Tuesday 14th March: all bars will be closed

[hulljake]

"Magha Puja Day Buddhist holiday and all bars will be closed"

I just discovered the above in the Calendar.

Aaaagh! Crisis!

First dumb question: Does "all" really mean all?

2nd dumb question: How about Babylon?

While in Thailand last month, I was also there over a holiday when the bars were closed. In Bangkok, all the go go bars were closed. Telephone and Balcony was open, but no alcohol served. Someone told me Babylon was open, not sure though as thats not my scene.

You will find that about once a month on average, bars are told to close. This will be because of a local election or a birthday of a Royal Family member. Yes, you may ask, what has that got to do with me. Its just one of the anomalies of Thailand. You will find that farang owned bars will keep to the rules because they have most to lose if caught opening. The more a bar caters for Thais, the more likely that it will stay open. The more a bar is sited in the middle of a tourist area, the more likely it is to be closed.
The sad thing is that farangs can still buy beer in a 7/11 and drink it in the street.

And I suppose to that you can add another 2 days prior to the election on 2 April .....
What a pain....
Guess when Im leaving!
G

I just had dinner at Amor restaurant this evening, and another patron asked Richard about being open on the 14th, and I thought I heard Richard say there were no holidays, religious or national, this month, so I asked him specifically about the bars in BKK being closed on the 14th. He repeated to me, after checking with some Thai restaurant staff, that there are NO holidays this month, ESPECIALLY on the 14th so bars will be OPEN and SERVING LIQUOR.

Maybe in BKK the Boys in Brown have found some reason to close the bars on the 14th, but apparently not in Pattaya???

[Up2U]

I believe this site's calendar is wrong. My Thai calendar and a quick Google search shows no Thai Public Holidays in the month on March. The next holiday is Chakri Day on the sixth followed by Songkran (13-16).

[Jetsam]

are there any annoying holidays in may? hope not

[Smiles]

are there any annoying holidays in may? hope not
Looks like 3 public holidays in May ( http://www.asiatraveltips.com/ThailandHolidays.shtml ) but not sure if that means bar closings on any (or all) of them.
I vaguely recall that Visakha Bucha Day (May 12) is a bar closer, but I'm not 100% certain . . . could easily be wrong about that.

Cheers ...

Last year the bars were open on May Day and Coronation Day.

Rather than look on a holiday closing as an inconvenience, perhaps see it as an opportunity. I would lay in a supply of drinks and snacks and throw a little party. Invite some of your Thai friends. Lots of fun to be had outside of the bars.

When confronted by a bar holiday a Thai friend and I went to Big C. He picked out the food we would need for a party. I bought plenty of beer, soda, Spy, and G&T the day before. Later he went to his room and cooked up some Thai dishes and brought them to the hotel, we had several friends over and had a real nice time. By the way, cheaper than the bar.

[painai2]

The boys will know if a bar is going to be closed the next day, so you can make plans with someone and save on an off fee for that day. The problem is if no one mentions it to you and you show up at the bars, (Boyztown, Soi Twilight) the whole scene looks very dark on those days. In Boyztown only the Amor is open, everything else is closed and you go home alone.

Do you people really go to the bars every single day? Is it such an inconvenience to have to do something else once every once in a while?

[Jetsam]

The boys will know if a bar is going to be closed the next day, so you can make plans with someone and save on an off fee for that day. The problem is if no one mentions it to you and you show up at the bars, (Boyztown, Soi Twilight) the whole scene looks very dark on those days. In Boyztown only the Amor is open, everything else is closed and you go home alone.


Tell me about it, I once experienced Makha Bucha day and that happened to be my last day in town :cry: , Pattaya was a ghosttown , I expect the date Smiles posted may 12 also to be a all bar closed day, but at least than I have still 2 weeks left after that day :cheers:

Makha Bucha (Buddhist Pali language) or Magha Puja. Is always on the first full moon of the third month: this year, March 14th. I was told closing is not mandated but businesses close out of respect and because most employees won't show up in any case: spend time with family or friends, go to the Wat. Many boys will not want meet you until late or not want to spend that evening with farang at all. If they say they will...well, don't get pissed if no-show... and may turn up next morning looking sweet and cute: "Oh, I sleep too much." (Over-sleep.)
If he is, or becoming, special, let him know: give him some (Drinking money.) baht and the night off.

This site has info re Thai holidays & ceremonies:
http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand ... lidays.htm (http://www.guidetothailand.com/thailand-travel-information/holidays.htm)

[Up2U]

This holiday is not on March 14th, it was celebrated last month on February 13th. Were the bars open then? From the Pattaya Mail of February 17th:

http://www.pattayamail.com/655/features.shtml#hd1

[llz]

I always go in Thailand in November and one of the things I would not miss is buying a thai diary for the next year.
For 2549 no holiday in March, Makha Bucha was on February 13 th. In Avril you will have Chakri Day on 6th; Song Kran on 13, 14 and 15th, alle these days being closed for public office and banks (sorry no information for gay bars closures).

Pity Hulljake won't be seeing this. I believe he is already in the Land of Blocked Internet Sites (LOBIS?).

Mind you. He may well have noticed that nothing is closed.

555

[dab69]

Monday Phetchaburi sidewalk shops were not there.
Guess who waited for that last day to do T-shirt/gift shopping