Thai Authorities to Impose Sobering-Up Areas to Prevent Drunk Driving Amid 4AM Bar Closings

[webfact]

National —Entertainment venues that are set to stay open until 4 AM in line with the Thai government’s policy have been ordered to set up sobering-up areas to prevent patrons from driving home drunk.

The announcement was made by the National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, on Saturday, December 9th.

 

Santi Promphat, deputy minister of public health, announced after the committee’s meeting that bars and nightclubs must strictly obey the rules and regulations when they are allowed to operate until 4 AM, starting on December 15th, to ensure patrons safety and minimize alcohol-related incidents.

 

Entertainment venues in legal zones in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Bangkok and Surat Thani (only on Koh Samui) will be given this privilege, which also applies to hotels nationwide.

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

PHOTO: Matichon

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2023-12-11

 

- 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.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[smedly]

Like one extra hour of drinking is going make a huge difference, another idiotic idea, do they think people will sober up in an hour or two, also what legal powers do these people have to detain anyone they think is driving drunk that is a job for police, these people are so far removed from reality it is shocking

 

The message should be "LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME" or face stiff penalties and this should be ongoing whether 2am 3am or 4am closing, proper policing is the answer not this childish nonsense 

Edited December 10, 2023 by smedly

[PingRoundTheWorld]

1 hour ago, smedly said:

The message should be "LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME" or face stiff penalties and this should be ongoing whether 2am 3am or 4am closing, proper policing is the answer not this childish nonsense 

Exactly. Stricter penalties and enforcement might actually make a difference, not having venues policing patrons which has zero chances of working. This is just a ridiculous attempt at appeasing the wet blanket anti-alcohol crowd who claim the closing times will cause more drunk driving - which is idiotic as people who drink and drive will do so at 2am or 4am either way.

Anyway, whatever their excuses are, longer hours are very welcome.

[Geoffggi]

2 hours ago, smedly said:

Like one extra hour of drinking is going make a huge difference, another idiotic idea, do they think people will sober up in an hour or two, also what legal powers do these people have to detain anyone they think is driving drunk that is a job for police, these people are so far removed from reality it is shocking

 

The message should be "LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME" or face stiff penalties and this should be ongoing whether 2am 3am or 4am closing, proper policing is the answer not this childish nonsense 

Absolutely correct, it is more likely to turn into a conflict area ..................LOL

[neeray]

I'm not a drinker but it would seem to me that much more than an hour or two is required to sober up. That sounds like just enough time to wind down and then fall asleep at the wheel (or on the bike) on the way home.

[jacko45k]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The announcement was made by the National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee,

And who puts money in their pockets?

I really think this is the most ridiculous suggestion. 

Sobering up areas are called prison cells. 

[swm59nj]

They will need a big space to detain all the drunks.  The bigger issue is actually detaining them when they get confrontational 

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Entertainment venues that are set to stay open until 4 AM in line with the Thai government’s policy have been ordered to set up sobering-up areas to prevent patrons from driving home drunk.

Sheer lunacy from those that have no idea what-so-ever.

 

[AhFarangJa]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Entertainment venues that are set to stay open until 4 AM in line with the Thai government’s policy have been ordered to set up sobering-up areas to prevent patrons from driving home drunk.

Please tell me if I am wrong, but is that not the job of the police?

(Or maybe the enterprising B.I.B. have already thought of that and will set up road blocks at the end of the sois at 4A.M. Nice little earner thank you.)

[Scouse123]

So they are leaving it up to the person who has been drinking to decide when they are fit to drive?

 

What could go wrong?

 

A drunk neither knows nor accepts that they are drunk,.............. message to the DP of Thailand............... It's the same when you are stupid!

[jacko45k]

Just now, Scouse123 said:

So they are leaving it up to the person who has been drinking to decide when they are fit to drive?

 

What could go wrong?

 

A drunk neither knows nor accepts that they are drunk,.............. message to the DP of Thailand............... It's the same when you are stupid!

I am not sure at what point this choice is offered....... (Possibly after they are already astride the motorcycle or behind the wheel.?) Choice has been made already in that case. 

[malibukid]

i live in a Hotel in Chiang Mai and now the drunks come tumbling in at 4am.  great

Edited December 10, 2023 by malibukid

[jacko45k]

Just now, malibukid said:

i live in a Hotel in Chiang Mai and now the drunks come tumbling in at 4am.  

Might as well get up for a cup of tea at that time!

[ikke1959]

stupidity without borders... What will happen if the "drunk" person is not willing to go to the area? How about the checking? Now a lot of entertainment  venues are not following the rules already, as we could read underaged visitors, not respecting closing hours, no or correct licenses. even illegal gambling etc.. First make that the entertainment venues follow the rules and than implement other ones.. And of course there should be a strict control by the police, but that is a dream

[Tom H]

Sober up areas, meaning opening st rooms at Nana again?

[Andycoops]

Absolutely ridiculous, so bar staff are now being told to be the medical arbiter's of when someone is too drunk... TiT

[sqwakvfr]

Depending on many factors(such as body weight, drinking while eating and if one is an alcoholic or not) the time needed to “sober” up can vary.  For many if one is over the legal limit for driving (in many cases .08 BAC) if can take up to 8 hours or more.  “TIT”?  Does logic or even common sense ever factorin decision making?  

[stoner]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

 

The message should be "LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME" or face stiff penalties and this should be ongoing whether 2am 3am or 4am closing, proper policing is the answer not this childish nonsense

 

back home we had M.A.D.D - mothers against drunk driving. was very effective over the years and cut the drunk driving way down. 

 

it was all over tv and advertised a lot. really got grinded into people over time. 

[OneMoreFarang]

What a stupid idea!

How long should they sober up until they can drive? Maybe until noon? 

 

And then I read the venues should call friends of the drunk people to bring them home in the early morning. Wait for that phone call at 4am.

 

As usual, lots of action, not so much thinking. In other words: TiT.

[OneMoreFarang]

We all know that many venues have regular visits from the police, to drink tea or something similar.

Maybe the police should schedule these visits to closing time and then actually work a little.

I know it would be unconventional for the BiB to actually do something, but maybe there are miracles one day. We can hope.

[daveAustin]

Does one need to drive to the ‘sobering up’ area? 😋

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Anyway, whatever their excuses are, longer hours are very welcome.

By whom?

Very few people want to stay out longer.

Later closing times often only means business starts later and ends later.

[OneMoreFarang]

48 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

A drunk neither knows nor accepts that they are drunk

That might be true for some of them.

 

Many of us know when we are too drunk to drive, and we don't drive.

Any many of us know that if we go out and have some drinks that then we will not be legally able to drive. This is why we leave our vehicles at home.

[OneMoreFarang]

34 minutes ago, Tom H said:

Sober up areas, meaning opening st rooms at Nana again?

I know there are beds in those rooms. But I don't know anybody who booked such a room for an hour to sleep. ;) 

[OneMoreFarang]

Let's pretend this is serious.

What happens if a drunk guy walks out of the bar and they ask him where he goes.

He tells them he will walk around the corner where he will look for a taxi or drive with a friend.

But maybe his car is around the corner, and he will drive himself.

Should the bar employees follow him to verify his story? Should they follow for a minute or 5 or 10?

[PingRoundTheWorld]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

By whom?

Very few people want to stay out longer.

Later closing times often only means business starts later and ends later.

By me. I like to start my night late and want to end it late. Plenty of other people do too. You're right that I don't actually want to stay out longer - I just want to be able to do it on my schedule and not some weirdly mandated government schedule that does not fit nightlife reality. (reality is that most nightclubs don't even begin to fill up before midnight, and are most busy after 2-3am)

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

reality is that most nightclubs don't even begin to fill up before midnight, and are most busy after 2-3am

And that changes with the legal situation.

If the closing times are later then the places fill up later. Or the other way around. 

[ezzra]

Just wondering who are the Brainiacs to come up with this dumb idea? (maybe its the same people who came up with the idea to tax expats?)

[Aussie999]

555, OMG, where do they get these ideas, as usual, no thought, no idea.

[stix40]

Sobering Up Area's

LMFO 🤣