Phuket Curfew happening?

[TLandHim]

I think each area probably needs a thread as each may be differently enforced.

We are in Patong, near the north end of the beach about 3 blocks from Bangla Rd.

At 10.45pm it is like a ghost town, no noise, no vehicles going up and down the road and the TV has gone off with no channels available at all.

Really surprised that it would be enforced down here.

Worst thing is we were just about to go for dinner at 9.45pm so we will be having crackers and coffee tonight.

What is happening in Bangla Rd and the rest of Phuket?

[WarProfiteer]

Couldnt tell ya about Phuket...

In Chiang Mai, the tv was off, but internet was up well past the time they said would be down (midnight).

It's not a late night town. well, mostly. So I am sure most of CM was easily in bed by the time of the curfew.

[ventrios]

On a positive note...no LTs turning into STs. 555

[LoneRanger]

Couldnt tell ya about Phuket...

In Chiang Mai, the tv was off, but internet was up well past the time they said would be down (midnight).

It's not a late night town. well, mostly. So I am sure most of CM was easily in bed by the time of the curfew.

All the bars in the main bar areas in Hua Hin were closed. The TV channels were shut down with occasional updates by means of an army spokesman. The missus translated some of what he was saying and he stated the internet shut down was a rumour and wouldn't happen. From what I can gather the police in Hua Hin didn't go round instructing the bars to close they did it of their own free will. A friend of mine who owns a bar in Songkhla called me and told me he'd been visited by the police and instructed last orders 9PM, everyone home by 10PM so I guess it must be pretty much nationwide.

A friend of a friend was due to travel back to the UK this morning departing 6AM, he left for Bangkok last night at 6PM. According to the TV statements anyone with a valid flight ticket was allowed to travel to the airport, however last I heard he'd been stuck in a gridlock traffic jam for 3 hours before he'd even entered Bangkok.

[Dodger]

In Kamala we were told at 7pm by the district police chief there would be no curfew in tourist area's, so no need to close. Cable TV and Truevision went off about 8pm, CTH stayed on until about 9pm, then it too went off. No statements or messages in English on any channel, but the constant message every 10 minutes on the TV from the army guy, telling everyone that the curfew would be imposed countrywide.

Like Lil said it was interesting to see the reaction of the Thai staff and customers, very scared, incredulous that we were going to stay open. But come near 10pm the roads were desolated, hardly any vehicles anywhere, all 7-11's shut at about 9.30pm along with most restaurants and shops. By 10pm all other bars, only exception we could see was Spicey's on the beach, but they stay open irrespective of elections, Buddha days, police orders etc. As there were no more customers and no likelihood of any more we also shut and I went home about 10.20pm, the village was like a ghost town!!

Word on the street, or off of it!! is this curfew will last 2 days, so hopefully everything back to normal for Saturday/Sunday evening? I've got two or three different clients coming after 10pm over the next two days, so will be on the street irrespective, as got to check them in. Someone told me I can get some bit of paper giving me permission to work after 10pm, but no one knows who to get it from!!

[LivinLOS]

Word on the street, or off of it!! is this curfew will last 2 days, so hopefully everything back to normal for Saturday/Sunday evening?

I cant see how anyone can predict that with any confidence at all ??

Situation way too fluid..

[marc26]

Word on the street, or off of it!! is this curfew will last 2 days, so hopefully everything back to normal for Saturday/Sunday evening? I've got two or three different clients coming after 10pm over the next two days, so will be on the street irrespective, as got to check them in. Someone told me I can get some bit of paper giving me permission to work after 10pm, but no one knows who to get it from!!

Last recent article i read on BKK Post there are exceptions for night staff and tourists landing so you seem covered on both angles there

[Geespot]

Rumour in Patts is 11pm tonight and midnight Saturday bar closures. Last night was enforced 10pm with pickups (not police) making the announcements

In KK in the village it was enforced too

Schools closed until Monday so maybe that's an indicator for some form of normality

Time will tell but I'm not sure there will be an immediate reaction from pro government support. It would be difficult for them to react given the countrywide security blanket

I see plenty curfews being imposed possibly regionally or locally down the line as insurrection come from the underground. .....which will surely happen

[Dodger]

I cant see how anyone can predict that with any confidence at all ??

Situation way too fluid..

Didn't predict it, just detailed what the current word on the street is. School was shut today, but have been told is open again Monday.

The unpredictability must be what reaction/action might be taken by the Reds? especially as they publicaly said Martial Law okay, but if Military Coup, they will take action.

[TLandHim]

No changes obvious in Patong this afternonn. Just a lot less traffic and less people. No sign of police or military.

Went to Big C at Jungceylon and noticeably less people, straight up to an empty checkout
which is a very rare occurrence and this was about 4.00pm.

Talked with a couple of locals and they were not very concerned.

Will go to Soi Sansabai tonight and probably have dinner at Summer Breeze so will see what is happening in Bangla etc.

[LivinLOS]

Patong facing ruin if curfew continues, says entertainment boss

[Geespot]

The ruin in patts is staring me in the face......days away from being a ghost town

[LivinLOS]

Bet flights to Phnom Penh are booking up fast..

[marc26]

The ruin in patts is staring me in the face......days away from being a ghost town

We've had this argument before in the past but mostly for safety reasons
But people have to be out of their minds to continue on with a holiday in Thailand in the next month or so
Say the ban gets lifted but 3 days into your holiday another curfew goes into effect?
I'd be sitting my ass in BKK airport on the way to Cambodia or someone else.....no way I'd chance curfews on a 2-3 week holiday and this is coming from someone that isn't out all night

[marc26]

Bet flights to Phnom Penh are booking up fast..

Ha...see my post

[Evilbaz]

Well they wont have to close for election double weekends for quite a while.

[dontpanic]

The curfew in all likelihood is going to stay in place till the camps get cleared and Suthep's final battle May 27th deadline passes. Anyway the bars and gogo's are just opening earlier already, I know it's early days but it does seem to be going reasonably smoothly.

By the way, return flights to pp were about 90 euro yesterday with Air Asia from DMK.

[LivinLOS]

Multiple bangkok based businesses have posted that contacts have told them curfew would go 12 - 4 weekend and be stopped probably monday.

There has been no official source I can find stating that, just a sort of unofficial rumor..

If that did happen, and it was pushed till midnight, you could see bars taking a chance on opening for the portion of the night. The howls of protest from nightlife businesses will be long and loud if this is still fully closed after the weekend.

[Evilbaz]

International channels back on here in Kamalala.

[dontpanic]

I did see on the Bangkok post earlier that the tourist council was calling for a lifting of the curfew for tourist areas.

Curfew exemption urged for tourism | Bangkok Post: news