Could we have the informed opinions of local bar and eaterie owners regarding this subject ? How do you think it will affect you short and long term ? What rules have you been subjected to so far and under what conditions now that the deadline is passed ?
Crazy88
NO SMOKING
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sandman67
- Rock Star
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Crazy88
so far the ban is not in place....although a certain bar I have an affiliation to has already had a visit from what back home we would call the council.
Basically the ban is being translated into another "Pool Table Tax".....ie pay us and we dont see
In impact terms i could give you no better reference than the local village boozer back home.
In the Alford Arms you used to go in , avoiding the low beamed ceiling, be greeted by a friendly staff member and be served a pint in a pub full of local colour......now you go in and ring a bell on the bar to get served (as all the staff are outside smoking with the regulars in the glass smoking shed at the bottom of the beer garden). Non smokers sit on their jack....as every other drinker is out on the glass shed.
Another reason for not drinking inside is that teh pub now smells of piss and stale beer.....not fun.
For the non smokers (visitors to the village) you can enjoy your pint whilst choking on the fumes of the diesel and benzine loaded unleaded petrol fumes you breathe outside from the A road outside the pub.....
In terms of business its a disaster...the village pub, like in the good old days the non smoking areas of city pubs, is now.....empty.
Face it.....a shit load of Thais smoke (id hazard a guess at more per head than the UK), and a shit load of farangs smoke (see my sig below). Most of the people who frequent my dives smoke like chimneys....go figure.
At best, in a country where more people smoke that at home, its a policy disaster and at worst its a further extortion excuse for the brownshirts....
...i'd see it as the latter
Thats it....and don't try crying Roy Castle or "secondary smoking" like ASH....my granddad worked down a pit and smoked Woodbines for just short of 50 years...he died of diabetes....
My stand on this is this....You drive a SUV/2 stroke/nasty diesel truck....I smoke.....get over it. You shove more Benzine into the sky than me.....I don't eat McDonalds cos I know how bad it is for you...do I advocate a ban on fast food...no. Y wanna eat that then good on you lad....thats your choice.
Its a piss poor policy that will be implemented piss poorly with ample avenues for further extortion by piss poor police officers.....end of.
All it achieves is .... pissing people off.
so far the ban is not in place....although a certain bar I have an affiliation to has already had a visit from what back home we would call the council.
Basically the ban is being translated into another "Pool Table Tax".....ie pay us and we dont see
In impact terms i could give you no better reference than the local village boozer back home.
In the Alford Arms you used to go in , avoiding the low beamed ceiling, be greeted by a friendly staff member and be served a pint in a pub full of local colour......now you go in and ring a bell on the bar to get served (as all the staff are outside smoking with the regulars in the glass smoking shed at the bottom of the beer garden). Non smokers sit on their jack....as every other drinker is out on the glass shed.
Another reason for not drinking inside is that teh pub now smells of piss and stale beer.....not fun.
For the non smokers (visitors to the village) you can enjoy your pint whilst choking on the fumes of the diesel and benzine loaded unleaded petrol fumes you breathe outside from the A road outside the pub.....
In terms of business its a disaster...the village pub, like in the good old days the non smoking areas of city pubs, is now.....empty.
Face it.....a shit load of Thais smoke (id hazard a guess at more per head than the UK), and a shit load of farangs smoke (see my sig below). Most of the people who frequent my dives smoke like chimneys....go figure.
At best, in a country where more people smoke that at home, its a policy disaster and at worst its a further extortion excuse for the brownshirts....
...i'd see it as the latter
Thats it....and don't try crying Roy Castle or "secondary smoking" like ASH....my granddad worked down a pit and smoked Woodbines for just short of 50 years...he died of diabetes....
My stand on this is this....You drive a SUV/2 stroke/nasty diesel truck....I smoke.....get over it. You shove more Benzine into the sky than me.....I don't eat McDonalds cos I know how bad it is for you...do I advocate a ban on fast food...no. Y wanna eat that then good on you lad....thats your choice.
Its a piss poor policy that will be implemented piss poorly with ample avenues for further extortion by piss poor police officers.....end of.
All it achieves is .... pissing people off.
"Science flew men to the moon. Religion flew men into buildings."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
"To sin by silence makes cowards of men."
Sandman, I was back in the UK last weekend and I have to say that I went out Saturday night in Nottingham city centre and everywhere seemed to be as busy as ever. I don’t know if businesses have had a drop in revenue since the ban, but I had to walk past many bars on account of the fact that they were packed to capacity; if people were not going out due to any smoking ban it wouldn’t have made any difference as you wouldn’t have got anyone else in!
Mind-you I think only about a quarter of UK adults smoke, and as you say Thailand must be a much higher percentage.
Mind-you I think only about a quarter of UK adults smoke, and as you say Thailand must be a much higher percentage.
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redzonerocker
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- Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:55 pm
- Location: England
smoking
most city centres still are saturday nights, the rest of the week its like a ghost town & that includes the localised areas too.STEVE G wrote:Sandman, I was back in the UK last weekend and I have to say that I went out Saturday night in Nottingham city centre and everywhere seemed to be as busy as ever.
the spring & summer months may pick up, but over the course of the year, business has definately dropped in the pub trade.
Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
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Wanderlust
- Legend
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- Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 12:27 pm
- Location: Hua Hin
sandman,
I don't entirely disagree with you, and I think the total ban in the UK was a step too far as I thought the balance had just about been found before. However as far as your grandfather goes, you should probably read this and this. The only thing I always wanted from the pubs in the Uk was better ventilation and extraction, as most smokers were generally considerate and tried not to blow smoke in your face. I do think a total ban in any eating places or areas is appropriate though, and most smokers I know agree. Over here though with so many open air places it really isn't an issue as far as the comfort of non smokers goes, but obviously the Thai government is approaching this from the health of their people and the strain it puts on the hospitals, and as it appears that more Thais smoke this probably makes sense. I have always thought the tax system is the best way to deal with it though, as it still gives smokers a choice (another 2 pints of beers or a packet of fags?). The only other thought i have is that maybe over time the non smokers who disliked visiting places filled with smoke may return to the pubs etc, although possibly waiting for those pubs to deal with the other smells that have been revealed!
I don't entirely disagree with you, and I think the total ban in the UK was a step too far as I thought the balance had just about been found before. However as far as your grandfather goes, you should probably read this and this. The only thing I always wanted from the pubs in the Uk was better ventilation and extraction, as most smokers were generally considerate and tried not to blow smoke in your face. I do think a total ban in any eating places or areas is appropriate though, and most smokers I know agree. Over here though with so many open air places it really isn't an issue as far as the comfort of non smokers goes, but obviously the Thai government is approaching this from the health of their people and the strain it puts on the hospitals, and as it appears that more Thais smoke this probably makes sense. I have always thought the tax system is the best way to deal with it though, as it still gives smokers a choice (another 2 pints of beers or a packet of fags?). The only other thought i have is that maybe over time the non smokers who disliked visiting places filled with smoke may return to the pubs etc, although possibly waiting for those pubs to deal with the other smells that have been revealed!
I will answer one of my own questions from the point of view of a customer .
Between my partners and staff we estimate that we spend in excess of 70,000 baht per month in one particular bar in town year round average on drinks alone .some of the guy eat in the place as well on a regular basis .half of us smoke .We will now be seeking an alternate venue for a few drinks after work .Add the extended circle of friends that come there with us when they are in town and it has to make a small dent in the owners pocket .
Sad addicts we may be but have a few beers and a smoke after work we will .
Crazy88
Between my partners and staff we estimate that we spend in excess of 70,000 baht per month in one particular bar in town year round average on drinks alone .some of the guy eat in the place as well on a regular basis .half of us smoke .We will now be seeking an alternate venue for a few drinks after work .Add the extended circle of friends that come there with us when they are in town and it has to make a small dent in the owners pocket .
Sad addicts we may be but have a few beers and a smoke after work we will .
Crazy88
A few years back when the purge came down on aircon pubs in BK, many lost their regular customers. When it was restored by means fair or foul, the damage was done. Many never regained their customer base. That is the only time I feel sorry for these guys where external forces are affecting their business
There are many bar/restaurant owners who are optimistic, but I don't want to be fined 2000 and the friendly landlord fined 20000 for me lighting up a fag
May help me cut down my smoking though
It will be like being back to school and life behind the bicycle sheds
There are many bar/restaurant owners who are optimistic, but I don't want to be fined 2000 and the friendly landlord fined 20000 for me lighting up a fag
May help me cut down my smoking though
It will be like being back to school and life behind the bicycle sheds
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
Here in Perth they 1st had smoking ban in lounge bars and not public bars. All people did was to stand outside the pub and smoke, then come back in.
When the ban was extended to the public bars, that become more serious. My local constructed an oustide drinking area that has a roof on it (but well ventilated) for people that want to smoke.
As they did not have an outside drinking area I must admit that in the hot summer we are having this year it is a welcome change to actually be drinking outside in the air, even if it is a smoking area.
They have put plasma TV's outside so people can still watch the racing and whatever sport is on, so there is no problem.
I have never smoked, but have always been around people that have, so to me I have never had a problem whether people smoked or not in my presence. I do think though that there are a lot of people who moan about smokers just because they have nothing better to do.
A lot of people that smoke and then give up are the worst at moaning. A lot of people say there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker, drinker or gambler, and those that I have met, I can understand why people say it.
When the ban was extended to the public bars, that become more serious. My local constructed an oustide drinking area that has a roof on it (but well ventilated) for people that want to smoke.
As they did not have an outside drinking area I must admit that in the hot summer we are having this year it is a welcome change to actually be drinking outside in the air, even if it is a smoking area.
They have put plasma TV's outside so people can still watch the racing and whatever sport is on, so there is no problem.
I have never smoked, but have always been around people that have, so to me I have never had a problem whether people smoked or not in my presence. I do think though that there are a lot of people who moan about smokers just because they have nothing better to do.
A lot of people that smoke and then give up are the worst at moaning. A lot of people say there is nothing worse than a reformed smoker, drinker or gambler, and those that I have met, I can understand why people say it.
Always Borrow Money from a Pesimist. "They Never Expect it Back"
As far as Hua Hin is concerned, as WL points out very few bars are not open fronted already, and it occurs to me that if the few that are not are finding their trade suffering, they could easily solve the problem by turning off the air-con and knocking the front out!
At least they won’t have the problem that I now hear about in Europe, where they want to ban those gas heater things that were installed outside for smokers due to the effects on the environment.
At least they won’t have the problem that I now hear about in Europe, where they want to ban those gas heater things that were installed outside for smokers due to the effects on the environment.