The following appears in PATTAYA ONE:

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Suggestions of Major Bar Crackdown by Police Following Meeting with Provincial Police Chief

 

Pattaya, December 10 [PATTAYA ONE NEWS] :

 

On Wednesday Afternoon at the Cesar Palace Hotel in Central Pattaya, Police Major General Tanaert, the Commander of Chonburi Provincial Police, chaired a meeting of over 200 bar owners from around the Pattaya area. The General went through all the laws regarding operating such venues, including opening and closing times, minimum age of employees and patrons and registration papers to be completed for employees by the bar owner.

 

One interesting point coming from the meeting was a statement by the General who warned any bars found to be paying off Police Officers in exchange for any form of protection would be prosecuted and the officers themselves would be removed from the Police.

 

A special task force has now been set up to ensure that rules are adhered to and bar owners now fear a bar crackdown is imminent, which could not come at a worse time with High Season upon us which is a time of year when many bars do their best trade and rely on the relaxed bar trading regulations to ensure they can make the most of this busy period.

I have mixed feelings on this one. Whilst I support the idea of trying to stamp out corruption I would hate it to apply to bars who have felt that they had to pay money to stay open.

 

However, I'd say the rules were simple, apply the law or face the results. Because you are in Thailand why should it be any different? If you choose to do business in any country, then surely you should respect their laws.

Respect for Thailand's laws is a difficult thing, in that every so may kilometers on the highway, you are stopped by uniformed officers, and told it will be 200+ baht because you ____________________ (fill in the black with...too fast, wrong lane, I want beer money).

 

I doubt that police payoffs will end very soon in gay bars of Pattaya