Thailand and its fight against Alcohol

[kynikoi]

Should just ban that Lao Khao in brown bottles. That should do the trick. Poison, literally.

[kynikoi]

I remember living in Pattaya 15++ years ago. Take a bunch of tramps out for day drunkenness and mayhem. Sometimes down to Ban Sare but usually just on the beach. Start drinking around 11am. Lots of food and fun. Near sunset all the pettiness, jealousy, etc comes bubbling out. Food fights common and often somewhat physical. Like a bunch of 11 yos. Always bickering who goes home with you bc that one prolly gets bf for the next drunken party sure. Gets put on the 'i need a 500b can I come see you now" list. Lol good times

Edited June 19, 2021 by kynikoi

[sanuk711]

[nkg]

41 minutes ago, kynikoi said:

Should just ban that Lao Khao in brown bottles. That should do the trick. Poison, literally.

 

 

Several million Thais would react very poorly to that decision. Which is why it will never happen.

[sipi]

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

 

If you were doing a beer run you may have been permitted to purchase under a volume exemption that I believe is/was a part of the legislation. I seem to recall stories in the past where people were able to buy in "bulk" from wholesalers at any time.

 

Or it's possible that the shop just sold it to you in spite of the law. 2010 was only 2 years after the law was passed so enforcement was almost certainly still more lax then than it is now.

 

Anyway the article I linked quotes the actual legal directive and the date it started from.

 

I was only trying to help you satisfy a curiosity that you expressed a wish for clarification on. I wasn't expecting such a defensive response. I shall think twice before doing so again.

Too many words.

Defensive?

I think you missed the bit where I said I don't give a toss.

It was introduced in December 2011. Get over it.

Edited June 19, 2021 by sipi

[sipi]

8 hours ago, JayClay said:

 

You're well off. I think the previous guess of 2006 sounds closer to the mark.

 

I first visited in 2004 and it wasn't in force then. I visited again in 2006.... I can't remember if it was in force for that visit. I however visited many times between 2006 and the time I moved here in 2012 and for most of my visits it was in force.

 

I remember in the early years before 7/11 had their cash registers reprogrammed  you could often get away by playing dumb with the staff, pretending you don't understand and providing age verification ID when the staff initially refused you. Sometimes they'd relent and just sell it to you anyway.

 

It's a law that I'm surprised has survived... CP group must put massive pressure on the govt to change it. I guess it's the only thing keeping a lot of the mom n pop shops afloat though so it actually serves some kind of economic purpose in that respect.

And if you start your reply post with "you're well off" get your facts straight.

December 2011. Lock it in.

Edited June 19, 2021 by sipi

[Leaver]

4 hours ago, nkg said:

 

 

Several million Thais would react very poorly to that decision. Which is why it will never happen.

 

Why would authorities care?  It's not like votes count here anymore.  ????

[Chelseafan]

On 6/18/2021 at 10:00 AM, samtam said:

 

Exactly, Coke and any of that stuff is lethal. There's nothing wrong with water.

 

It is if its yellow

[starky]

Can anyone shed some light why falangs in Thailand have such a problem with alcohol? 

  Why not being able to buy alcohol at certain times of the day causes so much distress or why not being able to buy alcohol on certain religious holidays causes such indignant outrage?

 Or why this forum needs so many threads on where to buy alcohol, when to buy alcohol, which is the best beer, which is the cheapest beer, where to buy the cheapest beer. F f s

I honestly don't think the alcohol problem is with Thailand .

[jak2002003]

18 minutes ago, starky said:

Can anyone shed some light why falangs in Thailand have such a problem with alcohol? 

  Why not being able to buy alcohol at certain times of the day causes so much distress or why not being able to buy alcohol on certain religious holidays causes such indignant outrage?

 Or why this forum needs so many threads on where to buy alcohol, when to buy alcohol, which is the best beer, which is the cheapest beer, where to buy the cheapest beer. F f s

I honestly don't think the alcohol problem is with Thailand .

It's just the pettiness and inconvenience of the laws and rules.

 

It's irritating when you are shopping and see a bottle of wine, for example, that you want to buy just then, only to realise the time is when you can't buy it. Going home and going back to the shop is a waste of time.

 

Also, tourists that don't know about the religious holiday or happen to arrive here when there is some local election or other random event and they go out to bar or restaurant only to be told it's a no alcohol day.

 

It s not a massive issue.  It's just insane and pointless....that is why many of us farangs will moan about it.   We don't have a problem with alcohol, just the red tape and unnecessary extra tax and cost on it for no apparent reason, and the way the rules keep changing, such as not allowing alcohol promotions, no sale of it online, even with you normal shopping. 

 

 You are trying to infer that we are alcoholics?  I think an alcoholic would have plenty of booze in the house, or know some local village shop, they could get their fix anyway....so would not have reason to moan about it on TVF.

 

 

[JayClay]

9 hours ago, sipi said:

And if you start your reply post with "you're well off" get your facts straight.

December 2011. Lock it in.

 

From defensive to out-right confrontational. Nice.

 

I'm never too small to admit when I'm wrong, so if you can provide a source to confirm 2011 I'll happily do so. The source I linked to says 2008, which fits with my recollections.

 

Apparently the law was ammended in 2015 which, among other things, brought an end to wholesale purchase between those times. I image this was also when restaurant s in shopping centres started putting restrictions in place between these times. I remember the first time I was refused a few years ago. It was in a new shopping centre and I remember thinking to myself "the owners of this mall have totally misunderstood the 2-5 law". I didn't realize (until today) that it had actually been superseded by stricter measures.

 

[JayClay]

5 hours ago, starky said:

Can anyone shed some light why falangs in Thailand have such a problem with alcohol?

 

I think Jak summed it up perfectly. It's not a massive problem it's just an unnecessary nuisance. And the "outrage" to which you refer is just basic commentary on the place that we live, much like the numerous threads on road safety, "Thai logic", dowery payments, the virtues of marrying a bar girl, prices in supermarkets.

 

I don't think that the drinking laws threads outweigh any other type of thread that comes up time and time again; there's just a certain type of person who feels the need to come into every thread and accuse every single person who has a negative view on the law of having a drinking problem. Some people will only see what they want to see.

 

 

[starky]

42 minutes ago, JayClay said:

 

I think Jak summed it up perfectly. It's not a massive problem it's just an unnecessary nuisance. And the "outrage" to which you refer is just basic commentary on the place that we live, much like the numerous threads on road safety, "Thai logic", dowery payments, the virtues of marrying a bar girl, prices in supermarkets.

 

I don't think that the drinking laws threads outweigh any other type of thread that comes up time and time again; there's just a certain type of person who feels the need to come into every thread and accuse every single person who has a negative view on the law of having a drinking problem. Some people will only see what they want to see.

 

 

Come into thread? accuse every single person?  having a drinking problem? Generalise much? 

   Personally I was just turning the wording of the OP on its head for a bit of the old Sunday morning levity.  But you see what ever you want to see. Lol

[sipi]

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

Edit. I was gonna reply but frankly I've got better things to do.

Edited June 20, 2021 by sipi

[sipi]

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

 

From defensive to out-right confrontational. Nice.

 

I'm never too small to admit when I'm wrong, so if you can provide a source to confirm 2011 I'll happily do so. The source I linked to says 2008, which fits with my recollections.

 

Apparently the law was ammended in 2015 which, among other things, brought an end to wholesale purchase between those times. I image this was also when restaurant s in shopping centres started putting restrictions in place between these times. I remember the first time I was refused a few years ago. It was in a new shopping centre and I remember thinking to myself "the owners of this mall have totally misunderstood the 2-5 law". I didn't realize (until today) that it had actually been superseded by stricter measures.

 

I have no idea when the bill was introduced to Parliament, and I don't care.

Checking in with the others up here, we could still buy alcohol in the local shops until at least 2010, possibly late 2011.

Boots on the ground not some google clap trap.

[Saltire]

7 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

It's just the pettiness and inconvenience of the laws and rules.

 

It's irritating when you are shopping and see a bottle of wine, for example, that you want to buy just then, only to realise the time is when you can't buy it. Going home and going back to the shop is a waste of time.

 

This happens to me a disproportionate number of times!

 

Very irritating !

[jomtienisgood]

14 hours ago, tinca tinca said:

a shop other than tesco, makro, 7/11, family mart. There are 5 so called warehouses not far from me....

one on thereppasit road, one on wat boom, one on second road 3 down chairypreuk road

OK. I see what you mean.. We call it wholesale shop, just a matter of words and not important. By the way that's where I go too.

[jomtienisgood]

1 hour ago, sipi said:

I have no idea when the bill was introduced to Parliament, and I don't care.

Checking in with the others up here, we could still buy alcohol in the local shops until at least 2010, possibly late 2011.

Boots on the ground not some google clap trap.

You can still buy any time of the day, as long as it's a shop that doesn't have a clocked cash register....

[sipi]

Anyway JayClay. I'm not being confrontational or defensive. This is me. Let's shake hands and settle this like men.

Hey Transam, what year did they change the alcohol shopping times.. ????

[jomtienisgood]

15 minutes ago, sipi said:

Anyway JayClay. I'm not being confrontational or defensive. This is me. Let's shake hands and settle this like men.

Hey Transam, what year did they change the alcohol shopping times.. ????

Just go talk about it around a beer. 55555????????????

[sipi]

11 minutes ago, jomtienisgood said:

You can still buy any time of the day, as long as it's a shop that doesn't have a clocked cash register....

Aha. The riddle finally solved.

Thank you.

[jomtienisgood]

6 minutes ago, sipi said:

Aha. The riddle finally solved.

Thank you.

Too much fun around these 4 pages, I'm getting outta here. Going to buy a beer across the road.????????

[BangkokReady]

On 6/18/2021 at 2:39 PM, daviddunham said:

Anyone can shed some light on why Thailand has such a problem with alcohol?!

 

Pretty sure I can answer most of these.

 

On 6/18/2021 at 2:39 PM, daviddunham said:

- No alcohol in quarantine (only country in the world)

 

To prevent people from getting drunk and doing something that might violate the conditions of quarantine.  You might say "but why not just allow them a few glasses a night?" well that's not how Thailand works, it's pretty much all or nothing when it comes to these kinds of restrictions.  Especially needed as people tend to leave their good judgment at the door when they come to Thailand.

 

On 6/18/2021 at 2:39 PM, daviddunham said:

- No alcohol in restaurants (treat serving food differently than serving alcohol, again ...don't know any other country that does that)

 

Again, with Thailand, if they allow alcohol in restaurants, people will be drinking like they are in a bar with some token "meals" to get round the rules.

 

On 6/18/2021 at 2:39 PM, daviddunham said:

- No alcohol ordering online

 

I think this one might be business competition related.

 

On 6/18/2021 at 2:39 PM, daviddunham said:

- No alcohol purchase outside 11:00 - 14:00 and 17:00 - 00:00

 

This is to do with the times that school children are around.

 

On 6/18/2021 at 2:39 PM, daviddunham said:

- No alcohol purchase (complete ban) in bangkok in april 2020

 

That was part of the anti-covid measures.  Basically, the authorities were unable to completely stop private gatherings as they just don't have the man-power.  They banned alcohol to reduce the amount of gatherings.

 

Hope that helps.

[seancbk]

On 6/18/2021 at 3:37 PM, Disparate Dan said:

What's an alcoholic anyway? Someone who drinks more than their doctor.........

 

 

 

Someone who get upset that they can't drink alcohol with a meal when water will suffice.   Or can't go two weeks in quarantine without alcohol.

 

 

[cdemundo]

On 6/18/2021 at 1:28 AM, Excel said:

Maybe someone with specific knowledge will add to this but a good friend of mine is an Alcoholic. He goes to AA meetings almost everywhere he is and that includes while he has been living here.

 

Now for those of you that don't know how to help yourself if you are an alcoholic, you first have to admit to those at the meeting that you are an alcoholic. Don't know but that must take some guts to do first time.   I asked my pal about AA meetings for Thais and he did say there are several but as a rule not as well attended as other meeting around the world that he has attended.  His explanation for that is that as we all know Thais suffer from the "Face" issue so if it takes guts for others to stand up and admit he or she is an alcoholic think what it takes for a Thai. Maybe that is one reason there are so many alcoholics . I don't know whether that has any impact or not as I m not an alcoholic but maybe  some further input from members that are could enlighten us further

I am a clean and sober person, in the West most people understand that it is for a reason.

When they know I don't drink alcohol Thai people tend to think it would be a funny joke to sneak an alcoholic beverage to me.

People who I consider my friends have tried this and I know they thought it was harmless.

I have found that if I say I pledged sobriety to Ganesha they respect that and don't try and sneak liquor into my CocaCola.

The concept of choosing not to drink seems only to make sense to Thai folks in the context of a religious or spiritual pledge.

The idea that a drunk could get sober and stay sober doesn't seem to resonate.

Just my experience and interpretation.

 

[JayClay]

2 hours ago, sipi said:

Anyway JayClay. I'm not being confrontational or defensive. This is me. Let's shake hands and settle this like men.

 

Sure, no problem ????

Edited June 20, 2021 by JayClay

[sipi]

28 minutes ago, JayClay said:

 

Sure, no problem ????

Ahh nice. You one, me nil. I owe you a beer.

So back to that argument about whether we went to the moon or not? ????

Edit..

13 years ago. My god it felt like yesterday. How time flies. I honestly thought it was later than that.

Edited June 20, 2021 by sipi

[herfiehandbag]

On 6/18/2021 at 4:11 PM, madmitch said:

It's ironic that ThaiBev and Boon Rawd are two of the Government's biggest sponsors.

I am quite surprised that they have not brought their "influence" to bear on the bar closures - must be affecting their trade...

 

To return to why the government seems to have such a down on booze - I think it is just control - the smack of firm government, remember we are in charge. Religion and /or morality don't really feature in anything else they do!

[robblok]

On 6/18/2021 at 3:07 PM, Surelynot said:

Well some of those restrictions listed are quarantine related and will disappear................... leaving ordering online and the time ban.

 

I can understand no ordering online.........so the only mystery is the time ban.....which I agree seem crazy.......if they don't want school kids to buy alcohol (sensible) you make it a severely punishable offense for the shop owners to sell it school kids.

The reason for the 14.00-1700 is logical but anoying. You said make it so that shops can be fined for selling to kids. I think that is already the case but its hard to fine a shop and catch them in the act. So this ban makes it easy to enforce. Now all the need to do is check the till receipts and they know  (easy check) opposed to having to check and fine 711's and others.

 

So its just an issue of enforcement. I get it but its still hard for the rest.

 

The other restrictions of no alcohol in ASQ is just logical but the alcohol drinkers will never accept their drug being a source of trouble. Most people who drink stay normal but 14 days locked up lots of alcohol will make people do crazy things best to just prevent it.

 

I must say people who can't live with alcohol for 14 days should just not travel. If you can't give up the drink for such a short time you have problem.

[robblok]

2 hours ago, cdemundo said:

I am a clean and sober person, in the West most people understand that it is for a reason.

When they know I don't drink alcohol Thai people tend to think it would be a funny joke to sneak an alcoholic beverage to me.

People who I consider my friends have tried this and I know they thought it was harmless.

I have found that if I say I pledged sobriety to Ganesha they respect that and don't try and sneak liquor into my CocaCola.

The concept of choosing not to drink seems only to make sense to Thai folks in the context of a religious or spiritual pledge.

The idea that a drunk could get sober and stay sober doesn't seem to resonate.

Just my experience and interpretation.

 

People have been sneaking stuff in your drink when you say you don't drink and you call them friends. That is totally crazy an unacceptable.