The history of Thailand’s holy-day alcohol ban – and why it could soon be lifted

[2baht]

7 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Why? You've made a statement, now explain your reasoning.

I believe people are better off without it. But hey, opinions are like, well you know, everyones got one! 

[Andyfez]

7 hours ago, h90 said:

Anyone who believes the government should decide what you are allowed to do should grow up.

It's everybody had grown up they wouldn't need to apply these controls in the first place.

[IamNoone88]

No problem with a ban on alcohol. By the same token, its a pity the authorities cannot exert some control on the mosques in the south and around Phuket that ignore the legal noise levels to announce prayer time at a deafening pitch in the early hours - to locals and tourists alike. Way above the legal decibels allowed for the time of day at the source of the multiple speakers.

[Skeptic7]

17 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Why? You've made a statement, now explain your reasoning.

Here's my 2bahts worth...

 

Likely coming from someone who has no self-control and unable to keep their vices in check. No control or restraint, so now want to impose their weakness on everyone to make themselves feel better.

 

Sad lot, those. ????

[2baht]

4 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Here's my 2bahts worth...

 

Likely coming from someone who has no self-control and unable to keep their vices in check. No control or restraint, so now want to impose their weakness on everyone to make themselves feel better.

 

Sad lot, those. ????

What utter rubbish, you want to drink yourself to death, by all means go right ahead! Cheers!

[dinsdale]

34 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Aren't they all minted and the bar is just a front for other activities ?

Try and think outside of BKK, Pattaya or Pukhet.

[Ralf001]

49 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Try and think outside of BKK, Pattaya or Pukhet.

Why would I think about foreigner owned bars outside of the 3 main area's for foreigner owned bars ?

[AhFarangJa]

9 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

Anyone who 'agonizes' over bars not legally being able to serve alcohol for 24 hours should probably see a doctor. 

 

 

 

 

I think what they should have written is that bar owners agonise over the loss of income. Been there, done it, and it does make a difference to profits.

[KhaoYai]

9 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

Anyone who 'agonizes' over bars not legally being able to serve alcohol for 24 hours should probably see a doctor. 

 

 

 

 

How would you like to arrive somewhere on holiday and find that alcohol was banned and the bars and clubs that still decided to open are dead?

 

Quite a few years ago I arrived in December for just over 2 weeks with 3 weekends included. I can't remember the events but I think 1 was the king's birthday - the alcohol ban covered all 3 weekends. And don't start the.......tourists should check thing.  How many tourists are going to check for an alcohol ban? Its ridiculous in tourist areas and I've never seen it anywhere else.

[Plern]

If Thailand needs to ban sunrise to 12 pm ON truly holy days I've no issue. It's how it morphs into the three day weekend.

 

This is low hanging fruit. The government is looking to hold out progress and this is apparently as good as it gets.

 

What about home brewery and distillery?

 

What about the high taxes and monopoly of wine and spirits?

 

But ALL this is small thinking. Thailand needs real change. This is just a waste of time and a distraction

Edited June 6, 2023 by Plern

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, Skeptic7 said:

Sad lot, those. ????

You seem to forget that the biggest group of people who visit bars and clubs are tourists not ex pats or temporary residents.  Nobody 'needs' to drink all the time but I'd suggest that most tourists go on holiday to enjoy themselves and for a lot of them, that includes evening entertainment.

 

Try to think outside the expat box.

[Albaby]

8 hours ago, 2baht said:

The lot! 

2B is just about what your comment is worth.

[Skeptic7]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

What utter rubbish, you want to drink yourself to death, by all means go right ahead! Cheers!

Doing my best❗'Preciate the green light????❗

????

[Skeptic7]

10 minutes ago, KhaoYai said:

You seem to forget that the biggest group of people who visit bars and clubs are tourists not ex pats or temporary residents.  Nobody 'needs' to drink all the time but I'd suggest that most tourists go on holiday to enjoy themselves and for a lot of them, that includes evening entertainment.

 

Try to think outside the expat box.

Ummm...no.

[sezze]

10 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

Anyone who 'agonizes' over bars not legally being able to serve alcohol for 24 hours should probably see a doctor. 

 

 

 

 

For somebody who lives over there i can imagine . However , Thailand is a holiday destination.Imagine doing a roundtrip in Thailand for 3 weeks ( it has happened to people before) and going to 1 of the typical holiday cities to end the vacation and finding out everything is closed .

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

Anyone who 'agonizes' over bars not legally being able to serve alcohol for 24 hours should probably see a doctor. 

On these threads there are always a few geniuses who make such comments “If you can’t go without booze for a day you have a problem”.....   such responses are so ridiculously dim.

 

 

Thailand markets itself as a major tourist destination, as such the alcohol laws are ridiculously prohibitive and short sighted. 

 

Any tourist who fancies a beer or wine with their dinner is going to be disappointed at the ridiculous nature of this regulation - they’ll feel as if they are on a school trip !!!

 

There was recently a football tournament in Bangkok...  Teams from all over in various age groups (Open, 35+, 45+, 55+)... with numbers of teams arriving internationally for a fun two day tournament... Having spent the money to travel here many were disappointed to find they couldn’t have post game beers on Saturday....  

 

It’s an embarrassment for Thailand that acts with such hypocritical purity. 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

2 hours ago, Andyfez said:

9 hours ago, h90 said:

Anyone who believes the government should decide what you are allowed to do should grow up.

It's everybody had grown up they wouldn't need to apply these controls in the first place.

You think people are only ‘not grown up’ on the days these alcohol controls are in place ???

 

What about the other days ?

[dinsdale]

55 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

Why would I think about foreigner owned bars outside of the 3 main area's for foreigner owned bars ?

What a silly comment.

[richard_smith237]

9 hours ago, 2baht said:

Ban it everyday! 

Why aren’t you living in Pakistan or Saudi ?

[Ralf001]

33 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

What a silly comment.

And yet you took time out to reply.

[kwilco]

43 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

On these threads there are always a few geniuses who make such comments “If you can’t go without booze for a day you have a problem”.....   such responses are so ridiculously dim.

 

 

Thailand markets itself as a major tourist destination, as such the alcohol laws are ridiculously prohibitive and short sighted. 

 

Any tourist who fancies a beer or wine with their dinner is going to be disappointed at the ridiculous nature of this regulation - they’ll feel as if they are on a school trip !!!

 

There was recently a football tournament in Bangkok...  Teams from all over in various age groups (Open, 35+, 45+, 55+)... with numbers of teams arriving internationally for a fun two day tournament... Having spent the money to travel here many were disappointed to find they couldn’t have post game beers on Saturday....  

 

It’s an embarrassment for Thailand that acts with such hypocritical purity. 

 

 

 

As an outsider - neither religious or a drinker I find it saddening how obsessed people are with drinking. I used to drink and stopped a couple of decades ago - the most significant thing I realised was how even those "occasional" or "social" drinkers seldom realise how alcohol and the alcohol industry dominates every aspect of their lives.

Phrases like "fancy a drink" belie an unquestioning submission to an entire industry and drug-taking life style.

Yes alcohol laws can be absurd - in Thailand, USA, Australia they have hilariously stupid laws - basically the industry doesn't mind because it helps panic buying and the survival of liquor stores.

As the dominant drug in most cultures these days, the industry is happy to rake in the profits and attempt to side-step the thousands of deaths every year that result from their product.

If you look into those opposed to the legalisation of other drugs you often find that apart from being unwitting minions of the alcohol trade, they often have links or are financed by the alcohol industry.

Sadly most people, rather than consider why they drink, instead obsess with the laws they believe interfere with their drinking - in fact they just promote alcohol sales at the convenience of the industry.

[dinsdale]

13 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

And yet you took time out to reply.

[kwilco]

40 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why aren’t you living in Pakistan or Saudi ?

They say alcohol impairs thought - could this be the evidence?

[dinsdale]

16 minutes ago, kwilco said:

As an outsider - neither religious or a drinker I find it saddening how obsessed people are with drinking.

Nothing at all to do with it. It's about an anochronistic law. People, that would be millions, drink alcohol on these days and buy alcohol on these days. If they can't purchase on the day they buy it before. So what's the point of this rediculous doctrinal law based on what isn't a religion in name only? It's about choice and freedom of that choice. You choose not to imbibe in alcohol that's fair enough. Others choose to and that should be fair enough too. These freedoms should not be dictated by a minority.

Edited June 6, 2023 by dinsdale

[richard_smith237]

27 minutes ago, kwilco said:

As an outsider - neither religious or a drinker I find it saddening how obsessed people are with drinking.

Its because they like it.... I’d have an equal annoyance if I was told I couldn’t play football on a specific day, or couldn’t ride my Bicycle on xx day... Or was not permitted to eat Eggs on such a such day... 

 

The ban on specific days doesn’t impact me at all, I have plenty of beer in the fridge, a decent selection of good whiskies and a wine fridge full of various wines....  I’ll go weeks without a drink. 

 

My objection to such regulations, in Thailand and elsewhere is the stupidity and lack of thought behind them....  I also understand how I’d be quiet frustrated to arrive somewhere on holiday, to sit down at dinner only to be told I couldn’t have wine or a bear with my meal, I can therefore clearly understand how nearly every single tourist who has visited Thailand on such an ‘alcohol free’ day is perplexed and also irritated by this... and then there is the ridiculous 2-5pm rule. 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

24 minutes ago, kwilco said:

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why aren’t you living in Pakistan or Saudi ?

They say alcohol impairs thought - could this be the evidence?

Nope... but this might be,.. ????

 

33 minutes ago, kwilco said:

I used to drink

 

[2baht]

1 hour ago, Albaby said:

2B is just about what your comment is worth.

Yes, you're pretty popular yourself! ????

[2baht]

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why aren’t you living in Pakistan or Saudi ?

Why would I?

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, 2baht said:

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why aren’t you living in Pakistan or Saudi ?

Why would I?

So you can be amongst likeminded people who impose their beliefs on others !!!... 

 

 

10 hours ago, 2baht said:

Ban it everyday! 

 

[kwilco]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its because they like it..

"The ban on specific days doesn’t impact me at all, I have plenty of beer in the fridge, a decent selection of good whiskies and a wine fridge full of various wines....  I’ll go weeks without a drink."

You are being incredibly predictable and clichéd  in your responses - we hear the same thing over and over.

 

In your haste to justify your "habit" you don't seem to have read my comments on alcohol restrictions either.

 

When I stopped drinking I met so many people who told mw "I could give up any time" - I can go foe weeks without a drink"

Firstly I wondered why they felt compelled to tell me and secondly they never did.