Thailand and its fight against Alcohol

[sipi]

I'm really scratching my head when the evening curfew came in?

2012?

Any takers?

[Excel]

1 hour ago, madmitch said:

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

Hardly, its all about money and bribery

[madmitch]

1 hour ago, sipi said:

I'm really scratching my head when the evening curfew came in?

2012?

Any takers?

It was dining the Thaksin era with Purachai's social order campaign, so much earlier than that.

 

Actually just looked it up and here's an article explaining all.

 

https://bangkokunmasked.com/2018/03/08/bangkok-closing-time-earlier-think/

[sipi]

29 minutes ago, madmitch said:

It was dining the Thaksin era with Purachai's social order campaign, so much earlier than that.

 

Actually just looked it up and here's an article explaining all.

 

https://bangkokunmasked.com/2018/03/08/bangkok-closing-time-earlier-think/

Ok thanks. I was thinking more along the lines of takeaways but that is still interesting info.

[Susco]

4 hours ago, sipi said:

I believe the 14.00 to 17.00 curfew was bought in originally to stop school kids buying alcohol.

 

Never understood that either, because somewhere between 11am and 2pm they have lunch break, so they can go buy alcohol.

 

At 5pm schools end, so they can buy alcohol again.

[sipi]

24 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

Never understood that either, because somewhere between 11am and 2pm they have lunch break, so they can go buy alcohol.

 

At 5pm schools end, so they can buy alcohol again.

Yeah makes no sense to me either, but it's what I've been told by friends and family.

Maybe they got it wrong lol, but I can't think of any other logical reason.

 

Edit. https://tastythailand.com/when-can-you-buy-alcohol-in-thailand-not-between-2-5pm-or-buddhist-holidays-daily-photo/

So my memory and friends and family are still intact. Who would have thought.

Thanks Google.

 

Double edit..

I'm still thinking 2012/2013, but could be wrong there.

Edited June 18, 2021 by sipi

[sipi]

Well look at this. December 2011. So old Sipi hasn't lost his marbles yet.

[sipi]

4 hours ago, samtam said:

 

Oh yes, I do remember when I was a school kid how every day after school, (which finished at 2 pm????), that the first thing I did was go along to the wine shop, and bought a vat of vodka...said no one.

 

 

 

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

 

https://tastythailand.com/when-can-you-buy-alcohol-in-thailand-not-between-2-5pm-or-buddhist-holidays-daily-photo/#:~:text=You cannot buy alcohol in Thailand between the hours of,any day of the week.&text=This is because the Thai,banned between 2 and 5pm.

 

Next.....

 

 

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

I heard the afternoon ban was to curb people leaving work early to drink. Or drinking on their lunch break only to come back tipsy, or not come back at all.

 

But I also heard this is only enforced at supermarkets and corporate chains as they don't want to harm mom and pop businesses, where you can still score your hooch in the afternoon if you really want it.

 

This is however, enforced for everyone on Big Buddha days. Unless you're like some people I know, who know which mom and pops to go to, who'll hide the bottles in boxes or paper bags.

[LawrenceN]

16 hours ago, WineOh said:

As Thailand is a Buddhist country and has a solid conservative core, many older Thais view drinking as a sin.

Yes, this is true. Plus the fact that, if you talk to the working class, the point of drinking is to get drunk. It took years for my lovely wife, Thai-Chinese from Phayao, to stop warning me that I was "going to get drunk" every time I had ONE beer.

 

Used to be, if you were in a restaurant having a beer with a meal, the servers would bring another beer when a bottle was empty, without being asked. They sold more beer that way, I guess. I haven't seen that recently. Maybe the "leadership" has had some influence. 

[findlay13]

16 hours ago, 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.

 Taksin brought that rule in .Along with stopping petrol from being sold from midnight. and shopping centres not opening until 10.00am. It was some idea to save power and the booze ban to stop kids buying it. ????

Edited June 19, 2021 by findlay13

[ChipButty]

11 hours ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

I heard the afternoon ban was to curb people leaving work early to drink. Or drinking on their lunch break only to come back tipsy, or not come back at all.

 

But I also heard this is only enforced at supermarkets and corporate chains as they don't want to harm mom and pop businesses, where you can still score your hooch in the afternoon if you really want it.

 

This is however, enforced for everyone on Big Buddha days. Unless you're like some people I know, who know which mom and pops to go to, who'll hide the bottles in boxes or paper bags.

Just buy the day before 

[ChipButty]

5 minutes ago, findlay13 said:

 Taksin brought that rule in .Along with stopping petrol from being sold from midnight. and shopping centres not opening until 10.00am. It was some idea to save power and the booze ban to stop kids buying it. ????

I think it was from 10 pm for petrol I got stuck on gas station one night in Chumpon slept in the car till 5 am good job there was a 7/11 on that one, 

[sandyf]

16 hours ago, 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

The problem is not unique to Thailand.

Imagine the uproar on this forum if Thailand were to follow Scotland.

 

• The introduction of minimum unit pricing for all alcohol sold in Scotland (passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2012; enacted May 2018)
• https://www.shaap.org.uk/policy/scotland.html

[Excel]

1 minute ago, sandyf said:

The problem is not unique to Thailand.

Imagine the uproar on this forum if Thailand were to follow Scotland.

 

• The introduction of minimum unit pricing for all alcohol sold in Scotland (passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2012; enacted May 2018)
• https://www.shaap.org.uk/policy/scotland.html

But fortunately, or unfortunately, the Thai government pays no attention to whatever is said on this forum.

[Chris747]

a bit OT but i wonder if there's a Thai word or phrase that can be translated to "Addiction" or "being addicted to something" in the same (negative) context as in other languages.

[Scottie12]

I am very much in the senior category and have met many older Thais who love a drink, I have never met one who views drinking alcohol as a sin.

[khunjeff]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

The problem is not unique to Thailand.

Imagine the uproar on this forum if Thailand were to follow Scotland.

 

• The introduction of minimum unit pricing for all alcohol sold in Scotland (passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2012; enacted May 2018)
• https://www.shaap.org.uk/policy/scotland.html

 

Actually, minimum unit pricing would probably be far more effective at suppressing alcoholism here than any of the other idiotic strategies they've chosen, as the great majority of alcohol by volume consumed is in the form of low-priced lao khao (sticky rice spirit). But that would be (correctly) perceived as discriminatory against the poor, and would likely kill any chance of getting rural votes.

[Henryford]

I am sure the rich Shingha/Chang families would never allow alcohol to be banned. They just don't want any competition.

[itsari]

Many countries have made alcoholism a disease . They then are given sick pay , early pensions and so on . One reason for making it law was that there were so many academics inflicted with the so called  disease . 

So you don't need to be the village idiot . 

Alcohol is a bigger killer than drugs .

Moderation is the key

[Dirk Z]

I recently had a box of wine delivered that I ordered on a website. Too far away to pick up myself or too heavy to carry ????

[Scott Tracy]

19 hours ago, WineOh said:

As Thailand is a Buddhist country and has a solid conservative core, many older Thais view drinking as a sin.

 

not round here it's not. Mostly older people drinking, starting sometimes 7-8 in the morning.

[Excel]

3 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

 

not round here it's not. Mostly older people drinking, starting sometimes 7-8 in the morning.

Nor anywhere where I have been or currently live. Given the hard life many of them lead I suspect is is just a way of escaping lifes realities for many.

[canthai55]

1 hour ago, itsari said:

Many countries have made alcoholism a disease .

About time.

Some hope for the world yet

 

 

[phetphet]

20 hours ago, WineOh said:

I think I can.

 

As Thailand is a Buddhist country and has a solid conservative core, many older Thais view drinking as a sin.

 

Hence why, since the ultra right-wing conservative army stole power in 2014, there has been a war waged on the alcohol industry via heavy taxation and regulation.

 

Ultimately the junta would love to do away with drinking all together, though they know that it is practically impossible so they opt for the next best thing - milk as much money from the sale of booze as they can whilst simultaneously being actively seen trying to discourage the promotion of alcohol to appease their right wing core constituents.

 

 

You forgot the bit about " While enjoying expensive wines and liquors themselves.

 

As for the times of sale in the OP.

Growing up in the UK, I remember there were similar time restrictions on the sale of alcohol,  and the opening of pubs and "off licences" where alcohol was sold. 11am -2pm in the morning and 5pm -11pm in the evenings. I think earlier on Sundays

Nowadays with this 24/7 culture, one can buy at all hours in London. Maybe the Thais will catch up eventually.

[tinca tinca]

20 hours ago, WineOh said:

I think I can.

 

As Thailand is a Buddhist country and has a solid conservative core, many older Thais view drinking as a sin.

 

Hence why, since the ultra right-wing conservative army stole power in 2014, there has been a war waged on the alcohol industry via heavy taxation and regulation.

 

Ultimately the junta would love to do away with drinking all together, though they know that it is practically impossible so they opt for the next best thing - milk as much money from the sale of booze as they can whilst simultaneously being actively seen trying to discourage the promotion of alcohol to appease their right wing core constituents.

 

 

BANNING ALCOHOL does not stop this virus, does it......not in my opinion.....

[tinca tinca]

20 hours ago, sipi said:

I believe the 14.00 to 17.00 curfew was bought in originally to stop school kids buying alcohol.

Other than that I got no idea.

if they wanted to buy then they could go to any warehouse, selling booze and buy   out side the hours..

I always buy from warehouse anytime during the day....like i bought some leo yesterday at 3.10 pm

[Bangkok Barry]

20 hours ago, sipi said:

I believe the 14.00 to 17.00 curfew was bought in originally to stop school kids buying alcohol.

Other than that I got no idea.

 

It was. And, instead of doing the sensible thing - impossible in Thailand, I know - of requiring the kids to show the ID that every Thai carries to confirm their age, they ban the sales to everyone. Idiots.
 

Same with the ban on ordering online. To do that you need a credit card. Do underage kids have credit cards? No. It's all about control. Nothing else. And that is also why we read of uniforms coming in and closing down bars in the evening at, say, midnight, simply because they can. Good for the tourist trade, that, when Thailand had one. Where else can you go on holiday and have police randomly shut bars that are trading legally. Something to tell the folks back home though.

 

And, re online sales, is it also against the law to pick up your phone and order? If not, then what is the point of the online ban?

[connda]

Probably hear it from older Thai women.
Most the the men I know in our village drink and many drink a lot. 

But at the top with the power elite? It seems the power elite are in a constant battle to make sure commoners don't feel too good.  Hence 85% of Thai prison populations are jailed on drug charges.  And now it seem there is a full-court press on a Neo-Prohibition. 

[connda]

19 hours ago, ed strong said:

Yes is bizarre, you either embrace it or ban it, however its a great tool for control. I think they just like to reinstall that they are in control and can issue whatever orders they like without complaints or any reprecusions.

200% ????