Most against extending opening time of entertainment venues from 2am to 4am: Poll

Most against extending opening time of entertainment venues from 2am to 4am: Poll
After fall, neon lights illuminate Khao San Road as pubs, restaurants, and street food vendors conduct business, luring customers to the road. ( Bangkok Post image )

According to a study by the National Institute of Development Administration, or Nida Poll, the majority of people object to the idea of extending the opening days of nighttime enjoyment facilities to 4am instead of 2am, and some even argue that such establishments shouldn’t be permitted to start at all.

In order to gather their thoughts on the Interior Ministry’s plan to expand the opening days of nighttime entertainment facilities from 2am to 4am in an effort to revive the nation” financial and hospitality progress, the poll was conducted on October 17 and 19 by telephone conversations with 1, 310 individuals aged 20 up from various levels of education, occupations, and incomes throughout the state.

55.65 % of the respondents said they never go to those locations, while the remaining respondents claimed they do.

When asked how frequently they had visited the entertainment venues over the previous year, 58 % of respondents said none at all, 33.22 % occasionally, 4.13 % once a month, 2.58 % once per week, 2.077 % three to five days, and 0.034 % daily.

When asked about the proposal to increase the opening days of nighttime entertainment facilities from 2am to 4am, the majority of respondents gave the following responses:

On one side, 41.76 % believed that nighttime entertainment venues should not be permitted in Thailand at all, 8.32 % believed they should be closed before 2am when it is not too late in the night, and 4.35 % said that establishments should only be shut down at 2:00 a.m.

On the other hand, 23.66 % said they should be permitted to start until 4 a.m., but only in cities that are well-liked by foreigners, and 17.5 % said the closing days may start at 4 am everywhere in the nation.

Of the remaining respondents, 4.27 % had no response or showed no interest, and 0.08 % held opposing views, including those who preferred the closing time to be 3am.

When asked if they believed that increasing the operating hours of the entertainment venues would increase tourism revenue while the nation’s economy was experiencing a downturn, 54.43 % of respondents said” no” and 44.27 % responded” yes.” The remaining 1.30 % either had no response or showed no interest.