sambum

Pedantic! This has exactly what relevance to the post?

I entirely agree with your comment re speeding, which is why I was amazed when, in a country with one of the worst records in the world for road fatalities decided to INCREASE the speed limit on some major roads! Still - TIT!

"Druck drives"?

And to what are you referring when you say "know nothing of"? I've been drinking alcohol for more than 60 years now - are you saying I know nothing about it?

I never said that you did!

From a survey in "Discover" Magazine 2017:- "Then we come to alcohol, which was listed as a “soft” drug 42 times, and as a “hard” one 3 times. This was surprising to me, as I didn’t expect to see alcohol listed very often in either category. Most people don’t consider alcohol a “drug”, although of course it is one, and if I had to name a “soft drug”, alcohol wouldn’t come to mind." However, I do agree with your point about how much is taken!

I was - and I have no intention of planning an anti Government protest group???? All I am saying is that closing bars and banning alcohol consumption in restaurants is a rather convenient way of preventing people from "congregating" or forming protest groups. And the fact that not many anti governmet protestors have been caught shows that it's working! ????

Nope! It is after all a "democracy" is it not?

A flawed argument in that everybody who has a drink does not necessarily get drunk!

The friends that I lost had actully moved away to London from my much smaller hometown, so I did not really have any control over what they were doing, with the exception of one who died in my home town, but neither I nor my otyher friends were aware that he was "on the hard stuff" - we just thought he was smoking a lot of pot. I did point out earlier that the use of "soft" drugs does not necessarily lead to the use of "hard" drugs, but I am not denying that in some instances it does. In my younger days, I smoked a lot of "pot", but never once felt the need to stick a needle into my arm, even when there was no pot available, but obviously some of my friends did. Anyway, I do believe that the post is about "Alcohol" so thing are getting a bit off topic!

Such a system needs policing!

"Hard drug"? Wrong! :- "Marijuana is usually the only drug included within the category of "soft" drugs, although some people include nicotine and alcohol in this category because of their legal status for use by adults, and their relative social acceptability compared to illegal drugs."

And forming anti Government protest groups?

The law/restrictions exist - just nobody to enforce it in the rural environs.

There are "groups" of people in all walks of life who congregate together. Do we hear the Government banning people from going to religious services/temples, for instance?

Probably that you shouldn't be doing it!

I didn't say it WOULD lead to an addiction to hard drugs, I only implied that it COULD, due to having lost some friends that way. But just to show people's ignorance of drug "abuse", I had a work colleague who worked in her spare time as a "Special" in the UK police force. During part of her training, her "teacher" during a lecture on the above subject said "Everybody who smokes marijuana is a drug addict, because they will end up taking heroin" And this came from a supposedly qualified police specialist!!!

Of course there's not a Prohibition! The comment was made rather "tongue in cheek" but obviously went over your head. During Prohibition, alcohol was banned completely in the USA, whereas in the current situation in Thailand, as I have already pointed out, alcohol is still freely available at supermarkets etc. And if you think I am impressed by your telling me that I need to be " a little more observant and knowledgeable" and posting in Thai - I am not, and as this is an English only Forum, you are actually breaking the rules:- "FORUM RULES English is the only acceptable language anywhere on ASEAN NOW, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed. Short Thai translation of technical terms is permitted in specialty forums." So I think you are the one who needs to be "a little bit more observant and knowledgeable" especially when posting on here - Hmmm?

"No. not at all" to what question? I didn't pose a question, and didn't say that it was "written that one HAS to partake ..................etc etc" What I did say was that I enjoyed GOING OUT to a bar or restaurant..........etc etc And I think you may be wrong with your statement re "everyone and anyone" - the last time I heard was that (in my area anyway) there is a restriction on the number of people that are allowed to partake of alcohol - even in your own home? And do you not enjoy a natter with your mates without having to worry about "your other half"? I think it's a good thing that couples take a couple of hours break from each other now and again - especially if they've been cooped up together all day! And in reply to your final "suspicion" - I enjoy the company of Thais as well as farangs as I am married to a Thai lady, and enjoy the company of her lady friends as well as their Thai or farang boyfriends/husbands. Think that about sums it up!

Because they're not used to Prohibition - and look where that ended up!

Of course it's available - 711, Macro, Tesco etc etc. I'm talking about sitting down in a bar or restaurant and having a social drink with your mates. That appears to have been outlawed, and anybody whe gets caught drinking illegally in a bar /restaurant faces a hefty fine and a night in the cells.

I said "may" and "happiness invoking substances" doesn't just mean "Yaba"! How old are you, by the way?

Thanks Joe!

What is it with this Government's obsession with the banning of alcohol? One fact that has probably escaped the Government's notice is that by banning alcohol, people (especially teenagers/twentysomethings) may well turn their attention to other "happiness invoking substances" and could possibly become a catalyst for a more serious form of drug addiction. I know from personal experience having lost a few friends to drug abuse that banning/reducing the availabilty of certain "soft drugs" can set the user on the much more dangerous path of "hard drugs".

That is because as far as the UK is concerned the passport does not belong to the holder, it belongs to the Crown/Government:- "The inclusion of ‘Her Majesty’s’ in the title recognises that passports are the property of the Crown, bear the Royal Coat of Arms and are issued under the Royal Prerogative."