By Barry Kenyon

[Jun]

I think the main problems would be drunk drivers and noise levels. If those could be restricted and controlled before becoming a serious problem, then I see no reason not to allow it. Families on holiday can take the kiddies elsewhere if they object to it.

However, I do find it interesting that members of the same political party that wants to restrict marijuana use, perhaps even re-criminalize it, would be in favor of opening the city to 24 hour drunk.

That's my opinion. Barry Kenyon has his opinion. What's yours?

They won't control noise levels. Pattaya Police tend to collect bribes set at a level that encourages reoffending & repeat revenues, rather than enforcing any laws to discourage offending.

Whilst I quite like a beer, or several beers, having some sort of closing time at least limits the over indulgence.

Also, if bars are allowed to open all night, there is the risk that some bars don't open until later.

I'm quite happy to go to a bar between 7:00pm and 9:00pm. Leaving around 11:00 ~12:00 pm, or perhaps 1:00 am when pushing the boat out.
I certainly wouldn't want it to be like Spain, where some of the bars don't even open until midnight. I'm not talking about nightclubs either.

A few years ago, Laos used to operate a curfew, with everything shut at 24:00. I would rather that than the Spanish style set up.
Having a closing time means the bars are open when I want to visit them and the odds of being woken up by some drunks arriving back in the hotel at 4:00 am are reduced.

I encountered another example of unrestricted partying in Myanmar. There was a wedding party in the street almost next to my hotel It was loud and went on all night. I was looking forward to sleeping really well the next night, but they had another all night party in the same location.
Is that the kind of behaviour you want in Pattaya ?

[Gaybutton]

I was looking forward to sleeping really well the next night, but they had another all night party in the same location.
Is that the kind of behaviour you want in Pattaya ?

What makes you think that kind of behavior would typify Pattaya? I don't know how often I would find myself next door to a two night, all night wedding party, which could happen anywhere, but if I ever do, I could always change to a different room or move to a different hotel. What would that wedding party have to do with bar hours anyway? You wrote that the party was taking place in the street, not in a bar or any other venue.

I do agree, however, that noise levels would certainly need to be controlled. If neither the police nor the hotel management do anything about it, then I'd say you're staying in the wrong hotel and need to find other accommodations.

[Jun]

I don't know how often I would find myself next door to a two night, all night wedding party, which could happen anywhere, but if I ever do, I could always change to a different room or move to a different hotel.

Unless you ask the right questions and they give you the right answers, you don't know there's an all night street party until it happens.
So at 2:00 am, you're there in bed thinking this must stop soon.
Still going at 3:00, 4:00, 5:00 am....... Not many people move hotel at that time of night.


Anyway, this is the kind of thing that could go on if there's a free for all, with no restrictions on hours or volume.

We already know Pattaya has no effective restrictions on music volume from observations in Jomtien Complex, Boyztown and various other places.

When walking back to my hotel at night, I've even seen what is a little restaurant frequently having very loud music outside after 1:00 am. Thankfully I don't stay near that, but I pity the people who do.

So if they deregulate the hours, without other changes, it's fairly obvious what will happen.

I'd say you're staying in the wrong hotel and need to find other accommodations.

In Pattaya, I manage to stay in a relatively quiet hotel. Carefully selecting a room on a high floor, facing away from the road.

[Gaybutton]

So if they deregulate the hours, without other changes, it's fairly obvious what will happen.

I agree with you on that. If they really do let the venues open 24/7, I hope they have sense enough to strongly regulate it and see that the regulations are rigidly enforced. If not, until we know how the bars themselves will self-regulate, you might want to check available accommodations out where I am on "The Dark Side" . . .

Personally, I am quite optimistic that the new government will operate with significantly more common sense than I've seen in previous governments. I hope I won't have much of anything to add to my "I Don't Get It" list.

[Gaybutton]

British embassy withdraws passport transfer letter

By Barry Kenyon

May 30, 2023

With effect from June 1, the British embassy in Bangkok will no longer provide a confirmation letter to nationals who have obtained a new British passport. An embassy press release states that the Thai immigration bureau has agreed to transfer visa stamps from the old to the new British passport without such a letter.

Although a reason is not stated, embassy officials have long stated that such a letter is not binding in law and has created confusion when British expats apply to renew their passport whilst present in the UK where such a letter is not issued. Other nationalities (non British) may still need to provide an embassy letter and should contact their local immigration office for confirmation.

https://www.pattayamail.com/news/britis ... ter-432545

[Jun]

An embassy press release states that the Thai immigration bureau has agreed to transfer visa stamps from the old to the new British passport without such a letter.

What possible purpose could such a letter have ?

The immigration office will have numerous photos of the customer, plus copies of his fingerprints, so they know it's the same person.

[Gaybutton]

The immigration office will have numerous photos of the customer, plus copies of his fingerprints, so they know it's the same person.

I have never had my fingerprints taken by immigration or anything else in Thailand. I don't know anyone who has ever had fingerprints taken in Thailand unless they were arrested for something. Where are you getting that from?

[gerefan]

I have never had my fingerprints taken by immigration or anything else in Thailand. I don't know anyone who has ever had fingerprints taken in Thailand unless they were arrested for something. Where are you getting that from?

How often have you passed through immigration recently?

They have taken fingerprints and photos, both inbound and outbound, for about five years.

So they have taken mine 20 times in that period!

[Gaybutton]

How often have you passed through immigration recently?

Ok, you're talking about traveling in and out of Thailand. I didn't catch that. I was talking about Pattaya immigration - where I have never been fingerprinted.

The last time that kind of travel applied to me was 10 years ago - and no fingerprinting back then.

[Gaybutton]

Russian tourist numbers plummet in Pattaya

By Barry Kenyon

June 9, 2023

After an earlier stampede into Pattaya by Russian tourists and longstayers, the volume of Russian arrivals in the resort city has slumped dramatically. During February, March and April, around 6,000 Russians descended on Pattaya, mostly via the neighboring U-tapao airport near Rayong. But the provincial airhub is no longer receiving direct flights from Moscow or provincial cities such as Vladivostok and Yekaterinburg, a body-blow to the formerly booming vacation market in and near Siberia.

The Russian numbers to Pattaya are now reduced by at least 80 percent. Though there are once-daily flights from Moscow to Bangkok, most Russians now arriving in Pattaya transit via Dubai which flies daily to U-tapao. Moreover, some Russians are believed trapped in Thailand and unable to return home. The longstayers, some of whom are draft dodgers and their families, are experiencing problems with credit cards and Swift payments because of international sanctions.

The Bank of Thailand has been lobbied to approve the Mir online payments system, widely used in Russia, and to encourage the use of crypto currency. In neighboring Cambodia, for example, many businesses are now processing cryptocurrency transactions for a 3-5 percent surcharge. The Thai immigration authority is also being asked to allow Russians to extend their visa by more than two visits per year to a land border. Meanwhile, affluent Russian émigrés are applying for longstay visas whilst based in Thailand, particularly the 5-20 years Elite options.

U-tapao airport authorities have also reduced the daily flight schedule to and from Chinese cities, apparently because of falling demand from the holiday market in Xian and elsewhere. The reasons are believed to be the high cost of fuel, which has raised the price of zero-sum tours, and delays in issuing new and replacement passports within the Beijing bureaucracy. But Pattaya hoteliers report a likely boom in Chinese travel in the final quarter of the year.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... aya-433296