By Aim Tanakorn

Makha Bucha, the second most important Buddhist day for Thai people, is only a few days away from today, February 19th, 2024. If you’re visiting Thailand during this time, here is what you need to know.

What is Makha Bucha?

 

Makha Bucha, which falls on this Saturday, February 24th, commemorates four key events in the Buddha’s life, emphasizing his teachings and principles. Temples hold special ceremonies, including candle processions and chanting, during this day while Thai people observe the occasion by visiting temples, practicing meditation, and abstaining from vices like alcohol and entertainment.

What does this mean for our foreign readers?

 

While not expected to participate in religious rituals, it’s important to be mindful of the respectful atmosphere. Dressing modestly when visiting temples is essential, and avoiding loud or disruptive behavior is crucial.

 

Here’s what you need to know:

 

Alcohol Sale Ban: Be aware of the nationwide alcohol sale ban on Makha Bucha, which starts from midnight on February 23rd and lasts until midnight on February 24th. Entertainment places like bars and clubs will not be able to operate normally either, and restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and convenience stores are banned from selling alcohol for 24 hrs.

Respectful Behavior: Be mindful of noise levels and avoid disruptive activities. Remember, this is a day of reflection and reverence for many Thais.

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-02-20

 

- 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.

 

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I'll save everyone the trouble. This thread will be posts along the lines of:

 

1) This rule is stupid. 

 

2) If you think this rule is stupid, then you're an alcoholic

 

3) Thailand is technically not a Buddhist country by law, why not have bams for other religious holodays? 

 

4) You can still drink, just not buy. Again, stupid rule. 

 

5) Real religious people won't drink anyway. 

 

6) Stock up in advance. 

 

7) My local mom 'n pop still sells. 

 

😎Tourists will be pissed (angry or drunk or both?) 

 

9) Don' t forget, you're an alcoholic for questioning this rule. 

 

10) This rule is stupid, but TIT. 

Exactly why tourist are going to avoid to come here.. Too many days and hours for non alcohol sales/buying...It is a non Buddhistic rule only in Thailand...  

Couple days that are slightly inconvenient if your an alcoholic which i am but  easy to carry-on.  For some reason I can quit drinking with ease and do it once or twice a year for a a week or sometimes much longer.   Any alcoholics out there that quit on their own terms periodically every year or two?  

Edited February 19, 20242 yr by atpeace

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Be mindful of noise levels and avoid disruptive activities. Remember, this is a day of reflection and reverence for many Thais.

Last year on this most Holy day in the Thai calendar, my (Swedish) noisy neighbours were raided by the police at 3am for drunken carousing.

It feels like I'm always reading about this holiday. Hard to believe it's only once a year.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Remember, this is a day of reflection and reverence for many Thais.

And for the rest it's a day off (this year Saturday but the premise remains the same) where much alcohol will be consumed. This is the reality of Buddhist holidays for the majority.

Edited February 20, 20242 yr by dinsdale

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

Exactly why tourist are going to avoid to come here.. Too many days and hours for non alcohol sales/buying...It is a non Buddhistic rule only in Thailand...  

 

Have you ever met a person who cancelled their Thai holiday plans because bars were going to be closed for 24 hours?  

 

Enough losers in the country already; if that's how desperate they are then it's hardly a loss is it?

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Alcohol Sale Ban: Be aware of the nationwide alcohol sale ban on Makha Bucha, which starts from midnight on February 23rd and lasts until midnight on February 24th.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Makha Bucha, which falls on this Saturday, February 24th

 

The sale ban is on the Friday even though Makha Bucha is on the Saturday?

 

edit. Never mind.... I should stop trying to read with a hangover! Of course those times indicate that the ban is indeed on the Saturday.

Edited February 20, 20242 yr by JayClay

The national alcohol ban on major religious holidays is almost as silly as the afternoon alcohol ban. 

What true purpose or benefit does it serve other than to virtual signaling how pious and righteous you pretend to be. 

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Exactly why tourist are going to avoid to come here.. Too many days and hours for non alcohol sales/buying...It is a non Buddhistic rule only in Thailand...  

Sure, that is why pre covid we had 40 million visitors.

If the ban begins midnight 23rd does that mean alcohol can be sold in bars and clubs etc until midnight?

Just now, SunsetT said:

If the ban begins midnight 23rd does that mean alcohol can be sold in bars and clubs etc until midnight?

 

Bars will close at midnight

The mini-mart in my condo complex is run by a couple of scofflaws who will sell alcohol 7 days a week. I like these people.

6 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Sure, that is why pre covid we had 40 million visitors.

 

You do know that tourists are not aware of these rules before they set foot in Thailand, and there is such a ban during their very short stay?

 

Majority of those 40 million are also not the kind that visit walking street.

3 hours ago, SABloke said:

I'll save everyone the trouble. This thread will be posts along the lines of:

 

1) This rule is stupid. 

 

2) If you think this rule is stupid, then you're an alcoholic

 

3) Thailand is technically not a Buddhist country by law, why not have bams for other religious holodays? 

 

4) You can still drink, just not buy. Again, stupid rule. 

 

5) Real religious people won't drink anyway. 

 

6) Stock up in advance. 

 

7) My local mom 'n pop still sells. 

 

😎Tourists will be pissed (angry or drunk or both?) 

 

9) Don' t forget, you're an alcoholic for questioning this rule. 

 

10) This rule is stupid, but TIT. 

You shouldn't have bothered..........

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Exactly why tourist are going to avoid to come here.. Too many days and hours for non alcohol sales/buying...It is a non Buddhistic rule only in Thailand...  

I do not believe that any tourist will cancel a holiday to Thailand because of the couple of Buddha Days (even if they know about them in the first place).

And we all know that we can get a drink if we really need one!

You have to be half pissed to get through a no alcohol selling day!

43 minutes ago, BayArea said:

The national alcohol ban on major religious holidays is almost as silly as the afternoon alcohol ban. 

What true purpose or benefit does it serve other than to virtual signaling how pious and righteous you pretend to be. 

Not limited to Thailand.

 

New Zealand has four no-alcohol days each year, I've never heard any whines about the impact on their tourism.

9 minutes ago, gomangosteen said:

Not limited to Thailand.

 

New Zealand has four no-alcohol days each year, I've never heard any whines about the impact on their tourism.

I didn't know about New Zealand alcohol 4 day ban.

I didn't suggest Thailand's tourism taking a hit with alcohol ban, just saying it's rather silly.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

If you’re visiting Thailand during this time, here is what you need to know.

Almost every Ma & Pa shop will sell alcohol to you, even deliver it. 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Be mindful of noise levels and avoid disruptive activities. Remember, this is a day of reflection and reverence for many Thais.

So the monks and temples will be quiet then, no blaring PA systems 

My Thai neighbors won't be playing loud music and shouting on a Sat/Sun Night while pissed as rats. Whew glad that's covered then. 

 

3 hours ago, gomangosteen said:

 

Have you ever met a person who cancelled their Thai holiday plans because bars were going to be closed for 24 hours?  

 

Enough losers in the country already; if that's how desperate they are then it's hardly a loss is it?

If I choose a holiday destination I will surely will look what fits me most. And when I sit on a beach and can have a beer at 15.00, vaping, etc than that destination I will select. But in Thailand there are too many rules and laws that tourists don't like so much. EU an US citizen have to pay a lot of money to go on a far destination as Thailand but with this kind of rules and laws maybe they think twice.. Sure before Covid there were 40 million according to TAT, but many of them Chinese.

Thailand will always attrack tourists, but when they don't do more for tourists as they do now it will be less and less

2 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Sure, that is why pre covid we had 40 million visitors.

What about 3 years before the pandemic?  They are same now and the rebound has been dramatic once the restrictions were eliminated.  It's quite worrying for me and would love to see it slow down but people seem to love coming here. The trend line growth is almost vertical and excluding a world wide recession it will hit 50m in the next 10years 😔 

Edited February 20, 20242 yr by atpeace

2 hours ago, SunsetT said:

If the ban begins midnight 23rd does that mean alcohol can be sold in bars and clubs etc until midnight?

So if you make the 23rd an early night out and the 24th a late night start, you just have to survive on no alcohol upon waking on the 23rdto arriving to the bar on the evening of the 23rd.  Washing the dishes is more of a hassle than this...

6 hours ago, SABloke said:

I'll save everyone the trouble. This thread will be posts along the lines of:

 

1) This rule is stupid. 

 

2) If you think this rule is stupid, then you're an alcoholic

 

3) Thailand is technically not a Buddhist country by law, why not have bams for other religious holodays? 

 

4) You can still drink, just not buy. Again, stupid rule. 

 

5) Real religious people won't drink anyway. 

 

6) Stock up in advance. 

 

7) My local mom 'n pop still sells. 

 

😎Tourists will be pissed (angry or drunk or both?) 

 

9) Don' t forget, you're an alcoholic for questioning this rule. 

 

10) This rule is stupid, but TIT. 

Great post, but seems it was wasted on many. 5555555

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

If I choose a holiday destination I will surely will look what fits me most. And when I sit on a beach and can have a beer at 15.00, vaping, etc than that destination I will select. But in Thailand there are too many rules and laws that tourists don't like so much. EU an US citizen have to pay a lot of money to go on a far destination as Thailand but with this kind of rules and laws maybe they think twice.. Sure before Covid there were 40 million according to TAT, but many of them Chinese.

Thailand will always attrack tourists, but when they don't do more for tourists as they do now it will be less and less

 

Always difficult for the alcohol dependent to think out of their sodden box and conceive of the fact that there are 10s of millions of people for whom alcohol is not a significant interest or concern.

 

The fact of there being alcohol sales restrictions on several occasions during the year in Thailand has made absolutely no difference to the steady growth of tourism in the past......it will make no difference in the future.

 

I know I should pity you.......but I don't.

 

 

48 minutes ago, Enoon said:

 

Always difficult for the alcohol dependent to think out of their sodden box and conceive of the fact that there are 10s of millions of people for whom alcohol is not a significant interest or concern.

 

The fact of there being alcohol sales restrictions on several occasions during the year in Thailand has made absolutely no difference to the steady growth of tourism in the past......it will make no difference in the future.

 

I know I should pity you.......but I don't.

 

 

For my sake the ban the alcohol totally it will have no effect on me, But if I only express an opinion that a reason for tourist the alcohol sales can be, in combination with other restrictions to choose for another destination. I am sorry that a lot of people, like you, don't understand that

On 2/20/2024 at 8:30 AM, gomangosteen said:

Have you ever met a person who cancelled their Thai holiday plans because bars were going to be closed for 24 hours?  

 

Enough losers in the country already; if that's how desperate they are then it's hardly a loss is it?

They want loser drunks here, not smart sophisticated visitors. The tourist industry is setup to keep people transitory, drinking & fornicating.

 

The alcohol sales bans are used to keep the locals peaceful.

Edited February 21, 20242 yr by JimTripper

On 2/20/2024 at 6:44 AM, atpeace said:

Any alcoholics out there that quit on their own terms periodically every year or two?

Nah, tried it for a day once a few years back and it just didn't agree with me 🍻