PUBLISHED : 27 Oct 2023 at 06:14
An agreement has been reached in principle for the Interior Ministry to draw up a regulation that will set the criteria for nighttime entertainment venues in areas with high tourism potential to be granted extended operating hours until 4am, ministry spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said yesterday.
Ms Traisuree said the agreement was achieved at a meeting on Wednesday chaired by deputy interior permanent secretary Chamnanwit Terat.
The meeting was attended by representatives from concerned agencies, including the Tourism and Sports, Transport, Finance, Social Development and Human Security, Public Health, Labour and Justice ministries, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), the Royal Thai Police, the Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
This initiative followed a cabinet resolution on Oct 13 directing the Interior Ministry to work with relevant agencies to explore ways of extending the operating hours of entertainment venues in certain tourist areas to spur tourism and spending during the high seasons.
The meeting agreed in principle for the Interior Ministry to formulate a ministerial regulation outlining criteria for local administrations in areas with tourism potential. The administrations can then submit requests for permission to allow entertainment venues to stay open until 4am.
The Interior Ministry will consider the requests and grant permits based on the set criteria for each area, Ms Traisuree said.
She said Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had acknowledged the agreement and had instructed concerned offices to draft the ministerial regulation.