Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said today (Monday) that he has no objection to night entertainment venues staying open until 4am, but the zoning system must be updated to ensure that noise from such venues will not cause a disturbance to people in the same neighbourhood.

Admitting that some pubs and bars are still operating illegally beyond the current 2am time limit, he said that making all the night spots comply with the law, by allowing them to stay open until 4am, would be more logical and orderly.

The governor said that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has discussed the issue with the strategic committee on soft power and has proposed that both of them should work together to develop measures to prevent underage people from accessing the entertainment venues.

He went on to say that allowing entertainment venues to stay open until 4am may boost tourism and the economy of the service sector, including night vendors and taxi drivers.

Previously, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said that the ministry would have to discuss the matter with the police and night spot operators and then work out where this new closing time will be put on trial, before being applied more widely.