up at more or less the only restaurant still open at 8.30pm and were told to order our food quick, as the kitchen was closing at 9pm. We were probably regarded as being dirty stop-outs for arriving back at the hotel at 10.30pm! The same could be said of most of the small provincial capitals. If you bear in mind that government officials and police get shunted from town to town there must be plenty of people in positions of power here that think that way. As for the Army - early to bed, early to rise is their motto, and they are the guys in power.

By the way, for those of you thinking that this will kill tourism in Chiang Mai and feel obliged to mention the goose with the golden-egg, I've been hearing that little nugget for 20 years and the numbers keep going up. You have to bear in mind that the majority of tourists here are here for 2-3 days, come here to see the elephants, visit the temples etc and start their day at 8am, and are tucked up in their hotel by 11pm.

[Chicog]

Welcome to Pattaya if you want some late night action

If you read the thread from the start, you will see that this issue isnt about "Late night action " nudge nudge wink wink......Its about the fact that in a supposedly civilised environment, people, be they residents, tourists or whatever should surely be entitled to a quiet drink within reason even if it strays past midnight, without being rousted out and made to feel guilty by police and military!

You can have a sophisticated late night drink in London, New York, Paris, Sydney and so many other places. Thailand is not Talibanland, why are we now being made to feel guilty for simply wanting to enjoy a normal life !!

I should copyright the word, but I did say earlier that the country appears to have been taken over by the Thailiban.

[chickenrunCM]

Apparently there was a bit of a commotion at Zoe in Yellow a few weeks ago. A drunken foreigner was getting agitated and a fight ensued. The security staff tried to quell the disturbance as they know the military will use any excuse to close the place/area down.

Long story short, the foreigner has since died. Zoe has been told to close for an undisclosed length of time. They may be allowed to reopen but must do so under a new name. Im not sure of the logic or principles behind all this but the area is very very quiet at the moment.

Things move in mysterious ways

Maybe a whole new `entertainment` area will open up out of town somewhere, where the business can continue unhindered by changing rules and the temperance brigade. Then watch the CBD implode....

the onl sucess of spicy and Zoe is the location, outside the moat, nobody would come

[BeefSlapper]

Pattaya is dead too

[anto]

^ Pattaya nightlife can get boaring also .Too many Tarts DESPERATE FOR MONEY .

[mesquite]

^ Pattaya nightlife can get boaring also .Too many Tarts DESPERATE FOR MONEY .

Hmmm.... seems to me that would lead to great nightlife

[Craig krup]

Pattaya is dead too

You could have got a cheap laugh by using "flaccid" or "limp"

"...far from tumescent..." would probably have been overreaching.

[Chicog]

You also have to bear in mind that there is an alcohol problem in Thailand, it is an issue that needs sorting out, and like most countries in the world the solution is often the equivalent of using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.

Utter rubbish, this will do nothing to stop the flood of cheap moonshine from the mom and pop stores, in fact what it will do is make people more likely to drive drunk to look for a shop where they are selling more grog.

This isn't using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It's using a potato peeler to crack a nut.

[Chiengmaijoe]

You also have to bear in mind that there is an alcohol problem in Thailand, it is an issue that needs sorting out, and like most countries in the world the solution is often the equivalent of using a sledge-hammer to crack a nut.

Utter rubbish, this will do nothing to stop the flood of cheap moonshine from the mom and pop stores, in fact what it will do is make people more likely to drive drunk to look for a shop where they are selling more grog.

This isn't using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

It's using a potato peeler to crack a nut.

What are you on about? There is nothing I said that suggests that I think the government response will solve the problem. I even said it is an over-reaction. I can only assume that you are upset because I didn't find your Thailiban comment as funny as you obviously do. It's a clever play on words but unfortunately the comparison is too far removed. Keep trying though.

[puukao]

I must defend Chiang Mai!!!! It is just as sleazy as in 1978, trust me!!! Don't leave sex tourists, stay!!!!

Nothing good ever happens after midnight and a few rounds of drinks.....

......said no one ever.

[Chiengmaijoe]

Apparently there was a bit of a commotion at Zoe in Yellow a few weeks ago. A drunken foreigner was getting agitated and a fight ensued. The security staff tried to quell the disturbance as they know the military will use any excuse to close the place/area down.

Long story short, the foreigner has since died. Zoe has been told to close for an undisclosed length of time. They may be allowed to reopen but must do so under a new name. Im not sure of the logic or principles behind all this but the area is very very quiet at the moment.

Things move in mysterious ways

Maybe a whole new `entertainment` area will open up out of town somewhere, where the business can continue unhindered by changing rules and the temperance brigade. Then watch the CBD implode....

the onl sucess of spicy and Zoe is the location, outside the moat, nobody would come

I agree, he's just another drama queen. The Central Business Zone would implode because late-night bars move out of town!? i'll give him ten out of ten for having a lively imagination, but zero out of ten for not knowing what's going on in Chiang Mai. There are a few out of town entertainment areas already, and as far as I can see the CBD hasn't exploded. What percent of Chiang Mai tourists do you think want to drink after midnight? My guess would be 10%.

I like a late night drink as much as anyone else but I think there is too much over exaggeration of the impact of any action that the authorities might make.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

They're not with me, they're at the bar because they make a salary. Which by the way is also why people see me at the office so often. Where I chat with other people who are also there chiefly because they get paid money. I still enjoy chatting at work, as I do chatting in bars.

Also my hairdresser, gardener and housekeeper are with me because I have money. They are all very important people, and I truly appreciate having them around.

I think we may have just established that money is a thing on this planet.

And also that supplier-customer relationships are meaningful and mostly underrated or taken for granted.

Keep your customers close, but keep your suppliers closer I always say.

[anto]

^You totally miss my point .Those are very different types of relationships .

[heybruce]

People get into a relationship because they think it will make their life better. Sometimes they get into a short-term relationship to satisfy immediate financial or hormonal needs, and sometimes they look for a long-term partnership in the hope that it will make the rest of their life better. Many people have a series of medium-term relationships for reasons that are a combination of the short-term and long-term reasons, and possibly as a test-run for something longer term.

Many people claim that long-term relationships, in which financial obligations are much deeper but not as clearly defined, are morally superior to short-term relationships in which financial expectations are clearly agreed upon in advance. However whenever the "logic" of this is explained to me it seems shaky.

The only way this applies to the OP is that many of these short-term relationships, and a smaller number of medium and long-term relationships, begin in bars. By closing some bars and restricting the hours of others the authorities are taking some of the romance out of life.

[beau thai]

Very nicely put Heybruce, although I might have chosen 'fun' rather than 'romance' in your final sentence. But that's being picky...

[true blue]

reading some of the posts,about drinking hours,bet there going to some great bargins going with ladies.lol fill your boots while it lasts.

[Puwa]

Here's how I understand the conservative mindset that opposes some of Chiang Mai's foreigner-oriented nightlife. Thais enjoy debauchery of all kinds, so long as it is kept out of view. Most foreigners could care less about being seen. This is why many middle class Thais find places like Loi Kroh or Walking Street in Pattaya so objectionable-- not because they oppose drinking and carousing--but they hate having to admit that sex and partying are part of the country's image. It's very hard for them to accept, firstly, that very public venues have become an international playground for uncouth behavior, and secondly, that Thai women appear so eager to reject mainstream values. This flies in the face of the puritanical public culture that all are taught to endorse and obey when required, despite what goes on behind closed doors. Violators are easy to spot and easy to persecute. As most residents figure out quickly, Thai culture is obsessed with what's "appropriate," rather than what is fair or right. "Appropriate" is squishy, depending on opinion, perception, and context. "Fair" has more basis in fact and law. While the happy foreign drinker feels that it is no one's business who shares his barstool, so long as he deals fairly, the random person driving by feels insulted, then resentful.

I guess this is where centuries of hierarchical social control, rote education, and oppression of women lead.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Here's how I understand the conservative mindset that opposes some of Chiang Mai's foreigner-oriented nightlife. Thais enjoy debauchery of all kinds, so long as it is kept out of view. Most foreigners could care less about being seen. This is why many middle class Thais find places like Loi Kroh or Walking Street in Pattaya so objectionable-- not because they oppose drinking and carousing--but they hate having to admit that sex and partying are part of the country's image. It's very hard for them to accept, firstly, that very public venues have become an international playground for uncouth behavior, and secondly, that Thai women appear so eager to reject mainstream values. This flies in the face of the puritanical public culture that all are taught to endorse and obey when required, despite what goes on behind closed doors. Violators are easy to spot and easy to persecute. As most residents figure out quickly, Thai culture is obsessed with what's "appropriate," rather than what is fair or right. "Appropriate" is squishy, depending on opinion, perception, and context. "Fair" has more basis in fact and law. While the happy foreign drinker feels that it is no one's business who shares his barstool, so long as he deals fairly, the random person driving by feels insulted, then resentful.

I guess this is where centuries of hierarchical social control, rote education, and oppression of women lead.

" that Thai women appear so eager to reject mainstream values the upper/middle class fairy tale image of Thailand."

Fixed a minor point for you, but other than that I completely agree.

^You totally miss my point .Those are very different types of relationships .

Oh sorry, I thought we were speaking about nightlife. (i.e. chatting/drinking/dancing with staff and other customers.)

Anyway, yesterday was interesting. Police themselves seem somewhat confused/concerned/uncertain on what to do. They are overall sympathetic to the plight of the tourist bars (perhaps also as they're part of their bread and butter) but confusion reigns all the way up and down the order.

In the end some bars closed, others opened tentatively, others where business-as-usual. Was a good night out in the end, just a little ironic that a celebratory event is more repressive than festive in overall atmosphere.

[terminatorchiangmai]

Tonight will be the first night that the bars are not allowed to sell any alcohol within a radius of 300 meter of a school.

Yesterday by police order all the bottles with hard liquor where already off the shelves at most bar in the Loi Kroh area

Funny that the 7/11 next to a school still have all the booze on display this morning.

I am very curious how this will work out and will go have a drive around town tonight.

[bristolgeoff]

is spicy still open with all these problems at the moment in cm.what about the police stop at mac dees late at night

[heybruce]

I just talked to a friend who went to the meeting on the status of bars, and the decision is----no decision.

My friend told me that they haven't decided yet on what to do about the bars within 300 meters of schools, so for now it will be business as usual. She said it was a big meeting, she estimated about 200 people. She is an optimist (you have to be to run a bar in this environment), she thinks nothing will come of this. I hope she's right.

How many people have heard of the sword of Damocles?

[CMKiwi]

Yes and I wouldn't want that dangling over my head. I expect though that some politicians/military types may have already thrown themselves on their own swords with all this palarva that's going on in the bar scene. What a mess.

Don't know if Zoe is open again as I haven't been in the area for about a week. The missus was in the area last night and said it's all rather quiet and depressing.

[PHP87]

How can a Metro area of approx. 2 Million people not have a nightlife to speak of?

I'm not a drinker anymore as the hangovers are too harsh to deal with as I got older, but I do like to go out and look at pretty girls and even talk to them.

Hopefully things will change in CM in the coming years.

[No1]

Tonight all bars on Nimman were closed before (BEFORE!!!) midnight. Massive police presence in front of those venues that did not turn their lights off at 12 pm. They really mean it this time.

[true blue]

Tonight all bars on Nimman were closed before (BEFORE!!!) midnight. Massive police presence in front of those venues that did not turn their lights off at 12 pm. They really mean it this time.

spicy was heaving,till the late hours last night.

[bangmai]

I just broke the news to my 80 yo mother about the 300 M rule. Took her about five seconds to ask if that was why they bombed BKK the other night, and she doesn't even drink.