Lights out, volume down in Bangkok’s party scene
BANGKOK (AFP) — With soldiers closing down Bangkok’s notorious go-go bars and tourists forced to sneak sips of beer from paper cups, Thailand is dialling down its raucous party scene out of respect for the country’s late monarch.
The passing this week of 88-year-old Bhumibol Adulyadej has thrust the Buddhist nation into a period of profound mourning, with masses of tearful Thais filling the streets to pay respect to a king worshipped as an exemplar of moral virtue.
Like nearly all of their compatriots, Thai bar girls swapped their normally racy attire for more modest black dresses and shoes when they showed up to work Friday night.
In Bangkok’s Soi Cowboy — a famed alleyway of luridly lit go-go bars and a barometer of the city’s adherence to temperance during coups, street protests and religious days — patrons who trickled through were soon disappointed.
At around 10 p.m. soldiers pulled the plug on the blinding neon lights as they enforced an early closing time in compliance with government orders to “tone down” celebrations as the nation grieves.
“Suddenly the army came. It was a group of five guys,” said Geroem Bonami, a 31-year-old tourist from Belgium.“We were asked to pay and they started to tidy up everything and the girls disappeared.”
Minutes after the ailing monarch’s passing was announced on Thursday, Thailand’s junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha took to national television to declare a one-year official mourning period.
He also asked the public to refrain from celebrations for at least 30 days, and dozens of events — from concerts to fun runs, wedding parties and religious festivals — have been cancelled.
Television networks are also under orders not to broadcast any overly joyous images, such as dancing, with one major channel saying it would not be airing its roaringly popular soap opera series.