Nightlife to resume
Thailand’s party scene may get back into gear in a fortnight after a nation-wide shutdown to mourn the passing of the Late HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the junta suggested Tuesday.
The death of the 88-year-old monarch, 13 October, thrust a country renowned for its colourful nightlife into profound mourning that will last up to one year.
Thais have donned black, soap operas have been pulled from television schedules, festivals cancelled and the music even turned down at Bangkok’s bars and the dancers grounded.
inside no 9But the junta leader signalled that nightlife may soon be allowed to creep back slowly — along with cultural celebrations, concerts and the beloved soap operas — when the 30-day initial mourning period ends on 14 November.
“Television will return to normal,” Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters, albeit warning actors to dress demurely on screen and remain “polite” befitting the national mood.
In a nod to a relaxation on restrictions on nightlife he said “Thailand is a country of tourism”, adding discussions were continuing over the loosening of controls on indoor and outdoor venues.
A government official said later nine types of events and venues would operate as normal, including nightclubs, pubs and bars.
Cultural celebrations, fairs, sporting events and concerts can also be restored to the calendar after a month-long suspension, according to an official citing the Prime Minister’s office.
It was not immediately clear how that will play out with each province likely to enforce their own rules as the national mood lightens slightly .
Neither is the return of the famed “Full Moon” beach party confirmed. There remains the possibility that the much criticised parties could be restricted well into next year, after the 100 days of mourning have passed.
The junta has sought to balance respect for the venerated late king, who was the world’s longest reigning monarch, with keeping the country open for business.
The main tourist season is about to get into full swing and analysts have warned that any protracted clampdown on the party scene could drive visitors away.
However, for years tourism officials have been paying lipservice to building quality tourism rather than relying on mass tourism and quantity. The mood of the nation would suggest that there would be no harm from hosting fewer tourists at this time if the ones who did visit came for all the good reasons and were mindful enough to behave themselves during a period of national mourning.
It would be more sustainable for Thailand’s tourism to end the pursuit of numbers that has seen officials target 33 million visits this year and to fully embrace royal inspired sustainable economic principles outlined so clearly by the Late HM the King.
Reducing the volume and reach of the nightlife scene, much of it prospering in a grey area of the law, would be a step in the right direction.
