Alcohol sales ban in Thailand between 2 PM – 5 PM to be lifted nationwide on July 1st but only in hotels, says Tourism Minister

[Tonypandy]

Nothing new here then, hotels, golf clubs etc have always served during these hours 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Tonypandy said:

Nothing new here then, hotels, golf clubs etc have always served during these hours 

Nothing new indeed.... walk out of the Areca hotel at that time and still get yelled at to go have a drink at the bars opposite. 

[Babalooey]

Isn’t anyone who stays at a hotel considered a “Tourist”? 
 

Except for you, Mrs. Robinson …

[Captain Monday]

9 minutes ago, Tonypandy said:

Nothing new here then, hotels, golf clubs etc have always served during these hours 

And, airports minimarts, cafes and business class lounges.

 

How about the officers mess on military facilities?

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

I'm yet to know of a country who has so many stupid, senseless and useless rules, regulations laws and ordinance as this country, which most of them impossible to force anyway especially with mostly corrupt law enforcement agencies...

 

I guess you don't travel outside of Thailand too much.

 

(rhetorical)

[wandasloan]

1 hour ago, grain said:

Most ridiculous law, brought in during Takky's time to stop school children from buying booze. Just scrap the whole stupid law, and make it illegal to sell alcohol products to under age kids? 

No it wasn't. Definitely not. Nothing in your post is correct.

The law dates from 1971 when dictator Thanom performed a coup against himself and then had to try to think up a reason or three for doing that.

At the time, Thaksin was 22 years old and attending the Thai Police Cadet Academy. 

If you aspire to help forum folks with Thai history or anything else, bear in mind the military's 7 Ps.

 

[starky]

3 hours ago, chrischronic said:

Not once in my 10plus years staying at hotels around Thailand have they ever restricted me from buying a beer at these times. 

Ill think you'll find most hotels let you do what you want if you left your hotel you'll find there's a whole other set of rules once you step outside.

  

Edited June 18, 2022 by starky

[starky]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

There used to be a dog sat at the back of my local  7-11, not at the entrance for you to step over, but well inside. Lay down near the cold meats chiller.... presumably wandered in each day, and the staff didn't seem to think it an issue. The joke was it was the owner keeping an eye on things. 

I think the joke is when ya getting paid 200 baht a day you do the absolute <deleted> minimum required in your workplace. I know I  would be. I wouldn't care if the dog shat there tbh.

  Oh wait thats not a joke....

[James105]

This is one of those laws that only applies to 7/11 and the big chain supermarkets so another new regulation that changes nothing.  If I want to walk the streets without a mask on my way to a bar to have an alcoholic drink at 2.30pm I can do that today if I felt like it.      

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, starky said:

I think the joke is when ya getting paid 200 baht a day you do the absolute <deleted> minimum required in your workplace. I know I  would be. I wouldn't care if the dog shat there tbh.

  Oh wait thats not a joke....

I have yet to see any of the staff chained to the tills.... the dog was free to leave too!

[Lemsta69]

2 minutes ago, James105 said:

This is one of those laws that only applies to 7/11 and the big chain supermarkets so another new regulation that changes nothing.  If I want to walk the streets without a mask on my way to a bar to have an alcoholic drink at 2.30pm I can do that today if I felt like it.      

no, it applies everywhere. enforcement of course is another matter.

[starky]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

I have yet to see any of the staff chained to the tills.... the dog was free to leave too!

Why leave? the air con is ok. Dog probably enjoys it as well...

[maddermax]

Will this also apply to buying alcohol in supermarkets?

[geoffrobbo]

"Restaurants and tourist attractions may also sell alcohol during the extended period, at the provincial governor’s discretion, the minister said."

I wonder what is required to obtain the governors' discretion, something discreet no doubt.

[Lemsta69]

19 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

I guess you don't travel outside of Thailand too much.

 

(rhetorical)

I don't think he can afford to leave the country and therefore takes out his bitterness on 'ridiculous' Thailand.

 

we're supposed to try and help people with mental health issues aren't we? R U OK? ????

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, starky said:

Why leave? the air con is ok. Dog probably enjoys it as well...

The staff are all kids and they seem happy enough.... many are exceptionally polite and try to communicate in English. 

[proton]

Wine connection will have to keep serving it in cups then!

[proton]

1 hour ago, Excel said:

In my local 7/11 they already do except they call it the shop as half of the staff appear to have fallen asleep over their phones so hence can not attend to customers in a timely manner.

Our local 7 sell and even deliver it at any time to us, they just ring it up later, bless them

[grain]

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

How can that be so? School kids are in class during the periods in which the ban is imposed. And BTW it is already illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 20 years.

 

So try again. ????

That was the reason given when the law was introduced. Also 7-11s within a certain distance to schools, not allowed to stock/sell alcohol. How long have you been in Thailand? All this was common knowledge at the time.

[grain]

37 minutes ago, wandasloan said:

No it wasn't. Definitely not. Nothing in your post is correct.

The law dates from 1971 when dictator Thanom performed a coup against himself and then had to try to think up a reason or three for doing that.

At the time, Thaksin was 22 years old and attending the Thai Police Cadet Academy. 

If you aspire to help forum folks with Thai history or anything else, bear in mind the military's 7 Ps.

 

If the law dates from 1971 then it wasn't enforced. I got to Thailand in 1978 and there were no such restrictions. But during Takky's time as PM the law was brought into effect to prevent school kids for getting alcohol. And it remains enforced in 7-11s, superstores, certainly not in hotels, bars, M&P shops. 

[khunjeff]

57 minutes ago, Captain Monday said:

And, airports minimarts, cafes and business class lounges.

Airport facilities were specifically exempted from the law on sales hours, so that was totally above board. 

 

49 minutes ago, wandasloan said:

No it wasn't. Definitely not. Nothing in your post is correct.

The law dates from 1971 when dictator Thanom performed a coup against himself and then had to try to think up a reason or three for doing that.

At the time, Thaksin was 22 years old and attending the Thai Police Cadet Academy. 

If you aspire to help forum folks with Thai history or anything else, bear in mind the military's 7 Ps.

 

That's true, but the law was completely dormant until Thaksin (or rather his Interior Minister Purachai) revived it. 

[spidermike007]

These Ringling Brothers clowns cannot get anything right. Every time they make an attempt at improvement, they fail. Getting rid of this restriction is a good idea. But, only in hotels? To show their disdain for such a purile law, the hotels have been defying this law for decades now. 

 

Is society more productive in the afternoons, without the shops being able to sell alcohol? Is anything accomplished by this, on any level? It seems one of the few areas where the Thai people are capable and motivated to plan in advance, is when it comes to the consumption of alcohol!

[Robert Merrell]

Every country has its silly laws .

Maybe ,just maybe a few people couldn't buy one day ,but stocked up the next day .

I keep enough for a month at home .

[HappyExpat57]

The very definition of a nothing burger.

[Bangkok Barry]

"Imagine if some tourists are relaxing in their hotel, and they are suddenly notified that the alcohol is not allowed anymore from 2-5 PM. This will surefire ruin the country’s reputation,” the tourism and sports minister said.

 

Well, it's a bit late for that. As the opening paragraph says, the rule has been long-standing. But, as with any pointless and unenforceable law in Thailand, hotels have treated the rule with the contempt it deserves and just ignored it. That's been my experience, anyway. I've never been refused a beer in the afternoon, at any hotel.

[welshissan]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

How can that be so? School kids are in class during the periods in which the ban is imposed. And BTW it is already illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under 20 years.

 

So try again. ????

Really !!

My children are out of school before 5pm

Also see under 20's buying alcohol is common place

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, grain said:

Most ridiculous law, brought in during Takky's time to stop school children from buying booze.

That was a smokescreen, as the only time alcohol sales are allowed, 11-2, is when the kids are at lunch and free to purchase. And there is this thing that all Thais are obliged to carry too, called an ID, but the concept of demanding to see it to check their age has apparently never occurred to anyone here.

[shackleton]

Majority of tourists will be drinking alcohol at the beach between 2 and 5

When I first saw the headline thought reason at last then read hotels and restaurants only which cater for the tourist ????

[James105]

1 hour ago, Lemsta69 said:

no, it applies everywhere. enforcement of course is another matter.

Sure, in the same way prostitution is illegal everywhere.   Unenforced laws are not really laws.  

[Guderian]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Nevertheless, the change, according to the minister, will initially be limited to hotels that cater to tourists...

...and that are presumably not within a kilometre (or whatever daft, arbitrary measure they care to use) of a school. Otherwise those pesky schoolkids will be sneaking out of their afternoon science class and popping across the road for a few clandestine Martinis (stirred, not shaken) in the local Hilton, lol. This PM's too smart for you kids!