Thailand Extends Alcohol Sales Hours Nationwide

18 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

Anyway, it is what it is and I guess it must make sense to the Thai authorities, even if it’s a strange one to foreigners.

In a nutshell. Every government in the world should be obliged to review and keep legislation current, but never going to happen.

Bear in mind, Scotland took a huge leap out of the dark ages with alcohol, and now has problems.

https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/2/e003722

11 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Where exactly did I mention 1972?

There may have been buildings that were replaced by bamboo huts, before being replaced by buildings.

"The law was in place when Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts." is what you posted. The law came into effect in 1972 so what you've said is Soi Bukhao was just bamboo huts in 1972.

8 hours ago, dinsdale said:

I agree especially on those silly Buddhist booze ban days, however, they have their limitations. If a person fancies a can of beer and a 711 ham and cheese at 10 in the morning though it would be handy to be able to purchase both at 711 don't you think.

How often do you feel like a ham cheese toasty and a can of beer at 10am ?

2 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

How often do you feel like a ham cheese toasty and a can of beer at 10am ?

Not the point. The point is if I did I couldn't because of a very stupid law. I await some official reasoning as to why the 11:00 am part of the 11:00 am and 2-5 pm prohibition law of 1972 remains in place. We know it can't be because of civil servants getting on the booze or protecting school children because the 2-5 part of that law is now no longer law. I think asking why the 11:00 am start remains place is a reasonable and reasoned question. Civil servants? No. School children? No (schools start at 8:30). Because there would be increased deaths/injuries on the road? No. The stats from the trial period found no increase of significance. Why would allowing alcohol sales starting 8 or 9 in the morning be any different? I honestly can't think of any reason why the entire law wasn't scrapped which is what I've been saying should happen on here for a very long time not just the 2-5 part. Be interesting to know the government's reasoning.

On 5/31/2026 at 9:34 AM, dinsdale said:

Nice try but the fact is there are other reasons e.g. less people at 8 or 9 o'clock so less cars in the car park and checkout is faster. Apart from that as I have previously pointed out the supermarket shopping may only be part of the journey. Also as I have pointed out there is no logical reason for the 11:00 am start as there was no logical reason for the 2-5 prohibition. If you can give a logical reason why the 11:00 am start has remained in place and a let's say 8 or 9 o'clock start would be somehow deleterious please share it. This isn't about "stressing over booze buying times" it's about a law that was put in place in 1972 to stop civil servants from buying alcohol before 11:00 am and during the hours of 2-5 pm.

Personally I don't care what the hours for selling booze are.

I am an adult and can adapt.

11 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Personally I don't care what the hours for selling booze are.

I am an adult and can adapt.

Completely misses the point that the law is anachronistic and baseless and should be scrapped. Being an adult having the ability to "adapt" is meaningless in regards to this. Fairly sure everyone could "adapt" quite easily and happily to earlier opening of sales hours.

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Completely misses the point that the law is anachronistic and baseless and should be scrapped. Being an adult having the ability to "adapt" is meaningless in regards to this. Fairly sure everyone could "adapt" quite easily and happily to earlier opening of sales hours.

Fairly sure earlier selling times would mean naff all to Thai citizens as the 11am thing does not affect them!

10 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Completely misses the point that the law is anachronistic and baseless and should be scrapped. Being an adult having the ability to "adapt" is meaningless in regards to this. Fairly sure everyone could "adapt" quite easily and happily to earlier opening of sales hours.

I certainly could, and would still buy beer at 4 in the afternoon. Its not an issue.

Can't see the law changing until Thailand decides it needs changing. May or may not happen and is a non event as far as I'm concerned.

9 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Fairly sure earlier selling times would mean naff all to Thai citizens as the 11am thing does not affect them!

That's a pretty big statement there. Tell me how you know this to be the case. It's not just foreigners that buy imported booze off the shelves from Big C etc. Again apart from that there seems to be zero reason for it. Bringing it forward can only result in increased revenue.

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

That's a pretty big statement there. Tell me how you know this to be the case. It's not just foreigners that buy imported booze off the shelves from Big C etc. Again apart from that there seems to be zero reason for it. Bringing it forward can only result in increased revenue.

How would it increase revenue ?

You are seriously deluded if you think Thai's do not already buy booze before 11am !

On 5/30/2026 at 11:22 AM, dinsdale said:

Pointing out that a law is redundant is not "crying about it". It's pointing out a madness of policy that the 11:00 am start of alcohol sales needs to be scrapped as there is no basis for it. The 11:00 am start to alcohol sales and the 2-5 pm prohibition were put in place at the same time for the same reasoning. I would now like to know what's the reason for maintaining the 11:00 am start having gotten rid of the 2-5 prohibition. No negative effects were found in the trial period for scrapping the 2-5. Now it's time to do the same thing for the 11:00 am start, bringing it back to 8:00 or 8:30 am (for example) for a trial period where once again IMO no negative effects will found. The only effect I can think of would be increased revenue.

As for "You are the one crying about it, not me." that's purely because you have displayed a self-centred view as shown in your previous posts.

If you buy it at 0400 hrs instead of 1100, it's still not going to "increase revenue" is it.

Is buying alcohol any time of day a human right? Thats a valid question, and do not worry, I know some of you will be provoked. That is what we have to live with when people serve themselves first.

Alcohol damages many families, and easy access creates more impulse buying. Many do not plan to drink. They buy because it is there, because the mood hits, or because they are already in the wrong frame of mind.

Demanding alcohol available everywhere, all the time, only for personal convenience, is egoistic. It ignores the wider damage.

Alcohol can be legal and still be controlled, and Science backs this up. A systematic review found that increasing alcohol sales hours by 2 hours or more is linked with higher alcohol-related harm.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21084080/

18 hours ago, dinsdale said:

"The law was in place when Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts." is what you posted. The law came into effect in 1972 so what you've said is Soi Bukhao was just bamboo huts in 1972.

Brush up on your English.

6 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Brush up on your English.

Maybe you can help me brush up on my English then. The way I read this "The law was in place when Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts." means Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts when this law was in place. The law was enacted in 1972. Was Soi Bukhao "bamboo huts" in 1972? It's a fair question. Personally I wouldn't think this to be the case.

On 5/30/2026 at 8:05 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

It has for me, a few times a month I'm out drinking early hours of the morning after waking up.

Life in a provincial village is good, as long as the soi dogs don't get ya.

On 5/29/2026 at 4:35 PM, snoop1130 said:

Thailand’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee announced revised hours for alcohol sales beginning in 2026, as detailed in the Royal Gazette. Starting the day after publication, alcohol can be sold from 11am to midnight, with specific exceptions for airports, entertainment venues, hotels, and designated event areas. These changes aim to modernize Thailand's alcohol control policies while promoting tourism and retail activity.

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The revision comes after a prior 180-day trial that lifted long-standing afternoon bans, reflecting efforts to adapt regulations to current conditions. Authorities introduced these changes to encourage economic growth, although concerns persist over potential implications like increased drink-driving and youth access to alcohol. The government has balanced this flexibility by imposing stricter rules in sensitive areas, such as transport hubs and government properties.

Expert reactions are mixed. Some welcome the increased economic opportunities, while others worry about the possible public health impact. Special measures are required from sellers during exempted hours to ensure public order and safeguard minors from alcohol access.

Moving forward, authorities will monitor the impact of these regulatory changes, adjusting approaches as necessary to address any emerging issues. Additional guidance or amendments may be published to refine the balance between economic benefits and public health concerns.

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  Adapted by ASEAN Now · The Nation · 29 May 2026

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sure, let them drink all day!

why not?

and don't cry when alcohol related traffic accidents rise...

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Maybe you can help me brush up on my English then. The way I read this "The law was in place when Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts." means Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts when this law was in place. The law was enacted in 1972. Was Soi Bukhao "bamboo huts" in 1972? It's a fair question. Personally I wouldn't think this to be the case.

Should correctly spell Buakhao as well !

31 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Should correctly spell Buakhao as well !

Oh dear! Off to the naughty corner for me then. I guess @sandyf will have to join me there and we can have a discussion about opening times, bamboo huts and how to spell Soi Bukhao/Soi Buakhao.

On 5/30/2026 at 2:42 PM, sandyf said:

Garbage. The law was in place when Soi Bukhao was bamboo huts.