JonnyF

Haven't they consulted the Thai virologists yet? I thought mix and match was the solution here. Seriously though, new vaccines to be developed for new strains? $$$$$ Sounds like everyone is using this pandemic for their own ends now. From governments to corporations to various loony fringe groups. Hop onto the Covid train. Choo Choo... Maybe no coincidence that Omicron is an anagram of Moronic.

7-11 is a huge franchise owned by CP, which is owned by one of the richest men in Thailand.

That's great. I mean, you getting a cheap thrill is clearly more important than handing the police powers to selectively and arbitrarily extort businesses while inconveniencing the general public. PS there are probably more "edgy" ways of getting a cheap thrill in Thailand on a quiet afternoon than by buying a can of Ginger beer at a Mom and Pop shop at 2.01 pm. Just sayin' ????

Like I said, nonsensical. 1. People who want to drink all afternoon will buy a crate of beer or a bottle of Whiskey. 2. It's no business of the government to legislate to stop people drinking in the afternoon. That is their personal choice, even if they have other things to do. The fact that it is selectively enforced just adds to the idiocy of the whole thing. Seriously, I think Covid has made people lose their minds. They've forgotten what liberty and personal responsibility means and actually support increasingly authoritarian state control of their day to day life. Like turkeys voting for Xmas. I guess some people just like being told what to do.

I see. You think it's fun to break some laws but not others. Presumably it's down to the individual to decide which laws are 'fun' to break. What could possibly go wrong with such a system?

But the nonsensical law that enables you to get the 'cheap thrill' by breaking it, at best inconveniences people and at worst is used to extort people. So why have the law?

I don't think you've really thought this through. It obviously depends what the rules are. If they are rules against sexual assault, murder, paedophilia etc. then yes I would like them to be enforced strictly. Wouldn't you? Unfortunately in Thailand you can buy your way out of such offences, it's just a matter of who saw you do it, how much it costs and who you offended against. I suppose you think that's part of the fun of living here? In Thailand there are rules for absolutely everything, many of them nonsensical like this 2-5 alcohol ban which everyone breaks all the time because they simply don't make sense. So officials can use these silly laws to arbitrarily go after people they don't like. Shut down competing businesses etc. Extort the poor. Personally I'd rather they removed the stupid laws, and enforced the serious ones rather than getting some cheap thrill out of "getting away with it" or "beating the system" by buying a beer at a Mom and Pop shop at 3pm. But then, I'm not 14 anymore. You see what is problematic about being able to bend the laws is that it depends which side of the law bending you are on. For example, you get caught speeding and pay the cop off 200 Baht you think it's great, a highly amusing story for your chums back home. Some hiso knocks your child over when speeding and pays off the cops? Not so funny now, is it?

There are lots of good things about living here. But for me, nonsensical laws that are arbitrarily enforced by corrupt officialdom is not one of them. Each to his own though, whatever floats your boat.

Yes, most countries have restrictions that actually make sense, such as age restrictions. Most countries enforce these rules consistently, not arbitrarily.

The minister is correct. It's a stupid rule. Partly because it is selectively enforced. For example, pubs/restaurants in Sukhumvit can keep selling all afternoon but restaurants in shopping malls often follow the 2-5 ban. 7-11's follow the ban but Mom and Pop shops don't, and it's not like the local cops don't know they're selling. It's simply an inconvenience for no reason. But then, we are in Thailand. Perhaps we should be grateful for small mercies, after all this rule isn't currently enforced on the basis of race like so many rules in Thailand (but the way things are going maybe that's one for later).

It's coming. Looks like it will be announced today at the Bangkok motor expo. Not sure if it will be both the Speed Triple (Naked) and the Speed Triple RR (retro half faired cafe racer). I guess both. This is from Triumph Central BKK's Facebook page.

How does buying Alcohol at the 711 benefit local businesses? It doesn't, it benefits CP. Tourists don't want to buy beer at the supermarket and scurry back home to drink it in their hotel rooms, they want to sit in a beachside restaurant with a cold beer or glass of wine and watch the sun set. So this is hurting tourism as well as the local style restaurants and pub businesses, and those that work in them. A socially distanced pub full of vaccinated tourists is far safer than a crowded local market full of unvaccinated locals. Same with crowded food courts, the BTS, MRT etc. Alcohol does not spread this. It's really not that complicated if you take 5 minutes to think about it.

There is no evidence that alcohol leads to Covid. And no, most of the world is not banning alcohol so Thailand is in a very small minority. There has been no spike in infections since the serving restrictions in Bangkok were reduced. Vaccinations are the way out of this, not silly puritanical virtue signalling.

It was good advice, you should take it. If you could see the bigger impact of these silly bans you'd be supporting the easing of restrictions to help the people who have lost their livelihoods. Instead, you prefer to make unfounded, tiresome cheap shots at other posters under the guise of being oh so virtuous. Not a good look. I live in Bangkok and I've seen the city spring back into life since November 1st with no spike in cases. People getting their businesses and their lives back. That is the impact.

James105 is right. If you can't see the correlation between businesses being closed/restricted and the people who work in those businesses being out of work then maybe it's best you remain quiet about this astounding lack of insight and stick to making childish, tedious accusations about posters you have never met ????.

Are you serious? You can only legally buy alcohol in shops at certain times of the day. 13:55 can. 14:05 cannot. 16:55 cannot. 17:05 can. You can only drink in restaurants in BKK and Phuket. In BKK you have to stop at 9pm, in Phuket you stop at 11pm I believe. Mostly everywhere else it is banned completely in restaurants. Bars and pubs are ordered closed pretty much everywhere. No restrictions??? ???? It's actually scary that people are starting to forget what freedom looks like, to the point of celebrating and showing gratitude to their 'leaders' when they are occasionally allowed a sniff of it. It's pretty pathetic actually.

It's a simple way of showing Thailand that the world is not falling for their silly little sham. Their fake Democracy fools no-one. Thailand is run by a Junta that stole power illegally at the barrel of a gun. The "PM" is a soldier in a suit. What annoys the Thai government and it's cronies like this guy is that everyone knows it.

It looks like Anutin suspects someone somewhere might be enjoying themselves. Quick, crack down. If only they could find a way to keep the proles/peasants out of sight, released only for a few hours to do some menial work on minimum wage and then back to their hovel. Oh I know, another Covid lockdown.

I'll continue to ride my motorbikes at whatever speed is safe for the conditions thanks. If you think I'm going to stick to 80kph on a 'big bike' (or worse still, 60kph on my 250 which is capable of way over double that) while cars are blasting past me at breakneck speed then you'll have to think again.

Well that was very gracious of him to "Accept" the vaccines. The US should feel honoured to have their vaccines accepted by the "PM" of Thailand. Now, time to scurry back to China before they get too upset that you've started using decent vaccines instead of their junk.

No I wasn't being sarcastic. It was a Tuesday night and it was packed. A couple of weeks ago we couldn't even get a seat at one Irish pub on soi 4. It was great to see the place doing good business and everyone enjoying themselves. We also have a small farm near Korat and there was an outbreak in the village (also following a wedding). I didn't attend but my girlfriend said nobody was wearing masks, people drinking and shouting etc. 3 or 4 villagers tested positive after the event. I think these village events are prime spreading events once everyone has a few whiskies and lets their hair down. Most of them are unvaccinated as well, unlike in Bangkok. The UK is leading the way here. Vaccinate, then open up. 5 of my extended family have had it now and they just isolate, feel rough for a few days and then back to normal. Like flu.

Well, there has been a reopening in Bangkok. I was out again last night and the pub was packed. Walking home, local restaurants were absolutely full as well. Thais and foreigners all eating and drinking together and having a great time. So if there is no spike, that's a great sign and hopefully more places can reopen.

They really need to make it crystal clear to people when booking holidays in Thailand that masks are absolutely mandatory, bars/entertainment venues are shut, alcohol is only served in restaurants in a few cities until 9pm etc. If they know all that and are still stupid enough to come here for a holiday, they can't complain.

Yeah, just like you said there wouldn't be a coup and you wouldn't be PM. There are only so many lies you can tell before nobody believes you any more. That point was reached about 5 years ago.

Paternalism from government is undesirable at the best of times, but when those in charge lack any form of decency and integrity it is a particularly bitter pill to swallow. It's time to get back to normal and stop using Covid to push through increasingly authoritarian forms of government.