Pattaya - Curfew Confusion - May 2014

by Green Grasser


Curfew, DAY 1, Thursday, 5-22-2014.

On Thursday, May 22, 2014, the Thailand military that took over the government of the country declared curfew from 10 pm to 5 am.

The following Sunday I was to fly to Thailand for a few weeks of rest and recreation. Should I go? Will the fun scene be shut down and/or curtailed drastically? Will there be armed clashes between the military and others like the yellows, reds, farmers, etc?

One positive came to mind. When I first visited Manila in the early 1980s, bar buddies told me that I missed the good times -- when President Marcos imposed curfew, at the hour of curfew the clubs locked the door and lucky customers were trapped inside the club with girls who had not been barfined.


Curfew, DAY 4, Sunday, 5-25-2014.

- - Logistics.

Sunday afternoon, May 25, 2014, I flew (no, my arms did not get tired) from Manila to the Bangkok airport arriving about 9 am. Few people in the terminal, hardly any persons waiting in the immigration line, as usual Customs official waved us arrivals on with hardly a glance at our luggages.

Outside the arrival area, the terminal interior also had few persons; I did not do the usual duck-and-weave walk to avoid bumping other people and talking toThai transport rep who ask, where are you going. An escalator down one level and walked to the Bell Bus area near the bus counters on the ground floor.

For Bell bus transport, one has to buy online a non-refundable 230-baht ticket. One could chance buying a bus ticket, at a slightly higher price, on arrival at the airport; but I did that last year and all the seats were sold out and I had to wait over two hours for the next bus.

However I did buy a bus ticket for a later bus, since I did not know if my flight would arrive on time, how fast I would clear immigration and customs, and how long would wait for my suitcase. I arrived at the Bell bus area about 40 minutes before the next bus at 10 am. Located the lady sitting across from the bus counters, since Bell has no space at the bus counters. Showed her my reservation for the noon bus and paid 20 baht to change to the 10 am bus.

Bell bus carried me by bus and van from the airport to my hotel in Pattaya in less than two hours. By the way, its service is only during the day. See www.belltravelservice.com . Note that its web site only gives ten minutes to complete a transaction. So, try to have your personal data and credit card info ready to copy-and-paste. Be patient on the city dropdown menu to appear; although my Texas town was not on the list causing me to select a nearby city.

Then the bus company's bank stated that my bank did not accept the credit card transaction. I emailed my bank about my attempt to purchase a 230 baht bus ticket online through a Thailand bank using my credit card. Apparently, the credit card company blocks all overseas transactions, unless notified in advance.

A few days later, I repeated the purchase process twice and obtained two bus reservations. One for airport-to-hotel and other for hotel-to-airport.

- - Night Tactics.

It has taken a few trips in my pre-curfew visits for me to develop my nightly routine. Caution -- what works for me may not be good for others.

Limits:
- - - - I prefer go-go clubs with air-conditioners and most opens at 8 pm.
- - - - I prefer beer and cannot talk to a girl unless I have two beers inside of me.
- - - - Many go-go clubs have happy hours for one, 1.5, or 2 hours. That means prices are reduced on local spirits, and might include reduced price on bottled beer and/or draft beer.
- - - - I can only drink four beers. That means I should imbibe spirits during happy hours and and afterwards, draft beers in clubs served it in 5-ounce glasses later.
- - - - Customers barfined the better girls early in the evening.
- - - - After I see them one night, the better girls frequently disappear the following nights.
- - - - Some clubs lower their high bar fines about 11 pm or midnight.
- - - - Some mama-sans seem to charge a high bar fine based on what they think the customer can pay.
- - - - I prefer paying the market price, except when overcome by overpowering lust.
- - - - Since I am now a senior, I may bar fine, at most, every other night.

Thus, my tactics are to arrive at the lower-end clubs,which tend to have happy hours, a little after 8 pm. Alternate between drinking beer and spirit, while surveying the girl talents. Occasionally visit an expensive club like Sensation to view the crowd of girls and customers, or a club with a great sound system and trance music like the Iron Club to mellow out, or a club like Angelwitch to see the soft-porn acts. Stretch the evening out to midnight, when I get bar fine-serious.

- - Sunday evening.

In my hotel, I watched the local television stations that appear to be an operation of Pattaya People, Pattaya Mail, and Pattaya One. These channels show local news in English every few hours interspersed with commericals for local businesses. Nothing much was said about how the curfew affected the nightlife.

So, I went to Walking Street about 8 pm. I checked for people holding happy hour signs on Walking Street. There were club people outside holding signs. But, the signs did not say happy hour.

I saw a banner hanging among other banners that said, happy hours, 7:30 pm - 9 pm, 50 baht. It was a club that I had frequented many times before. I went in and ordered a draft beer and a local spirit. As I watched the dancers and imbibed, I looked at my bill expecting to see 100 baht and was shocked to read 235 baht.

I asked the waitress about happy hour prices for my bill. She said, happy hour finished, and pointed to her wristwatch. I asked for the manager. The Thai male manager said, the same, happy hour was over. I said, a banner outside said, happy hours, 7:30 pm - 9 pm, 50 baht. He went outside. He returned. He went back outside, carrying masking tape and a marking pen.

I asked about happy hour price for my bill? After repeated requests to the manager, he said that he would pay my bill. Apparently, he could not change my bill. I said, no, I will pay my own bill. A few minutes later, the manager brought me another draft beer and said, no charge for it.

As I finished up my libations, I saw that the club menu, still had happy hours, 7:30 pm - 9 pm, written on it. There was no sign to indicate the club's operating hours. The waitress said that the club would close at 10 pm. Outside the club, the happy hour banner was gone.

None of the clubs had signs up to show their operating hours.

All the clubs I checked out had much fewer customers than my previous visits.

I returned to my hotel before 10 pm to avoid any police or military confrontation. I noticed that street traffic was very light and the usual street food carts were gone.


Curfew, DAY 5, Monday, 5-26-2014.

Last night's experience suggested that I start my evening earlier. Too early would mean clubs still closed and sitting at a non-airconditioned outdoor beer bar. Later, I saw several young Thai guys drinking beer inside a small air-conditioned 7-Eleven, which can be a future option.

Local tv channels in English said that some Thai businesses were complaining that the curfew was limiting their business.

At 7 pm, I was on Walking Street. Some of the club employees on Walking Street were holding signs that said draft beer at its apparent low price, and spirits at their apparent regular price. A few clubs had people holding signs for draft beer at a slightlty higher price than the wall sign behind them showing draft beer at a slightly lower price.

I guessed that these clubs were grossing less money than usual. So to increase revenue they naturally raise their prices for their few customers to pay rather than offer discounts or special events to increase the number of customers.

At a few clubs, I asked, what was their operating time? The reply was opening at 5 pm or 6 pm, whenever they had enough girls to open. Closing was at 10 pm if the police showed up, and up to midnight if no police.


Curfew, DAY 6, Tuesday, 5-27-2014.

On a local tv channel in English, one interviewee mentioned that there was talk of changing the curfew in certain places in the country from 10 pm - 5 am to 12 midnight - 4 am. But a decision had not been made.

Tonight was my time for Soi LK. From prior visits, I knew some clubs opened in the afternoon.

At 6 pm, on Soi LK. The soi was full of club employees holding signs for their clubs. For many clubs, happy hours began 2 pm and ended either 8 pm or 9 pm. One club's sign said, happy hour, 7 pm - 9 pm, which oddly meant regular price before 7 pm when due to the curfew it opened earlier in addition to regular price after 9 pm.

The problem with Soi LK clubs for me is that I find myself asking two familiar questions more frequently as I gaze upon dancers on the stage:

- - - - Are those tits real?

- - - - Is she a ladyboy?


Curfew, DAY 7, Wednesday, 5-28-2014.

On Walking Street at 6 pm. Employees at the usual cheap happy hour clubs said that happy hours were 5 pm - 7 pm.

In one club at 9 pm, which in previous visits lowered its bar fine about midnight, the bar fine for short time was 1,000 baht. I asked the mama-san, if the curfew is to close at 10 pm, should not the bar fine be lowered? She looked at me and understood, but would not change the bar fine price. I wondered, was she charging what she thought I could pay or was the club extracting as much as money as it could due to fewer customers.

In this instance, there was a twist. When the girl and I arrived at my hotel, she had no ID. So the hotel did not let her in. I asked her to go back to the club and get her ID and to return. She left. I waited half an hour. She had not returned. One hour of the allotted two hours for short time had passed. I headed back to the club. She was there and smiled at me.

I asked for the mama-san, explained no ID and no return with ID, and requested a 1,000 baht refund of my bar fine payment. The mama-san spoke to the girl. Mama-san said that the girl thought I did not want her. I guessed the girl did not understand my English. The mama-san refunded my 1,000 baht, but was clearly unhappy to give it to me.

It was past 10 pm. Other clubs on Walking Street were obviously opened, curfew or no. I visited another club, but did not find a suitable girl.

By the way, this was the first time I encountered a Thai girl with no ID. Maybe she was not Thai? But, a few nights later, I was going to barfine a girl at another Walking Street club. Before I could pay, the mama-san said that the girl had no ID but I could take her to a short-time hotel. Unfortunately, I did not carry enough money to pay all the costs for short-time service and did not have my intimacy tools on me.


Curfew, DAY 8, Thursday, 5-29-2014.

About Thursday, May 29, 2014, the curfew was changed from 10pm-5am to 12midnight-4am -- judging from the way the clubs were operating and lack of precise information from club employees or from tv news.

Local tv channels in English, I deduced, had local news reports that were several days old.

A bar buddy said that he was in a club when the police entered in the early evening and held up four fingers. He thought it meant 4 am curfew, but his Thai girl friend said that the four fingers meant four hours from 6 pm or 10 pm closing.

Actually, I began to like starting my night at 6 pm, enjoying a pu-ying's company,getting to sleep by midnight, and shorter afternoon down time. The clubs were starting to sort out their operating hours, happy hours, and prices for extras.


No Curfew, DAY 13, Tuesday, 6-3-2014.

On Thursday, a local tv channel in English showed a video taken on Tuesday, 6-3-3014, of a Thai official announcing at a large meeting that the curfew in certain areas including Pattaya would end at midnight that day.

Most clubs seemed to revert to their operations of pre-curfew nights. Most clubs opened at 8 pn. Club employees standing on Walking Street held signs for happy hours and pre-curfeww prices. The number of customers seemed as many as in pre-curfew nights.

One fear I had was that the slightly higher price for happy hour beer and spirits during curfew days would stay up. But, prices reverted back to pre-curfew prices.


No curfew, DAY 15, Thursday, 6-5-2014.

By Thursday, June 5, 2014, nearly all clubs in Pattaya were back to pre-curfew operations.

It seemed like the curfew never happened.