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?