Alcohol

[sambum]

8 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

You city slickers need to move away from those repressed areas.

As no such uptight and made up restrictions exist in the real rural environs.

The law/restrictions exist - just nobody to enforce it in the rural environs.

[sambum]

8 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

The way I am reading thesis government steps is not anti-alcohol but rather aimed at discouraging gatherings like the ones refer to as they have the potential of spreading Covid.

And forming anti Government protest groups?

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

It's not as bad as breaking the speed limit

Grey area…

 

In the Uk I was ticketed for 33mph in a 30mph zone. 
 

Hardly a major crime… 

 

 

Its all about perspective & balance….

I’m not going to drive 100mph through a 30mph zone, neither am I going to have 15 bees & drive…

 

I’m not going to do 50 though a 30 zone or have 4 beers & drive. 
 

But I might accidentally sneak up to 40mph or drive (nearby after 2 beers). 
 

I’ll drive past the school zone at 20mph… slower if lots of kids are around. 
 

etc etc etc… all balance &

perspective.

 

Not many of us throw out reckless disregard towards the safety of others…. Some do, but not most & I haven’t read anything really crazy from those who admit to having a few beers and riding home. 

[sambum]

6 hours ago, robblok said:

@sambum

 

Alcohol is classified as a harddrug so its only banning an other harddrug ????

 

 

 

 

"Hard drug"? Wrong! :-

 "Marijuana is usually the only drug included within the category of "soft" drugs, although some people include nicotine and alcohol in this category because of their legal status for use by adults, and their relative social acceptability compared to illegal drugs."

[toofarnorth]

23 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Agreed… 

 

The logic is backwards….

 

By removing a freedom, more people want to ‘do it’….

 

Or, as you mentioned, more people may turn to alternatives. 

 

But..,.. with freedom comes a level of responsibility which requires management.

 

That ‘management’ comes from

the individual or from

a societal perspective in

the manner of policing those who abuse those freedoms. 
 

The police are lazy - blanket bans are easier. 

Holy Clap so now blankets are banned !

[sambum]

3 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

When the Bars opened in the U.K. it was waitress service only, no standing at the Bar and a limit of people allowed at a table, 6 I think,some Bars you could order your drinks via an app on your phone. 
There is no reason why that system could not be implemented here in Thailand.
 

Such a system needs policing!

[zzaa09]

24 minutes ago, sambum said:

And forming anti Government protest groups?

Nothing wrong with that. huh? ????

[robblok]

2 minutes ago, sambum said:

"Hard drug"? Wrong! :-

 "Marijuana is usually the only drug included within the category of "soft" drugs, although some people include nicotine and alcohol in this category because of their legal status for use by adults, and their relative social acceptability compared to illegal drugs."

the word SOME, most put alcohol under the label of harddrugs, anyway the only reason its called a soft drug at times because of its social acceptance. Alcohol is actually classified as more harmful then many other drugs.

 

But the damage and problems with alcohol are dependent on how much is taken. Just like most people who use drugs are not addicted most people who drink alcohol are not alcoholics. It works the same for most drugs just a small portion of users become addicts. Most people still believe the propaganda spewed in the old days that use drugs once your hooked for life. It does not work that way not for what people consider drugs and not for alcohol.

 

If it was up to me people could use whatever they like as long as they don't bother other people or endanger them ect ect. Too bad many people are just not able to do that and that is why they are kept illegal. 

 

Personally i would love it if weed was legal (my diet would not like it????)

[wwest5829]

27 minutes ago, sambum said:

And forming anti Government protest groups?

I thought you were talking about getting together with your mates. I had no idea you were planning a government protest. 555 I don't think, reading about who has been caught in the dragnets, that anti gov't groups are targeted.

[Jumbo1968]

15 minutes ago, sambum said:

Such a system needs policing!

And I am sure with the number of Policemen in Thailand it could be policed but unfortunately the Police tend too turn a blind eye now and again.

[sambum]

1 hour ago, Gottfrid said:

Yep! And you as well as your lost friends was totally unaware of what they were doing? If one can´t find Champignons, one might as well eat white fly fungus.

The friends that I lost had actully moved away to London from my much smaller hometown, so I did not really have any control over what they were doing, with the exception of one who died in my home town, but neither I nor my otyher friends were aware that he was "on the hard stuff" - we just thought he was smoking a lot of pot.

 

I did point out earlier that the use of "soft" drugs does not necessarily lead to the use of "hard" drugs, but I am not denying that in some instances it does. In  my younger days, I smoked a lot of "pot", but never once felt the need to stick a needle into my arm, even when there was no pot available, but obviously some of my friends did.

 

Anyway, I do believe that the post is about "Alcohol" so thing are getting a bit off topic!

 

[sambum]

2 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Yaba and Ice is already endemic.

 

Horrible stuff. Nightmare.

 

Can't make sense of why the different hours to buy liquor.  

 

Archaic

 

Alcohol does lower your inhibitions though. 

 

The argument being you may end up more inclined to break COVID-19 protocol's when your drunk.

A flawed argument in that everybody who has a drink does not necessarily get drunk!

[sambum]

23 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Nothing wrong with that. huh? ????

Nope! It is after all a "democracy" is it not?

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, sambum said:

A flawed argument in that everybody who has a drink does not necessarily get drunk!

Valid point.

 

We are subject to the lowest common denominators of people who will get drunk with total disregard for isolation protocols set in place at this current time, and also the bars which will operate with flagrant disregard for any mitigation measures, combined with a  police force which is unable to act with any intelligent discretion hence the necessity for a blanket ban - the few spoil it for the many. 

 

I can’t say it bothers me too much, but I do have an opinion (which I’m voicing) that while I understand the logic behind the bans, I find them hypocritical and borne of laziness rather than anything beneficial for society. 

 

 

[dj230]

i thought alcohol was legal, just bought some the other day at 7/11

[zzaa09]

Some of us are intensely serious and angst regarding things we know nothing of.

Odd.

[MrJ2U]

12 minutes ago, sambum said:

A flawed argument in that everybody who has a drink does not necessarily get drunk!

I never said they do.

 

Your argument is with the government not me.

[sambum]

19 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

I thought you were talking about getting together with your mates. I had no idea you were planning a government protest. 555 I don't think, reading about who has been caught in the dragnets, that anti gov't groups are targeted.

I was - and I have no intention of planning an anti Government protest group???? All I am saying is that closing bars and banning alcohol consumption in  restaurants is a rather convenient way of preventing people from "congregating" or forming protest groups. And the fact that not many anti governmet protestors have been caught shows that it's working! ???? 

[sambum]

40 minutes ago, robblok said:

the word SOME, most put alcohol under the label of harddrugs, anyway the only reason its called a soft drug at times because of its social acceptance. Alcohol is actually classified as more harmful then many other drugs.

 

But the damage and problems with alcohol are dependent on how much is taken. Just like most people who use drugs are not addicted most people who drink alcohol are not alcoholics. It works the same for most drugs just a small portion of users become addicts. Most people still believe the propaganda spewed in the old days that use drugs once your hooked for life. It does not work that way not for what people consider drugs and not for alcohol.

 

If it was up to me people could use whatever they like as long as they don't bother other people or endanger them ect ect. Too bad many people are just not able to do that and that is why they are kept illegal. 

 

Personally i would love it if weed was legal (my diet would not like it????)

From a survey in "Discover" Magazine 2017:-

"Then we come to alcohol, which was listed as a “soft” drug 42 times, and as a “hard” one 3 times. This was surprising to me, as I didn’t expect to see alcohol listed very often in either category. Most people don’t consider alcohol a “drug”, although of course it is one, and if I had to name a “soft drug”, alcohol wouldn’t come to mind."

 

However, I do agree with your point about how much is taken!

 

 

[sambum]

11 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

I never said they do.

 

Your argument is with the government not me.

I never said that you did!

[sambum]

20 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Some of us are intensely serious and angst regarding things we know nothing of.

Odd.

And to what are you referring when you say  "know nothing of"?

 

I've been drinking alcohol for more than 60 years now - are you saying I know nothing about it?

[MrJ2U]

15 minutes ago, sambum said:

I never said that you did!

Fair enough.

 

 

[wwest5829]

36 minutes ago, sambum said:

I was - and I have no intention of planning an anti Government protest group???? All I am saying is that closing bars and banning alcohol consumption in  restaurants is a rather convenient way of preventing people from "congregating" or forming protest groups. And the fact that not many anti governmet protestors have been caught shows that it's working! ???? 

Working to prevent a greater spread of Covid ... agreed. And all governments are looking for anything they can do to stem the spread. Demonstrating it is designed to prevent forming protest groups is a bridge too far under the reality of Covid spreading in Thailand. Could that be a tangental benefit for government? Yes. Far more direct connection with forbidding protests gathering in the streets, citing health concerns. But my dog is not in this fight, sitting at home watching a movie and drinking my wine in peaceful retirement. I will add that we would welcome getting to go out in the evening occasionally to listen to music and have a drink as we used to do pre-Covid.

[Ralf001]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

there are people dead today because of people like you

People like me who know their limits and drive within them ?

 

Last time I looked being under 0.05 was ok within the eyes of the law.

[Ralf001]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

1 hr 27 mins… 

 

 

I made a mistake in my post;

 

 

Most people are in the grey area

- Its ok to have a couple of beers and drive a few KMS home. 

- Its not ok to have a 5 beers and drive 400km at highways speeds. 

- Its not ok to have 8 beers and drive 1km home (but some do - ayholes)

- It maybe ok to have 8 beers and ride (motorcycle) 1km home on quiet roads (unless riding like a lunatic, the worst they will do is hurt themselves). 

 

 

 

8 beers in 1hr 27 mins is a damn solid effort !!

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

People like me who know their limits and drive within them ?

 

Last time I looked being under 0.05 was ok within the eyes of the law.

To hell with the law, where is your common sense?

[pokerface1]

Might I boldly suggest they want to reduce the road toll by having less druck drives on the road.

This could be because there are a lot fewer hospital beds available due to covid 19. 

[StreetCowboy]

9 hours ago, possum1931 said:

To hell with the law, where is your common sense?

Exactly!  Stuff your breathalyser, I know when I am fit to drive.

 

Out of interest, how many accidents involve drivers with a significant alcohol content but still below the 0.05 legal limit? 

How does that compare with the proportion that involve drivers who are slightly over the speed limit?
 

Anyway, I think road safety is irrelevant to the OP's original question.
I think the Thai approach is that:
1) To fight COVID, people need to suffer and give things up - alcohol being an easy target; if not a prohibition, then some sort of reduction or inconvenience
2) For religious holidays - the same as the above, as a way of demonstrating piety and righteousness.

 

SC

 

 

[NoshowJones]

23 minutes ago, StreetCowboy said:

Exactly!  Stuff your breathalyser, I know when I am fit to drive.

 

Out of interest, how many accidents involve drivers with a significant alcohol content but still below the 0.05 legal limit? 

How does that compare with the proportion that involve drivers who are slightly over the speed limit?
 

Anyway, I think road safety is irrelevant to the OP's original question.
I think the Thai approach is that:
1) To fight COVID, people need to suffer and give things up - alcohol being an easy target; if not a prohibition, then some sort of reduction or inconvenience
2) For religious holidays - the same as the above, as a way of demonstrating piety and righteousness.

 

SC

 

 

I fully agree with your statements 1) and 2) but I still say that to drink 2 cans of alcohol every night while driving is irresponsible, and lacks common sense, as it is putting other lives at risk. Quick reactions in an emergency springs to mind.

[StreetCowboy]

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

I fully agree with your statements 1) and 2) but I still say that to drink 2 cans of alcohol every night while driving is irresponsible, and lacks common sense, as it is putting other lives at risk. Quick reactions in an emergency springs to mind.

It seems road safety experts think that 0.05 mg/ml of alcohol in the blood content is an acceptable risk for the public.  Dubai has more restrictive drink driving rules, 

There are many things that I can legally do that reduce my driving alertness, but the most dangerous common misbehaviour, which is also illegal, is speeding.  By your argument, perhaps we should be strongly discouraging from routinely driving close to the speed limit as well.  It is just irresponsible when you could simply set out ten minutes, or half an hour, earlier.