Alcohol sales regulation => Can buy outside legal hours if the quantity is superior to X ?

[Pepper9187]

Hi everyone,

 

Not sure it's the right forum to ask but i couldn't find a better match.

 

Does anyone knows if there is indeed a law which allow you to buy alcohol outside of regular hours but only if you buy a certain quantity, like 2 boxes of beer or something ?

(of course i'm talking about groceries / malls, not bars).

 

I've heard this a couple of years ago but i can't find whether it's true or not and / or still applied now.

 

 

[worgeordie]

Yes it's true,i have seen people at Makro buying

alcohol outside permitted hours,but they have 

always had a few cases on the trolly,and seen

someone knocked back,trying to buy 1 case.

regards worgeordie

[Pepper9187]

3 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Yes it's true,i have seen people at Makro buying

alcohol outside permitted hours,but they have 

always had a few cases on the trolly,and seen

someone knocked back,trying to buy 1 case.

regards worgeordie

Thanks, it's what i thought.

 

Does anyone knows more in details, what's the minimum quantity ? Is that only for bigger malls ? (I guess you can't just pop in a 7/11 and ask for like 48 big Leos )

[vogie]

That used to be the law where if you spent over so many thousand baht you could buy alcohol outside the official hours, however the government put a stop to that 3 or 4 years ago and no alcohol can be bought outside the official hours. I have tried to buy, and told politely, no.

[simoh1490]

It used to be that commercial enterprises could buy alcohol outside of the prescribed hours but Makro at least seems to have stopped that practice. My local mom and pop store however has no qualms about selling booze to anyone, from the second they wake until the moment they go to sleep.

[Small Joke]

My old gal likes a beer, and knows of two places near where we live that sell anything at anytime thanks to the unwritten brown envelope clause.  Ask your gf/bf to ask around your neighbourhood, theres always a way in LOS... 

[Pepper9187]

Oh no don't worry there's tons of places like this around where i live.

 

I was asking because i sometimes go to Makro and buy lots of things, including several beer boxes (withing legal selling times) i was just wondering if i could do that outside legal selling times.

 

I know what you think : why don't you just move your ars down there and try or ask them ? : because i'm lazay! 

[KhunBENQ]

44 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

I was asking because i sometimes go to Makro and buy lots of things, including several beer boxes (withing legal selling times) i was just wondering if i could do that outside legal selling times.

You can't.

The printed rules at MAKRO no more show any exceptions for larger amounts.

I remember quite well when the 10 liter rule was abandoned.

(rules an others Tesco no different, BigC Extra Pattaya: alcohol area cordoned off until 11 AM, you can not even walk in before 11 AM, silly).

 

And my preferred time to finish shopping at MAKRO is before 11 AM after which the huge piles/whisky etc. are carted to the registers.

 

I just tried in vain to find whether there is still an exception for shop owners/sellers with an alcohol selling permit.

 

[Pepper9187]

6 minutes ago, KhunBENQ said:

You can't.

The printed rules at MAKRO no more show any exceptions for larger amounts.

I remember quite well when the 10 liter rule was abandoned.

(rules an others Tesco no different, BigC Extra Pattaya: alcohol area cordoned off until 11 AM, you can not even walk in before 11 AM, silly).

 

And my preferred time to finish shopping at MAKRO is before 11 AM after which the huge piles/whisky etc. are carted to the registers.

 

I just tried in vain to find whether there is still an exception for shop owners/sellers with an alcohol selling permit.

 

 

Kind of same / not same here, like to go there mid afternoon and get out around 3PM to avoid the crowd and bad traffic.

[pieeyed]

Any of the local booze will sell and probably deliver all day long.

 

[LongTimeLurker]

5 hours ago, Pepper9187 said:

I've heard this a couple of years ago but i can't find whether it's true or not and / or still applied now.

 

I used to be that if you bought 2 cases in Makro you could buy them anytime.

 

But last time I tried they asked for my alcohol sales license, so I guess now it's only for bars, not general public

[LongTimeLurker]

4 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

My local mom and pop store however has no qualms about selling booze to anyone

Neither does my local 7/11 which is dead handy.

[Pepper9187]

Just now, LongTimeLurker said:

Neither does my local 7/11 which is dead handy.

Lucky you ! like in the good old days.

I guess you live outside BKK ?

 

[LongTimeLurker]

5 minutes ago, Pepper9187 said:

Lucky you ! like in the good old days.

I guess you live outside BKK ?

 

Pattaya

[Formaleins]

11 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Yes it's true,i have seen people at Makro buying

alcohol outside permitted hours,but they have 

always had a few cases on the trolly,and seen

someone knocked back,trying to buy 1 case.

regards worgeordie

It is correct legally, but just try doing it in Tesco or big C, even when there is a notice on every till in Thai and English that clearly states this and the amount you need to buy to be able to get it outside the normal hours. They just stare at you blankly and generally refuse to sell it, even when you show them their own sign, they are clueless. In fact at Big C they made me leave four boxes of 12 bottles of beer, refusing to sell me them outside of the normal hours, but then were quite happy to let me buy 4 large bottles of the same beer from the chill cabinet - Work that one out if you can!  Good to hear that you can buy it at Makro though, that sounds like a better bet.

[IAMHERE]

Do the 'Powers in charge' realize this law has prevented zero alcoholics from getting drunk early in the day ?  It has 'saved' no one at all ?  

[meinphuket]

Those having a licnse to sell alcohol can buy alcohol at any time during store opening hours. The minimum 20L rule for individuals was abolished years ago.

[stephenterry]

In CM the 2-5pm alcohol law is being enforced (or being obeyed) by bars and restaurants in the main strips. Some run with the risks, others don't. It's really a step closer to killing off tourism, apart from the Chinese who don't seem to imbibe. 

 

Of course, long-staying ex-pats have their own watering hole oasis come hell or high-water. And so do the Thais. In Big C food parks where beer is served, all savvy customers just buy jugs and towers before 2pm - which could last them right through to 5pm if so desired. 

 

The law is really not effective, although no doubt posters will state more enforcement on highways will result in less drunk-driving - maybe...

[Parsve]

As said of others, it uses to be like that. But as also said locals sell all the time. If the shop does not have an electronic cash register, they probably will sell to you.

[dallen52]

Do we have a drinking problem in Thailand? 

No...

 

I wake up, I drink, get drunk, fall down, get up again, drink some more.

 

No problem...

 

[Cricky]

21 hours ago, vogie said:

That used to be the law where if you spent over so many thousand baht you could buy alcohol outside the official hours, however the government put a stop to that 3 or 4 years ago and no alcohol can be bought outside the official hours. I have tried to buy, and told politely, no.

Yes, same here.  

[Jimbo1964]

You can get beer delivered to your home. Try this company. A good selection of beers. https://www.wishbeer.com/en/ 

[1337markus]

Interesting debate.  A colleague runs a licensed restaurant in CNX has to abide by the restriction times. Asks me why can hotels sell booze between 2 pm and 5 pm and he cant sell a glass of wine with a late lunch?

[JustinCredible]

22 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Yes it's true,i have seen people at Makro buying

alcohol outside permitted hours,but they have 

always had a few cases on the trolly,and seen

someone knocked back,trying to buy 1 case.

regards worgeordie

 

It is correct that you can get an Exemption Certificate from Makro, BUT to get it you have to produce a Retail Certificate saying that you are Licensed to SELL alcohol - E.g. As a shop owner or Bar etc.

[JustinCredible]

Duplicated post

[Bangkok Barry]

22 hours ago, vogie said:

That used to be the law where if you spent over so many thousand baht you could buy alcohol outside the official hours, however the government put a stop to that 3 or 4 years ago and no alcohol can be bought outside the official hours. I have tried to buy, and told politely, no.

 

That's what I thought. Buying 10 litres or more was okay, I think.

[Thaidream]

Another place to purchase at anytime they are open are the wholesale  stores. You will notice them as they have a huge stock of cases of beer and trunks coming in and buying in bulk.  The will and do sell to anyone who walks in and wants a case and some even have small coolers which sell by the bottle.

 

The way the law is written- bars/restaurants have to stop selling alcohol between 2-5 PM.  However, the BIB do provide brown envelopes to 'purchase' an exception. Hotels are exempt.

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, Pepper9187 said:

Does anyone knows if there is indeed a law which allow you to buy alcohol outside of regular hours but only if you buy a certain quantity, like 2 boxes of beer or something ?

Used to be wholesale of minimum 10 liter that could be combined beer, wine, or stronger alcohol in for example Makro; however a few years ago – I think it's that long time, and probably even by law – it changed, and now you can only buy within the allowed time frames, i.e. noon till 2 pm (if I remember right), and 5 pm till midnight.

 

Perhaps a small local wholesale shop might view the allowed sales frames from a different angle...????

 

EDIT: Time frame is 11 am to 2 pm, I found an article about the change in Thai PBS, back from 2015...
Restricted alcoholic beverages sale times will take effect today throughout the country.

Quote

Also, the old law allows for wholesale purchase of alcohol in excess of 10 liters to be made at any time of the day while any purchase under 10 liters can only be made at the specified times.

 

The new regulation does not allow for this, what matters now are the stated hours for purchase or sale of alcohol irrespective of quantity.

 

Violation of the law is subject six months imprisonment and/or a 10,000 Baht fine.

 

[Knocker33]

22 hours ago, simoh1490 said:

It used to be that commercial enterprises could buy alcohol outside of the prescribed hours but Makro at least seems to have stopped that practice. My local mom and pop store however has no qualms about selling booze to anyone, from the second they wake until the moment they go to sleep.

Macro did stop for a while due to the government p*ssing around with this already stupid law.You can now buy 10 litres or more but you have to hold a bar licence to do so

[JayBird]

I saw a sign at Makro Pattaya that during restricted hours could only buy alcohol in the very large container. Not large quantity of small bottles, but only the super large bottle normally used in restaurants.

 

I figured it was to allow business to do their shopping as normal people would not buy something that huge.

 

This was earlier this year, or late last year. I don't go often.