New Craziness In Thailand

This time though, it's okay to chuckle.

The Committee has become alarmed at the deterioration of family values and family unity. One of the main evils of this problem is alcoholic beverages. The new proposal will require bars, convenience stores and entertainment centers that serve alcohol to adjust their closing times as follows:

All bars, shops and entertainment centers will closed based on a sliding window. Mondays close at 1:00AM, Tuesday 12:00 Midnight, Wednesday 11:00PM, Thursday 10:00 PM and Fridays at 9:00PM. Saturdays, Sundays and all official holidays, alcoholic beverages will not be allowed to be sold.

On April 16, another controversial law is being enforced. After that date, massage parlors can no longer employ anyone under the age of 40, and are required to register all employees as such. This will minimize the request by customers for "extra services" which can cause problems with marriages and minor wives.

Heh. Gogo bars closing at 9:00 at night. No booze at all on weekends. Massage parlors filled with 40-year-old ladies. Good luck with that.

I know you don't like to admit it, Thailand, but pretty much everybody lists "to get drunk" and "to get laid" as 2 of their top 3 reasons for visiting you.

Anyway, I give about

• 60% odds that the idea will never be implemented,
• 20% odds that it will be implemented and totally ignored by everyone,
• 10% odds that it will be implemented with exemptions for any place a tourist has ever gone to in Thailand or might possibly go in the future,
• 5% odds that it will be implemented in some heavily-watered-down but otherwise-country-wide form, and
• 4% odds that it will be implemented and everyone winds up with pre-paid booze cards that can be used anytime, anywhere.
• 1% odds that it will be implemented exactly as stated, and enforced vigorously.