Thailand’s alcohol ban means Brit holidaymakers won’t be able to buy any booze ahead of the country’s elections

[webfact]

HOL SOBERING 

Thailand’s alcohol ban means Brit holidaymakers won’t be able to buy any booze ahead of the country’s elections

The ban will take place this weekend for 24 hours across shops and bars

By Kara Godfrey

 

 

Brits will be unable to buy alcohol for 24 hours this weekend

 

BRITS on holiday in Thailand will be banned from buying any alcohol while in the country due to the upcoming election.

 

The strict law means that anyone who flouts the ban could face jail time as well as a fine. There will be no alcohol available for sale anywhere for 24 hours from 6pm on March 23 until 6pm on March 24.

 

The election itself will be taking place on March 24, with polls closing at 5pm. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Col Sermpan Sirikong told The Phuket News: "The ban on the sale of alcohol is mandatory by law.

 

"Police will enforce it that same as we do for the five Buddhist religious days throughout the year. "I believe that foreign tourists will understand that this is law must be followed. "

 

Full story: https://www.thesun.co.uk/travel/8663732/thailand-alcohol-ban-brit-holidaymakers/

 

--The SUN 2019-03-22

[inThailand]

Brits stock up, its going to be a long 24 hours. 

[bdenner]

Only the Brits, that's a relief!

[ukrules]

57 minutes ago, webfact said:

"I believe that foreign tourists will understand that this is law must be followed. "

Yes, they understand completely but they will go somewhere else instead of Thailand, especially people coming for the weekend.

[SweetStickyRice]

This law should not apply to farangs who don't have rights to vote. That's all farangs.

[quandow]

I just LOVE these fables. "No alcohol available." HAHAHAHAHA!!!

[PingRoundTheWorld]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"I believe that foreign tourists will understand that this is law must be followed. "

No. I do not understand. Banning alcohol for an election to begin with is ridiculous, but to apply it to foreigners who can't vote is just stupid. I've been in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and it was so refreshing to have nightlife there every night until 5am or later, after seeing police shut down Bangkok nightlife at 2-3am night after night recently. Thailand has more going for it than nightlife, but eventually people will have enough of this bullshit and just go somewhere else. It's already happening. My friends were supposed to come for the weekend but changed their destination when they heard about the booze ban. I extended my stay in the Philippines for a week when I heard about last weekend's booze ban. It's not "just one day" as some people here think - it's the primary reason why a great many tourists come to Thailand to begin with - party. Or I suppose Indian and Chinese tourists are better? lol.

[stanleycoin]

Bloody idiots,  if they think we are done for.

We will alway find a way,  we will never give up.

 

 

 

[JAG]

Perceptions count for a lot. The perception which this sort of coverage creates, along with stories of swinging fines for "smoking on the beach" and "vaping" will (perhaps as has been mentioned already has) lead to holidaymakers) going elsewhere.

 

Twenty years ago Thailand was the place to go for an Asian holiday. There are many alternatives now.

 

Chinese and Indian tourism may well bring in large amounts of visitors. They may spend large sums of money but I suspect that those visitors will not disperse their money as widely as the westerners. Of course that may be what those who control the bulk of the countries commercial and economic activities prefer!

Edited March 21, 2019 by JAG

[leeneeds]

A ban on selling?

does this include all mini bars in hotels being emptied?

 

[Andyfez]

Is this really headline news?

One of the most common headlines on Thai visa.

Crisis!.... What crisis??.....

[regensburg]

1 hour ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

No. I do not understand. Banning alcohol for an election to begin with is ridiculous, but to apply it to foreigners who can't vote is just stupid. I've been in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and it was so refreshing to have nightlife there every night until 5am or later, after seeing police shut down Bangkok nightlife at 2-3am night after night recently. Thailand has more going for it than nightlife, but eventually people will have enough of this bullshit and just go somewhere else. It's already happening. My friends were supposed to come for the weekend but changed their destination when they heard about the booze ban. I extended my stay in the Philippines for a week when I heard about last weekend's booze ban. It's not "just one day" as some people here think - it's the primary reason why a great many tourists come to Thailand to begin with - party. Or I suppose Indian and Chinese tourists are better? lol.

Also PI when elections also alcohol is banned and that lasts at least a couple of DAYS

[simon43]

Brits stock up, its going to be a long 24 hours. 

 

Jeez, how pathetic if you can't manage 24 hours without alcohol....

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Make a bet!

[bkkcanuck8]

Just now, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Jeez, how pathetic if you can't manage 24 hours without alcohol....

or can't plan ahead if you cannot manage 24 hours without alcohol...

[HighPriority]

3 hours ago, bdenner said:

Only the Brits, that's a relief!

Times like this is even better to be an Aussie ????????????

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed.

 

[inThailand]

Maybe canadiates who oppose the election no booze law will garnish more votes? Are any TV posters running? 

[AhFarangJa]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The strict law means that anyone who flouts the ban could face jail time as well as a fine. There will be no alcohol available for sale anywhere for 24 hours from 6pm on March 23 until 6pm on March 24.

You want to make a small wager on that....................

[fantom]

King Power sells duty free alcohol airside at international airports in Thailand.

A rhetorical question, will they ban duty free sales of alcohol to arriving international passengers during the banning period?

[Orton Rd]

I still don't understand the restricted buying laws everyday, especially when they cannot serve you a glass of wine in a restaurant at 4PM. Nor can I understand the pointless censoring of guns, booze, smokes and wounds, none of them real, on tv programs. Must be something to do with being foreign.

[sjbrownderby]

1 hour ago, stanleycoin said:

Bloody idiots,  if they think we are done for.

We will alway find a way,  we will never give up.

Yes........two World Wars and a World Cup..........They need us more than we need them.....etc, etc.  

[Tropicalevo]

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

Yes, they understand completely but they will go somewhere else instead of Thailand, especially people coming for the weekend.

Do many Brits really come to Thailand just for the weekend?

[Orton Rd]

When was the last time anyone was taken to court for selling during 'banned' times? daft buggers.

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

No. I do not understand. Banning alcohol for an election to begin with is ridiculous, but to apply it to foreigners who can't vote is just stupid. I've been in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and it was so refreshing to have nightlife there every night until 5am or later, after seeing police shut down Bangkok nightlife at 2-3am night after night recently.

 

3 hours ago, SweetStickyRice said:

This law should not apply to farangs who don't have rights to vote. That's all farangs.

So, let me see if I have understood this correctly:-

 

People are happy to have different laws for Thais v farangs when it comes to alcohol, but not different pricing when it comes to entry fees for national parks, temples etc???

 

Do they have different laws for foreigners in the Phillipines or anywhere else for that matter?

 

On a personal note to PingRoundTheWorld, if you are like other tourists that sometimes stay near my place, and come home shouting, singing, retching and revving up your motorbike at 5 am in the morning, then please stay in the Philippines.

 

[sammieuk1]

I doubt many Brit holiday makers can afford to buy it with their watered down pound????

[robblok]

Most people I know might not like it but would not change their holiday for it. Strange that this kind of articles never posted in our tabloids back home. Just cultural that Brits worry about stuff like that and put it in their tabloids. 

 

In general I am against alcohol and drug use bans, but before an election I can live with that. Also we all know that in Thailand blanket bans work better then enforcement of for instance they could not even enforce beach chairs had to ban them totally. It would be impractical to NOT implement a general ban. I know the moaners here would not agree.

 

With a ban for election its ok, but all those bans for religious reasons that is not ok with me. Just think its crazy. 

 

I do wonder who really bases its holiday only on alcohol, besides the article is a bit late for those that have booked already.

[fraggleRock]

57 minutes ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Jeez, how pathetic if you can't manage 24 hours without alcohol....

I don't drink, but I still feel a blanket ban is stupid - people come here to party or simply to socialize and part of that maybe is having anything from a red wine to a rooftop cocktail or beers with the lads.  To me this is Thailand subversively admitting the country has alcohol issues *drink driving, mainly* within its own population.  Who wants to spend 700 quid for a flight to go to a dry beach bar on the other-side of the world on a Saturday night, when you can for the same price or cheaper in the case of surrounding countries have no restriction to enjoy yourself - My last trip about town I didn't see many Indians, Chinese or Arabs *one time tourists* spending bhat in the bars and clubs so to ban hits the entertainment industry - end to end.... which would collapse without the 'farangs' being here...

[Liverpudlian]

Just say fair dinkum cobber ! glass O grog mate please ????

[shaurene]

If you live close to  village and they know you go to the local corner shop with a bag, they will sell you some.