'Baraku' bars must get licences or close
CHON BURI : Unauthorised operators of baraku, or shisha, smoking bars in the province have been told to acquire licences or be closed down.
Eleven such bars and shops in Muang district have already been shut down for offering customers baraku smoking services without a permit, Chon Buri governor Nakhomsan Ekkachai said yesterday.
Despite the shutdowns, several new unauthorised baraku shops have sprung up, he said.
Before being granted a licence, an operator is required to submit details of the bar for inspection by municipality authorities, while those which already have the licence could still face punishment if later found to have violated the regulations on such bars, he said.
Sakchai Taengho, chief of Bang Lamung district, said a combined force of Excise Department officers, police, and local administration officials had inspected baraku bars and shops in Pattaya and found large numbers of them lacked permits.
They were formally warned to stop and if caught offering baraku smoking services to customers again, would be closed down, Mr Sakchai said