"Social order" gone awry

But nothing deflates a thriving club scene like repeated unheralded visits by a local constabulary intent on upholding "social order." ...The raids often last far beyond the 1 or 2 a.m. closing hours. They have rarely netted any violators.

But these attempts to regulate Thai teenagers' behavior have severely limited the nocturnal activities of over-20 clubbers and have of course been devastating for the clubs they frequent. Ministry of Sound, Tantra and Mystique have closed, and 87 is dead. Only Q Bar and Bed Supperclub remain active, and David Jacobson, co-owner of Q Bar, says that they survive partly because no new international investors will risk coming onto such an unpredictable club scene to provide competition. "Bangkok is a dead town," he said. "It was one of the most fun places in Asia." (source: New York Times 3/1/06)

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the man behind this "social order" campaign, was recently evicted from office through a "people power" movement. Might the same happen to councilmen who cater to Elgin's Taliban clique?