Songkran Celebration: Health Ministry Sets Alcohol Sales Guidelines

[webfact]

 

Today, at the Ministry of Public Health in Nonthaburi, Minister Cholnan Srikaew chaired a meeting of the Alcohol Control Committee, approving guidelines for alcohol control during the 2024 Songkran Festival.

 

Spanning 21 days, the festival aims to boost the economy and ensure safety by creating alcohol-free water play zones and enforcing strict laws, reported Siam Rath.

 

The initiative addresses the main cause of road accidents during Songkran: drunk driving. Last year, Songkran saw 4,340 injuries and fatalities, with over 502 involving youths under 20.

 

The government's "World Songkran Festival" from April 1st to 21st is divided into three phases: preparation, festival days, and post-festival. 

 

Measures include safe water play areas and strict enforcement of alcohol laws. Authorities will  enforce the laws against selling alcohol to minors, including limiting promotions during specific times. 

 

Law enforcement will also administer breathalyzer tests to all drivers involved in accidents, with a strict policy against drunk driving.

 

Additionally, the committee endorsed regulations for alcohol policy and control committees, ensuring thorough measures to address alcohol-related concerns.

 

While no specific timeframe was set, the committee aims for swift action, prioritizing community safety and public health.

 

Picture: Siam Rath

 

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[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Spanning 21 days

Jesus   O'reilly..............

Hilarious article from start to finish , please  repost it  on April 1

Edited March 11 by Rampant Rabbit

[bkk6060]

21 days?  3 days is too many.

They truly don't seem to care about any of this.  It is all about the money more and more.  

 

[mikebell]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Law enforcement will also administer breathalyzer tests to all drivers involved in accidents, with a strict policy against drunk driving.

Including on-the-spot fines; AKA Bonanza Over-time for Cops. 

[OneMoreFarang]

42 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

21 days?  3 days is too many.

They truly don't seem to care about any of this.  It is all about the money more and more.  

 

If you sit in your limousine and the maids and gardeners work outside, then this is no problem. 

[dinsdale]

Same every year. Makes no difference. 21 days? Well this will not really be the case. It will be basically the same. This yr. Fri12-Tues 16. As for road deaths/injuries well alcohol, speeding, aggressive driving, inattentive driving, no helmets, no seatbelts etc are occurring on the roads of Thailand every single day. 

[bob smith]

21 days of splashing water....

 

looking forward to the obligatory drought announcement on May 1st.

 

bob.

Edited March 12 by bob smith

[dinsdale]

14 minutes ago, bob smith said:

21 days of splashing water....

 

looking forward to the obligatory drought announcement on May 1st.

 

bob.

It won't be "21 days of splashing water". As I said above there will be virtually no difference. The actual holiday is April 12-16.

Edited March 12 by dinsdale

[bob smith]

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

It won't be "21 days of splashing water". As I said above there will be virtually no difference. The actual holiday is April 12-16.

if there is no difference, then what is the point in announcing a 21 day Songkran festival?

 

bob.

Edited March 12 by bob smith

[TroubleandGrumpy]

Many years ago when we saw Thais filing up their water guns in a creek, we have actively avoided this rubbish with the water. I am sure the Thais have the immunities and can handle dirty water in their face (they swim in when young), but us Expats over 50 are generally not so resistant to bacterial/fungal/viral infections.

Edited March 12 by TroubleandGrumpy

[TroubleandGrumpy]

2 minutes ago, bob smith said:

if there is no difference, then what is the point in announcing a 21 day Songkran festival?

 

bob.

You didnt answer my question yesterday Bob - when are you leaving??

[dinsdale]

13 minutes ago, bob smith said:

if there is no difference, then what is the point in announcing a 21 day Songkran festival?

 

bob.

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The government's "World Songkran Festival" from April 1st to 21st is divided into three phases: preparation, festival days, and post-festival. 

For your average Thai the celebrations will be during the official holiday period which again is April 12-16.

[dinsdale]

15 minutes ago, TroubleandGrumpy said:

Many years ago when we saw Thais filing up their water guns in a creek, we have actively avoided this rubbish with the water. I am sure the Thais have the immunities and can handle dirty water in their face (they swim in when young), but us Expats over 50 are generally not so resistant to bacterial/fungal/viral infections.

Stomach problems and ear infections are common.

[Mr Meeseeks]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

enforcing strict laws

 

Are there also laws that are not strict? 🤔

[bob smith]

intentionally wasting water should be a crime in and of itself.

 

bob.

[webfact]

Alcohol sales to tighten up during Songkran festival

 

 

In a bid to reduce road accidents caused by drunk driving during the extended “World Songkran Festival”, which takes place between April 1st and 21st, the Ministry of Public Health has decided to tighten up controls on the sale of alcohol, especially to those who are under age.

 

According to Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew, the Songkran festival will be divided into the preparatory stage, from April 1st to 10th, the festive events and activities, from April 11th to 17th, and the post-festival stage, from April 18th to 21st.

 

Provincial and local officials have been instructed to launch publicity campaigns to remind liquor outlets to abide strictly by the regulation restricting liquor sales to 11am to 2pm and from 5pm to midnight, to refrain from activities promoting alcohol sales, not to sell alcohol to people under 20 and not to sell alcohol in certain restricted areas, as legally mandated.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-03-12

 

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[Geoffggi]

The usual drivel with no positives ......

[Rampant Rabbit]

3 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

If you sit in your limousine and the maids and gardeners work outside, then this is no problem. 

Nope, theyr e too  busy fanning me  with palm leaves......obviously.

Reminds me of a  Burma guy who worked for us  , kept  calling me Boss  for the first week, dont worry , we  beat it  out  him, eventually.

[bamnutsak]

Might be more effective to limit the sales of ice.

 

Only the hardcore like piping hot beer and Sangsom.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Geoffggi said:

The usual drivel with no positives ......

Which part is supposed to be positive? 

[kingstonkid]

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

 

For your average Thai the celebrations will be during the official holiday period which again is April 12-16.

That will be the timeline for most tourism people are not going to come unless there's a reason and 1-10 do not have a reason 

[Bangkok Barry]

 

The minister's job is done. He, you, I and everyone else knows that what he says will be ignored, but he has done his job while actually doing nothing at all. Perfectly normal here and we read similar on at least a weekly basis.

[brianthainess]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Spanning 21 days, the festival aims to boost the economy and ensure safety by creating alcohol-free water play zones and enforcing strict laws, reported Siam Rath.

Just get totally rat arsed, then off you go. What could go wrong?

[Jumbo1968]

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

Are there also laws that are not strict? 🤔

If they enforced the law where no alcohol sales were allowed between 2 and 5 that might curtail the issue of alcohol sales,  bars flaunt the law

but the Police turn a blind eye.

[Rampant Rabbit]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Which part is supposed to be positive? 

The  full stop at the end

[Cabradelmar]

If anyone can overcomplicate an already dumb decision (to make Songkran 21 days long), and see no results, it's Thailand. More drunks and more road deaths, coming soon 💯💯💯

[shunter]

I larf, I larf, I pee I self. best piece of comedy as I have ever seen. As a monologue it would be a show stopper...

[ikke1959]

Thailand the land for tourists....

[HappyExpat57]

Even THIS joker couldn't say it with a straight face.

[Sydebolle]

I sometimes wonder, what kind of excellent weed some people seem to smoke. 21 days of alcohol-free zoned Songkran, I beg your pardon!

 

"The government's "World Songkran Festival" from 1 to 21 April is divided into three phases: preparation, festival days, and post-festival."  

The reality reads more like this: the division into three phases reads "get plenty of booze 24/7 despite no-alcohol-sale-hours anywhere except the supermarkets, get hammered and completely drunk during the festival days and the post-festival serves to clear up the mother-of-all-hangovers due to the extremely high quality of the local firewaters".

I am open to everything and wonder, if this year's "festivities" would be any different to what I saw over the last four decades. Well, the duration is a novelty; from three to 21 days; wondering how many alien will pick up the idea for holiday alternatives and how many locals can afford three weeks of partying ........