Thailand to allow alcohol sales after three-week ban: officials

 

FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a protective mask lines up outside a liquour shop after Bangkok and several other provinces announced a 10-day ban on alcohol sale starting April 10 during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bangkok, Thailand, April 9, 2020. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand will end a ban on the sale of alcohol on Sunday when it lifts other restrictions following progress in containing the coronavirus outbreak, two officials said late on Friday.

 

The ban has been in effect since April 10 in a bid to discourage social gatherings.

 

"The new order, which will take effect on Sunday, means you can buy and sell liquor, beer, wine. You can buy from restaurants but only as takeaways. You can buy at convenience stores, supermarkets, anywhere in the country," Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam told Reuters.

 

Bangkok Metropolitan Authority spokesman Pongsakorn Kwangmuang also told Reuters the ban would be lifted in Bangkok on Sunday, and that he will make a formal announcement on Saturday.

 

The change came just a day after the government's Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration said the ban would be extended until further announcement, implying it could last through to May 31, the end date of the recently extended emergency decree.

 

Thailand reported six new coronavirus cases on Friday and no new deaths, taking its tally to 2,960 infections while fatalities remained at 54 since the outbreak began in January.

 

New daily infections have stayed in the single digits for five consecutive days. The six cases also marked the lowest number of new daily infections since early March.

 

The low numbers of cases this week prompted the government to announce on Thursday that it would start easing restrictions on some businesses, which have been forced to close since late March or early April.

 

Outdoor markets, small retailers, street food stalls and restaurants outside shopping malls, parks and outdoor sports facilities, barber shops, and pet groomers, will be allowed to open again on Sunday.

 

(Reporting by Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Kay Johnson and Susan Fenton)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-05-02

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

I guess they managed to strike a deal for 2 billionaire families to "help" them after all..

I wonder how much had to be added to the piggies trough to get the ban lifted ??

12 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

I guess they managed to strike a deal for 2 billionaire families to "help" them after all..

I wonder how much had to be added to the piggies trough to get the ban lifted ??

A 700,000,000 baht pledge from one of those piggies, I'm sure similar from the rest of the oink oinks.

16 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

I guess they managed to strike a deal for 2 billionaire families to "help" them after all..

I wonder how much had to be added to the piggies trough to get the ban lifted ??

You think that announcing that the ban would continue for another month was just a bargaining ploy ?

 

Cynic ????

How did the shares of some companies perform in the last few days?

If this about-face was influenced by lobbying from alcohol producers that earn the govt. billions in excise tax revenues, I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

Much more likely is a belated realisation that an open ended ban on alcohol without plausible explanation was a step too far for middle class voters. The ones that can't be bought and will likely remember come election time.

Well that should stop a few hands from shaking! 

Someone seen the Light 

59 minutes ago, Soupdragon said:

You think that announcing that the ban would continue for another month was just a bargaining ploy ?

 

Cynic ????

Either that or they forgot to clue in the doctor not to make any press announcements till they'd finished talking. 

1 hour ago, Soupdragon said:

Cynic

Realist.

Bring back Singha Light and dump that horrible MyBeer.

 

 

I have emailed Boonrawd Trading Co accordingly....... still waiting for a reply. 

1 hour ago, cornishcarlos said:

I guess they managed to strike a deal for 2 billionaire families to "help" them after all..

I wonder how much had to be added to the piggies trough to get the ban lifted ??

dick move to keep us all hostage

I've not heard an ambulance go bye for a couple of weeks but judging by the way people were driving last night around 6-30 pm they will soon be back in business

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Well that should stop a few hands from shaking! 

Nah there was still supply, but the choices were getting less and less and I can imagine people getting desperate.

Alkies will drink anything and maybe that was the problem

Moonshine galore and people getting sick + people travelling further distances to procure said items

The other thing was an inconvenience/annoyance and in recent days price gouging on the black market

13 minutes ago, LeamchabangLarry said:

dick move to keep us all hostage

 

I'm pretty sure that your needs are close to the bottom of their priority list. 

If they haven't even considered letting foreign spouses back in the country to be with families, then your lack of beer won't phase them one iota.

7 minutes ago, cornishcarlos said:

 

I'm pretty sure that your needs are close to the bottom of their priority list. 

If they haven't even considered letting foreign spouses back in the country to be with families, then your lack of beer won't phase them one iota.

dick moves all around

1 minute ago, LeamchabangLarry said:

dick moves all around

 

I agree...

This is the 2-day window, it’ll be banned again on Tuesday

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Well that should stop a few hands from shaking! 

I know just what you mean

Terrible headline given all the recent flip flops

11 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

This is the 2-day window, it’ll be banned again on Tuesday

A keyboard killjoy's work is never complete...

1 hour ago, PatOngo said:

Well that should stop a few hands from shaking! 

Abbbboutttt ddddarnnnn tttttttime tttttttooooo,,,,,,,,,,,

Common sense at last.....I can now get back to where I left off...........................

I find it sad that a previous thread announcing the lifting of the alcohol ban attracted 13 pages of comments, however, really important news about the ozone layer and the rejuvenating of nature in National Parks barely mustered a handful of comments!  I choose not to drink alcohol, but I am appalled by the number of people on this forum who see it as the only reason to live! Alcohol does not make the world go round! (unless you drink too much of course). 

4 minutes ago, graemeaylward said:

I find it sad that a previous thread announcing the lifting of the alcohol ban attracted 13 pages of comments, however, really important news about the ozone layer and the rejuvenating of nature in National Parks barely mustered a handful of comments!  I choose not to drink alcohol, but I am appalled by the number of people on this forum who see it as the only reason to live! Alcohol does not make the world go round! (unless you drink too much of course). 

I'll certainly drink to the ozone hole closing and will be raising a toast tomorrow at lunch

Could not organise a **** up at Nana Plaza comes to mind

1 minute ago, graemeaylward said:

I find it sad that a previous thread announcing the lifting of the alcohol ban attracted 13 pages of comments, however, really important news about the ozone layer and the rejuvenating of nature in National Parks barely mustered a handful of comments!  I choose not to drink alcohol, but I am appalled by the number of people on this forum who see it as the only reason to live! Alcohol does not make the world go round! (unless you drink too much of course). 

Most of the posts re this topic (alcohol ban) were not about availability of alcohol.

I posted many many times and I personally have unlimited alcohol available.

It was about having sensible rules to help us all through this period. Rules not just for useless suppression. 

 

14 minutes ago, AhFarangJa said:

Abbbboutttt ddddarnnnn tttttttime tttttttooooo,,,,,,,,,,,

ddddammit, you bbbbeat me tttto it!

27 minutes ago, transam said:

Common sense at last.....I can now get back to where I left off...........................

Ye Sir, But do you remember where you left off.............

45 minutes ago, cyril sneer said:

This is the 2-day window, it’ll be banned again on Tuesday

Is that when they publish the road death figures for the songkran period this year?

The expected massive reduction

may tempt them to ban alcohol sales every year at songkran.

On the other hand they could cancel songkran every year if it saves so many lives.

That would sure generate a lot of comment and opinion on TV.