PM and tourism minister urged to extend pub opening hours and stop "ineffective" 2-5pm booze ban

[webfact]

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Thailand's entertainment industry such as pubs, night venues, restaurants and karaokes want opening hours extended to boost the economy and tourism.

 

And they want the 2 - 5pm alcohol sales ban scrapped.

 

Khemika Rattanakun, the chief of the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association (TABBA) was at Government House yesterday representing nightime businessess, reported Thai Rath.

 

Requests were presented to PM Prayuth Chan-ocha and tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan.

Khemika wants 4 am opening in entertainment zones such as Patong (in Phuket), Khao Lak, Chaweng (Samui), Khao San Road, Soi Cowboy and Patpong. 

 

She said many places there were opening until morning anyway breaking the law. She only wanted 4 am. 

 

She said that operators agreed with her that this would boost the economy, help traders' plight and promote tourism.

 

"We've been suffering for years," she said.

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

The request is also to allow 2 am opening in restaurants and clubs outside established Nightime Entertainment Zones like the ones mentioned above.

 

In addition she wants the 2 pm to 5 pm alcohol sales ban scrapped.

 

She said it was ineffective in solving societal issues and accidents and should be ended now. 

 

She also wanted tougher action on establishments that break the law.

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-11-10

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

 

[Snig27]

The government will need to go to their bosses at Boonrawd and Thai Bev as they did when the the people of Thailand asked that the brewing laws be changed. It was the duopoly that made the decision to say no to the people of Thailand and passed on the instruction to Prayut, their servant. Much as they had done when they blocked online sales and had him introduce advertising bans that they could bypass with their water brands. 

[KannikaP]

Should this not say 2 or 4 am CLOSING?

[Mickeymaus]

Yes, more party, booze and sex tourists! And free earplugs for all others! 

[ThailandRyan]

17 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Should this not say 2 or 4 am CLOSING?

No, they want to be able to sell and buy in the afternoon from 2 to 5 pm which they can not.

[KannikaP]

On 11/10/2022 at 11:38 AM, ThailandRyan said:

No, they want to be able to sell and buy in the afternoon from 2 to 5 pm which they can not.

and tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan.

Khemika wants 4 am opening in entertainment zones 

The request is also to allow 2 am opening in restaurants and clubs

 

I must have misunderstood what was in the OP. 555

[cowellandrew]

And 5 AM loudspeakers from the temples sounds great!

 

☻☻☻

[scubascuba3]

The 2pm to 5pm no alcohol is stupid, about time they cancelled it

[findlay13]

This morning there was a call for less hours to save electricity????Amazing Thailand

[Mickeymaus]

On 11/10/2022 at 12:09 PM, KannikaP said:

and tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan.

Khemika wants 4 am opening in entertainment zones 

The request is also to allow 2 am opening in restaurants and clubs

 

I must have misunderstood what was in the OP. 555

I think the government wants to decide on the 15th of November. Now they want to build up pressure. They are very powerful. "She also wanted tougher action on establishments that break the law." or even better remove the law. Then nobody can break it then anymore ????????????. 

[Seppius]

As I mentioned on another thread, it would boost tax revenues they desperately need

[Mickeymaus]

1 minute ago, Seppius said:

As I mentioned on another thread, it would boost tax revenues they desperately need

But then first they should check the licences of such businesses. I doubt that they pay taxes if they don't have a licence. 

[ezzra]

For a country that derive its main foreign earning from tourism i say let those entertainments places stay open 24 hours or let the owners of the establishments make their own hours depending on his staff availability and fair employment condition...

[madmitch]

49 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

But then first they should check the licences of such businesses. I doubt that they pay taxes if they don't have a licence. 

Customs and Excise officers do the rounds checking licences as well as checking tax has been paid on the liquor. Any bars found selling booze without the appropriate tax stickers are fined.

[Mickeymaus]

7 minutes ago, madmitch said:

Customs and Excise officers do the rounds checking licences as well as checking tax has been paid on the liquor. Any bars found selling booze without the appropriate tax stickers are fined.

Then there is the question why so many unlicensed entertainment venues exist. Recently a raid at a big entertainment venue here in Pattaya - no license for business, liquor and I guess music too. Then the burned down Mountain B entertainment venue. There were many others (big ones) that were in the news that had no license. And the small ones? 

[spidermike007]

Nobody was ever saved from alcoholism by the 2pm to 5pm law. It is beyond stupid. Anyone can plan a binge a few hours in advance. Time to allow the adults to start make some decisions. 

[stephenterry]

2pm to 5pm is an inconvenience if trying to buy at a supermarket, while many bars, restaurants and family shops are open, presumably paying off the police when required. 

 

As for tourists I would expect their hotels serve alcohol if required, at all times. 

 

If scrapped, winners are bars, restaurants, supermarkets and family shops, losers would be police and maybe hotels. 

 

So who has the biggest clout to retain or dismiss this law?

 

 

 

 

[Mickeymaus]

4 minutes ago, stephenterry said:

2pm to 5pm is an inconvenience if trying to buy at a supermarket, while many bars, restaurants and family shops are open, presumably paying off the police when required. 

 

As for tourists I would expect their hotels serve alcohol if required, at all times. 

 

If scrapped, winners are bars, restaurants, supermarkets and family shops, losers would be police and maybe hotels. 

 

So who has the biggest clout to retain or dismiss this law?

 

Before Covid many convenience stores here in Pattaya didn't care. Only the supermarkets. Didn't try recently. Do they still care now?

 

I personally hate it too. If I want to do my shopping and also want to buy my beer then I always have to avoid these times. And is not only 2 to 5pm. It is also midnight until 11am.

[madmitch]

39 minutes ago, Mickeymaus said:

Then there is the question why so many unlicensed entertainment venues exist. Recently a raid at a big entertainment venue here in Pattaya - no license for business, liquor and I guess music too. Then the burned down Mountain B entertainment venue. There were many others (big ones) that were in the news that had no license. And the small ones? 

I was talking about regular bars, even restaurants and guesthouses. The venues you are talking about open whatever hours they want anyway. 

 

They pay their taxes as well......just not necessarily to the Customs and Excise Department!????

[wombat]

Is there an afternoon booze ban?

[PingRoundTheWorld]

4 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

Yes, more party, booze and sex tourists! And free earplugs for all others! 

Yes, because so many people live in soi cowboy, Patpong, Bangla road....

 

If you want to stay home and do nothing then just (don't) do it. Other people want to have fun and not be told to go to sleep at 2am, or worse- have to go to unlicensed illegal venues that pose a fire hazard, among other hazards. They're not eliminating after hours partying by closing at 2am - they're just forcing it underground with all negative implications resulting from this. Let the clubs open late and everyone will be safer (except those who will get less brown envelopes, of course).

[AhFarangJa]

9 minutes ago, wombat said:

Is there an afternoon booze ban?

The law says alcohol cannot be sold anywhere between 2 and 5 p.m. That includes bars, however, for a small fee the police turn a blind eye.

Unless I missed the humour that you are not aware of the afternoons.............????

[Peterphuket]

They forget to mention: Normal affordable prices for wine.

[kingstonkid]

4 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

No, they want to be able to sell and buy in the afternoon from 2 to 5 pm which they can not.

I question if this is BS or not you walk around nana on suk and they start drinking at 10 in the morning straight through to closing 

[Mickeymaus]

16 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Yes, because so many people live in soi cowboy, Patpong, Bangla road....

 

If you want to stay home and do nothing then just (don't) do it. Other people want to have fun and not be told to go to sleep at 2am, or worse- have to go to unlicensed illegal venues that pose a fire hazard, among other hazards. They're not eliminating after hours partying by closing at 2am - they're just forcing it underground with all negative implications resulting from this. Let the clubs open late and everyone will be safer (except those who will get less brown envelopes, of course).

The problem are the entertainment venues in residential areas next to hotels and condominiums. If nobody gets disturbed then I guess nobody will care much.

 

But you have to understand that hotels need customers and people in residential areas should be able to use their homes. They need to sleep. Also their kids need to sleep.

 

Main problem here in Thailand are the many noisy open air bars and even open air discos. And the problem is that most of these entertainment venues don't really care about anything other than their profits. And from my personal experience - they can do whatever they want and they will do it. You as resident have very little influence - or better no power at all. 

[Bangkok Barry]

5 hours ago, Snig27 said:

The government will need to go to their bosses at Boonrawd and Thai Bev as they did when the the people of Thailand asked that the brewing laws be changed. It was the duopoly that made the decision to say no to the people of Thailand and passed on the instruction to Prayut, their servant. Much as they had done when they blocked online sales and had him introduce advertising bans that they could bypass with their water brands. 

I'm not sure what influence the booze monopolies have in government decision making, despite what you and others suggest. Surely they would want to open up the market to longer hours, not hinder them. And what about during the pandemic, when the government banned all alcohol sales for a long period of time, even in restaurants, backed up by police raids.

Restricting small brewers from setting up is another matter entirely, but I just cannot see the major players wanting to restrict hours of selling.

[Crossy]

Can we also have the "wholesale-quantities" rule back so I can buy 2 slabs of Chang any time and not do battle with the mid-morning traffic please?

[Seppius]

2 hours ago, Mickeymaus said:

But then first they should check the licences of such businesses. I doubt that they pay taxes if they don't have a licence. 

The biggest tax revenue would come from 7-Elevens and the big supermarkets BigC, Lotus etc, that I am sure pay tax. Also chain restaurants in malls. Thousands of them abide by the ban, try to get a beer in Fiji or MK at 3pm, you can't

 

At the moment, between 2pm and 5pm if you want booze you have to buy from small places, which I agree probably don't pay much tax  

 

Does not affect bars as mentioned tea money they open

 

 

[roger101]

2 hours ago, madmitch said:

Customs and Excise officers do the rounds checking licences as well as checking tax has been paid on the liquor. Any bars found selling booze without the appropriate tax stickers are fined.

555 You must be joking.

[prakhonchai nick]

2 hours ago, stephenterry said:

2pm to 5pm is an inconvenience if trying to buy at a supermarket, while many bars, restaurants and family shops are open, presumably paying off the police when required. 

 

As for tourists I would expect their hotels serve alcohol if required, at all times. 

 

If scrapped, winners are bars, restaurants, supermarkets and family shops, losers would be police and maybe hotels. 

 

So who has the biggest clout to retain or dismiss this law?

 

Just as ridiculous having to wait till 11 am to buy alcohol