Outdated 2-5pm Alcohol Ban Faces Renewed Criticism in Thailand

[Tom100]

This law helps the small independent stores that sell openly sell alcohol. There are 4 of the small places minutes away and I prefer to give them my business rather than Big C or Lotus.

 

But I think the law is crazy if it reduces tourism and should be ended... but TIT!

[Purdey]

Hardly a traditional part of Thai culture. It implies that for the thousand years prior to 1972, alcohol was perfectly acceptable all day. 

Still, you have to query people who cannot go 24 hours without a drink.

[Dr B]

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Even impossible at Makro that is in fact a wholesale shop for other shops... But common sense is in Thailand not available

Simply not true. If you buy at wholesale quantities the ban does not apply.

[Baht Simpson]

Just change it to 2am to 5am. That'll cut out a lot more problems in Pattaya. 🙂

[MikeandDow]

2 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Drinking during working hours is in all countries forbidden and if they do so they will be fired.. Normal behavior if you are working but in Thailand there is a lack of common sense and although they pretend to be a free country, everything is limited

What an  absolute stupid comment !! obvious this poster has never been to another country

[Ralf001]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

I wonder how many lives have been saved with commuters unable to buy alcohol before the drive home. 

 

It's still a silly rule.

 

 

Just round the corner from my work.... little lean to type shop..... I pull up out front and the lass bring me out 3 large icey cold cans of Leo's finest for my drink home, every day no matter the time.

[cdemundo]

8 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Interesting,  I have never eaten in a restaurant or been to a hotel where I could not buy a drink between these hours.  

Right, it only restricts "off premises" sale.

Sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption elsewhere.

[Confuscious]

This "law" only achieved a selective lose of income to the bigger outlets.
During the "Not allowed to sell alcohol" hours, everey little "mom amd shop" kept selling alcohol as if the law didn't exists.
This law is hurting only the bigger outlets, not the alcohol drinkers.

[KireB]

I love these alcohol rules. Hilarious to see Thai supermarket staff trying to explain the alcohol purchase rules to Russian bodybuilder types. BTW if you know what you can get OTC in the pharmacies, you will never drink again. Alcohol is so overrated.

[Krabi King]

Can we also get rid of the outdated syphilis and elephantitis check ups please? Thank you!

[LukKrueng]

Yap. Thailand really needs more quality drunk tourists...

[ikke1959]

5 hours ago, Katatonica said:

Don't think so. Maybe it's a bit frowned on very recently but we used to have a pub lunch quite often in the UK. Business lunches on expenses could get pretty boozy for senior executives down. 

 

THey write civil servants.. Business is something different.. Besides that is solved in this law by allowing to drink between 11 an 14

[ikke1959]

4 hours ago, Dr B said:

Simply not true. If you buy at wholesale quantities the ban does not apply.

That is true but that is the same for Big C and LOtus's

[ikke1959]

3 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

What an  absolute stupid comment !! obvious this poster has never been to another country

Indeed you know me very good.. Try to get drunk to go to your job and see what will happen.. Common sense forbid you to drink, but you don't understand that. I think you never been to a touristic destination where you can't buy a beer in the afternoon if you are on the beach

[The Old Bull]

You can get a bottle of Lao Khao from the village shop anytime ,so what's the point of banning the expensive stuff that farangs buy? Doesn't make sense. If someone is on a bender they would not drive all the way to Tesco for a jug of booze.

[Wongkitlo]

7 hours ago, Hummin said:

It happens more and more lately I have experienced no serving of alchohol during those times. 

 

And the two biggest hotels and shopping malls in Korat, have no alchohol at all for sale. 

 

Centara and Centre Point Terminal 21. 

 

 

You should just go and buy some marijuana-available 24 hours.  You can even get it delivered unlike alcohol.

[MikeandDow]

36 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Indeed you know me very good.. Try to get drunk to go to your job and see what will happen.. Common sense forbid you to drink, but you don't understand that. I think you never been to a touristic destination where you can't buy a beer in the afternoon if you are on the beach

(Drinking during working hours is in all countries forbidden and if they do so they will be fired.. ) absolute stupid comment !! 

well it  is plain as day you have never worked in the Uk or Australia out at lunch time on a friday for a beer or 2  or more !

[Ralf001]

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Just round the corner from my work.... little lean to type shop..... I pull up out front and the lass bring me out 3 large icey cold cans of Leo's finest for my drink home, every day no matter the time.

 

 

I got stooged.... this place was closed today.

 

Stopped at the 7/11 at 5..05pm

 

Had a sign on the fridge saying no booze 11/02 12.00am to 12/02 12,00pm.

 

Grabbed 2 2packs of bigs cans of leo... cashier said nope " cannot sell, read the sign".... bit of confusion when I said the booze ban is 12/02.... today is 11/02......

 

long story short... yeah had me 4 travelers for the drive home !

 

 

 

[steven100]

uneducated imbaciles 

[chondan]

9 hours ago, JRG23 said:

Ermmm, the legal basis was introduced in 1972 but it was completely ignored by everyone until Thaksin's first term as PM.

Thaksin was angry at the owner of 7/11 for not backing him.

 

[daveAustin]

Yep, high time it was abolished. It achieves nothing but make the powers that be appear puerile and idiotic when unsuspecting tourists cannot have a nip. Personally doesn’t impact me and while few restaurants or bars play ball, not being able to buy a beer or wine at 7 or while grocery shopping during this narrow window is just bizarre. Shades of the old dopey UK licensing hours. 

[Confuscious]

8 hours ago, Krabi King said:

Can we also get rid of the outdated syphilis and elephantitis check ups please? Thank you!

Under the condition that you will never leave your house without underwear ....

[watchcat]

18 hours ago, JRG23 said:

Ermmm, the legal basis was introduced in 1972 but it was completely ignored by everyone until Thaksin's first term as PM.

 

Nothing good have come from this man.

[watchcat]

18 hours ago, Katatonica said:

at the airports - 2-5pm you can't grab a can from the 7-11 at 35-60 baht or whatever

 

At Suvarnabhpmi airport you can...

[dinsdale]

Again the focus is 2-5 pm but nothing about midnight-11am. Fact is prohibition of alcohol sales is for 14 hours a day. Not just the 3 hrs that's always highlighted.

[JimGant]

On 2/11/2025 at 7:43 AM, bkk6060 said:

I have never eaten in a restaurant or been to a hotel where I could not buy a drink between these hours.  

Me neither. But having to drink my wine out of a coffee cup sucked.

[NoshowJones]

On 2/11/2025 at 12:13 PM, hotchilli said:

About how far Thailand is from the outside world.

Not as far as the UK. They still have knights, dating back to the 12th century, all these "Sirs", even the present PM.

Then there is the lawyers in UK courtrooms wearing wigs and prancing about like transvestites dating back from a few centuries ago.

Thailand doesn't even come close to that in any shape or form.

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Not as far as the UK. They still have knights, dating back to the 12th century, all these "Sirs", even the present PM.

Then there is the lawyers in UK courtrooms wearing wigs and prancing about like transvestites dating back from a few centuries ago.

Thailand doesn't even come close to that in any shape or form.

 

 

Do you read, let alone believe, what you write?

[NoshowJones]

17 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Do you read, let alone believe, what you write?

Do you ever read any UK newspapers? You will read of plenty of knights "Sirs" there.

Have you ever been in a UK court, you will see plenty of lawyers wearing wigs there.

So yes!! I do believe what I write. 

[hotandsticky]

2 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

Do you ever read any UK newspapers? You will read of plenty of knights "Sirs" there.

Have you ever been in a UK court, you will see plenty of lawyers wearing wigs there.

So yes!! I do believe what I write. 

 

 

Thank goodness you are not a Mason...................