Thailand Balances Booze Ban with Tourism on Buddhist Holy Days

[wensiensheng]

“This plan supports tourism while keeping order,” Prasertexplained. “
 

So tourists in tourist areas get booze, locals in local areas get kept in order?

 

How about this for an idea. Practicing Buddhists who take their faith seriously, make a choice not to drink alcohol on religious days. People of other faiths, no faith or less serious Buddhists get to drink alcohol.

 

Forcing the terms of a faith on everyone is bound to cause controversy. 

[Chelseafan]

This old chestnut again. The Story's been circulating for the last 20 years.

 

I'm OK with the ban, afterall it gives me a day or two to detox.

What they SHOULD remove is the stupid daytime law of buying alcohol in the supermarkets.

 

[Caldera]

I'm against religious extremism in any form and with any religion.

 

Surely devout Thai Buddhists can be trusted to decide for themselves if they should or shouldn't have a drink on Buddhist holy days.

 

And everyone else shouldn't be affected or limited at all. Just get rid of this nonsense.

[BritScot]

8 hours ago, cookie1974 said:

Not being able to buy alcohol for a day or 2 during buddha days is hardly a problem, unless you are an alcoholic, in which case stock up the day before, its not rocket science is it?

It is when you have saved up for a year or more for in most cases a holiday of a lifetime only to be told no alcohol drink when you sit down for a romantic meal with your loved one!!! It should be upto the person if they want to drink or not. We are not children!!@

[Nick Carter icp]

7 minutes ago, BritScot said:

It is when you have saved up for a year or more for in most cases a holiday of a lifetime only to be told no alcohol drink when you sit down for a romantic meal with your loved one!!! It should be upto the person if they want to drink or not. We are not children!!@

 

   But they would be a "loved one" until you've bought them a few drinks and paid the bar fine 

[sambum]

What about the stupid 2 - 5 ban?

[sambum]

2 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

This old chestnut again. The Story's been circulating for the last 20 years.

 

I'm OK with the ban, afterall it gives me a day or two to detox.

What they SHOULD remove is the stupid daytime law of buying alcohol in the supermarkets.

 

 

I think you mean "the stupid daytime law of NOT buying alcohol in the supermarkets."! 🙂 

[CFCol]

8 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

As far as I'm aware this, apart from the designated tourist areas, has been allowed for years already.

Not in hotels

[hotelbri]

3 hours ago, wensiensheng said:

“This plan supports tourism while keeping order,” Prasertexplained. “
 

So tourists in tourist areas get booze, locals in local areas get kept in order?

 

How about this for an idea. Practicing Buddhists who take their faith seriously, make a choice not to drink alcohol on religious days. People of other faiths, no faith or less serious Buddhists get to drink alcohol.

 

Forcing the terms of a faith on everyone is bound to cause controversy. 

You got it in 1. ' keeping order '. The complete raison d'etre for the ruling class.

[khunjeff]

8 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

I do not buy at a supermarket so meh... but one used to be able to buy 10lt's or more outside of selling hours.... is that no more ?

 

I believe that loophole was eliminated years ago. As you say, it used to be the case that if you bought 10 liters or more, it was assumed to be a wholesale purchase and was allowed. Now, you can officially only make those purchases during restricted hours if you can show an alcohol sales license.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I've been in one Wine Connection branch that would not serve alcohol from 2-5pm, and another that would happily serve all day. It's quite unpredictable. 

 

My recent experience on that in BKK:

 

The wife and I were out for a late weekend lunch at a cafe at the Gaysorn Amarin Mall.... Nice cafe that turned out to have a good selection of beers on tap. So I asked about adding a beer to our order, and the answer was "cannot". 2-5 p.m.

 

So after we finished our lunch, we walked out and right nextdoor inside the same mall was a beer-focused pub with an accompanying food menu. Curious, we walked in and asked, "OK to order beer now?"  And the staff replied sure, no problem, can -- even though it was still during the 2-5 p.m. blackout period. So we walked in and I had the beer I wanted along with some snacks.

 

Sorry, but that kind of stupid situation is absolutely ridiculous. And it gets repeated from place to place all around Bangkok in my experience.  

[schultzlivgthai]

What about the 2pm to 5pm no sell??

[Mickboy]

Grow up thailand this is a modern world, we as travellers tourists or expats don't want these religious curfews because they are out of date 2025.

[RabCNesbitt]

23 hours ago, JOE BAMA said:

What are '

• Licensed tourist area venues.'?

Yes, exactly this is an important question...... I have a bar, it's licensed, and it's usually occupied by tourists.... does that qualify to sell alcohol on these days of prohibition?

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

Typical, why don't we just forget about the ban every afternoon???

When will someone in Thailand show some common sense and logic?

[FritsSikkink]

On 3/5/2025 at 6:02 AM, ikke1959 said:

What a joke..... Modernize the whole alcohol law... sell and buy everyday from a age of 21 with id card by doubts .. Much better than all this kind of so called solutions for stimulating tourism.. This is not working, just because Pattaya and Phuket are tourism spots with foreign tourists and Thai tourism must be boosted  in May, but when you are Thai you are not allowed to buy alcohol than??

Age is 20 in Thailand

[FritsSikkink]

On 3/5/2025 at 8:37 AM, CallumWK said:

the only places that have the afternoon ban, bars and restaurants, which are attended by tourists, serve alcohol all day

Try to have a drink between 2 and 5 in restaurant Fuji.

[CallumWK]

2 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Try to have a drink between 2 and 5 in restaurant Fuji.

 

.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

On 3/5/2025 at 8:48 AM, MadMac said:

Who gives an F, go to your trusted mom and pap store for Buddha day beer as always. No "tourist" buys ridiculously overpriced <deleted> beer at any airport.

Not everyone lives out in the sticks. In urban areas most of what you call Mom & Pop stores are now a "convenient" store with an electronic till.

[Ralf001]

34 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Not everyone lives out in the sticks. In urban areas most of what you call Mom & Pop stores are now a "convenient" store with an electronic till.

I live in an urban area; I can think of a dozen mom and pop stores within a 5km radius of my home that do not have electronic tills.

[watchcat]

On 3/5/2025 at 3:15 AM, newbee2022 said:

For those who are addicted it's a problem?

 

You mean monks?

[PoorSucker]

On 3/5/2025 at 8:33 AM, ronster said:

Designated tourist areas ? 

So does that mean Phuket , Bangkok , Pattaya etc ? As in the whole place or do they mean nightlife areas and hotel bars .

If it's nightlife areas then surely some beach side restaurant that isn't in a nightlife area is going to be miffed if they can't sell drink .

Last time, local election.

Allowed in Pattaya as special economic zone, but banned in Bang Lamuang.

Ha ha, everything closed

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, watchcat said:

 

You mean monks?

If they are addicted? I don't know 😳

[Ralf001]

59 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Last time, local election.

Allowed in Pattaya as special economic zone, but banned in Bang Lamuang.

Ha ha, everything closed

 

Pattaya holds status as a special administrative zone and has a different election that is why booze was not banned but all others parts of Chonburi it was.

 

[MadMac]

23 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Not everyone lives out in the sticks. In urban areas most of what you call Mom & Pop stores are now a "convenient" store with an electronic till.

Never had a problem to get a beer on a Buddha day in Bangkok. 

[PoorSucker]

21 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Pattaya holds status as a special administrative zone and has a different election that is why booze was not banned but all others parts of Chonburi it was.

 

You didn't get it..

One side of government gives OK to Pattaya city.

Other one says NO in Bang Lamung.

Bang Lamung is the official name of Pattaya City.

Live in Bang Lamung, saw tourists wondering around asking why everything closed

[Ralf001]

31 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

You didn't get it..

One side of government gives OK to Pattaya city.

Other one says NO in Bang Lamung.

Bang Lamung is the official name of Pattaya City.

Live in Bang Lamung, saw tourists wondering around asking why everything closed

 

No issue buying booze in Pattaya on Chonburi election days.

 

When Pattaya has an election... no boooze but can buy in Chonburi.

 

Which part of that are you struggling with ?

[CallumWK]

36 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Bang Lamung is the official name of Pattaya City.

 

No it isn't. Banglamung is the district in which Pattaya city resides

[PoorSucker]

1 hour ago, CallumWK said:

 

No it isn't. Banglamung is the district in which Pattaya city resides

Actually Pattaya city includes Naklua, Nong Prue, Bang Lamung is only one taboon.

Jomtien is not part of Pattaya special economic zone

[PoorSucker]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

When Pattaya has an election... no boooze but can buy in Chonburi.

Oh, don't go out much on a Friday?, I work so I enjoy Friday night.

Elections was nation wide.

 

Off course you can buy boooze in local shops, but bars was closed.