Pressure to lift curfew next week, from badly hit tourism sector.. expecially Phuket and Pattaya looby. But no matter for our man-about-town Chonburi here :p
Tourism spots hope for curfew end
Junta wants to limit damage to economy Published: 29/05/2014 at 05:24 AM
Bangkok Post Newspaper section: News
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is mulling whether to lift the curfew next week in major tourism provinces to limit the damage to the local economy.
NCPO deputy spokesman Natthawat Chancharoen said the head of the council, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, has ordered the working team on the economy to assess the effects of the curfew on tourism in provinces such as Phuket and Chon Buri.
Col Natthawat said the curfew would be lifted if there are no anti-coup protests in those provinces.
A decision on whether to lift the curfew in tourism provinces will be made next week, the deputy spokesman said.
The junta announced on Tuesday night the strict curfew imposed since the May 22 coup would be shifted from 10pm-5am to midnight-4am.
The curfew was relaxed after people complained they had difficulty getting home and some businesses suffered losses from closing early.
Worst affected by the curfew has been night-time entertainment.
Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association president Pornchai Jitnawasatien said the shorter curfew was good news for nightlife operators in the province. The original 10pm-5am curfew caused profit at most nightlife businesses to drop by 10%. Mr Pornchai said the new curfew time will have positive impacts on night-time entertainment businesses and restore tourism confidence. He added that an even shorter curfew should be considered.
The Myst bar and restaurant, a popular spot located in the high-end area of Thong Lor, lost around 500,000 baht in revenue over the weekend, said Wasupol Itthirojanakul, a shareholder.
The curfew, however, has caused a minimal effect on other small businesses in the heart of Bangkok, according to some.
A staff member at the Kuang Heng street restaurant in the Pratunam area, popular with late-night party-goers, said the curfew had not caused much disruption. The restaurant closes an hour early at 9pm. Fewer customers at night are made up for by more coming to the restaurant after work.
“We’re as busy as ever,’’ he said. It is also business as usual for the Anantara Baan Rajprasong hotel, which has not seen many bookings cancelled.
Guests are also spending their days as they normally would, said Supaporn Suthammavijit, the Anantara Baan Rajprasong senior sales manager.
Ms Supaporn said most guests are from Japan, and most leave the hotel early in the morning and return by 8pm, so shortening the curfew will not affect the hotel much.
A staff member at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Bangkok, who asked not to be named, said the curfew has only forced a few operational adjustments at the store despite having to close during the no-go period.
“Instead of attending to customers, the night shift will spend most of their time arranging items in the store,’’ the staff member said.
The manager does not allow her to go home alone when her shift ends at 9.30pm. Instead, she spends the night at a friend’s place and goes home in the morning.
Tourism spots hope for curfew end
Junta wants to limit damage to economy Published: 29/05/2014 at 05:24 AM
Bangkok Post Newspaper section: News
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is mulling whether to lift the curfew next week in major tourism provinces to limit the damage to the local economy.
NCPO deputy spokesman Natthawat Chancharoen said the head of the council, Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha, has ordered the working team on the economy to assess the effects of the curfew on tourism in provinces such as Phuket and Chon Buri.
Col Natthawat said the curfew would be lifted if there are no anti-coup protests in those provinces.
A decision on whether to lift the curfew in tourism provinces will be made next week, the deputy spokesman said.
The junta announced on Tuesday night the strict curfew imposed since the May 22 coup would be shifted from 10pm-5am to midnight-4am.
The curfew was relaxed after people complained they had difficulty getting home and some businesses suffered losses from closing early.
Worst affected by the curfew has been night-time entertainment.
Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association president Pornchai Jitnawasatien said the shorter curfew was good news for nightlife operators in the province. The original 10pm-5am curfew caused profit at most nightlife businesses to drop by 10%. Mr Pornchai said the new curfew time will have positive impacts on night-time entertainment businesses and restore tourism confidence. He added that an even shorter curfew should be considered.
The Myst bar and restaurant, a popular spot located in the high-end area of Thong Lor, lost around 500,000 baht in revenue over the weekend, said Wasupol Itthirojanakul, a shareholder.
The curfew, however, has caused a minimal effect on other small businesses in the heart of Bangkok, according to some.
A staff member at the Kuang Heng street restaurant in the Pratunam area, popular with late-night party-goers, said the curfew had not caused much disruption. The restaurant closes an hour early at 9pm. Fewer customers at night are made up for by more coming to the restaurant after work.
“We’re as busy as ever,’’ he said. It is also business as usual for the Anantara Baan Rajprasong hotel, which has not seen many bookings cancelled.
Guests are also spending their days as they normally would, said Supaporn Suthammavijit, the Anantara Baan Rajprasong senior sales manager.
Ms Supaporn said most guests are from Japan, and most leave the hotel early in the morning and return by 8pm, so shortening the curfew will not affect the hotel much.
A staff member at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Bangkok, who asked not to be named, said the curfew has only forced a few operational adjustments at the store despite having to close during the no-go period.
“Instead of attending to customers, the night shift will spend most of their time arranging items in the store,’’ the staff member said.
The manager does not allow her to go home alone when her shift ends at 9.30pm. Instead, she spends the night at a friend’s place and goes home in the morning.
