Misconduct in Kathmandu’s Nightlife Business
Kathmandu, 04 Aug: Tourists visiting Nepal often spend their arrival and departure days exploring the ancient and unique art and cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley. Before heading home, many choose to enjoy a night out in Kathmandu’s popular nightlife spots like Thamel and Durbar Marg.
However, despite the influx of both foreign tourists and local patrons, the nightlife areas of Thamel, Durbar Marg, Chabahil, and others have become notorious for frequent conflicts and disturbances. These daily incidents have tainted the image of Kathmandu’s nighttime entertainment industry. In Thamel, which remains open 24 hours, frequent fights and disputes in clubs, bars, live music venues, and hotels are spreading a negative impression of Nepal.
Although Thamel is an internationally recognized tourist destination, due to the negligence and disorderly behavior of stakeholders, customers are sometimes assaulted right in front of security personnel. When customers raise concerns about overbilling or ask for discounts, they are often beaten or mistreated by club and live music venue bouncers. In many cases, customers are dragged out. Ironically, security patrols often scold the customers instead, telling them, “Don’t make noise if you’re drunk, just leave.” Such incidents have become common across areas from Thamel to Chabahil.
Former President of the Thamel Tourism Development Council, Bhabishwar Sharma, acknowledged that the nightlife industry has seen a rise in unethical practices. According to him, arbitrary behavior by business owners, mistreatment of customers, and weaknesses in police enforcement are part of the problem. “Business owners must admit their faults. It’s true that nightlife has become unsafe and disorderly in recent days. This needs to be reviewed,” he said.
Code of Conduct Not Enforced
The Kathmandu District Administration Office issued the “Full-Time Business Operation Code of Conduct and Security Management Standards 2080,” which states that businesses must operate in a way that does not violate public decency and moral values. It mandates fair treatment of consumers and requires clear display of goods/services and their prices.
The guidelines also require that customers be provided with bills or receipts, prohibit pressuring customers to buy unwanted products or services, and forbid encouraging commission-based promotions. Former President Sharma added that business owners are responsible for ensuring customer safety and helping intoxicated patrons get home safely. “If there’s a dispute, it should be handled according to the law—not by using bouncers to attack people. The rising trend of aggression towards customers sends a bad message,” he said.
Monitoring and Action Will Be Taken: Administration
The administration has stated that it is monitoring the irregularities in the nightlife business. According to Kathmandu’s Chief District Officer Rishiram Tiwari, both the police and the local government share responsibility for managing these issues. “The police are actively working. If criminal activities occur, legal action is taken. Coordination and consultation with relevant authorities will be used to hold businesses and owners accountable,” he said.
SSP Shekhar Khanal, spokesperson for the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, said that any activities such as blocking roads for celebrations, reckless driving, or violating others’ rights will result in immediate action. He cited the arrest of notorious gang leader Chakre Milan’s group as an example. SSP Khanal emphasized that any signs of customer insecurity or police inaction would lead to swift response. He also acknowledged that while occasional lapses can occur, the police remain committed to providing reliable security. “No business owner is allowed to use bouncers to take the law into their own hands or abuse customers,” he asserted.
