Thailand Bars Alcohol Sales on Trains and at Hua Lamphong

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of The Nation

 

Thailand's Alcohol Control Committee has decisively rejected the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) appeal to permit alcohol sales on trains and at the bustling Hua Lamphong station. This decision resonates with a longstanding policy reflecting the country's commitment to public safety and health.

 

Chaired by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, the recent committee meeting witnessed the persistent denial of SRT's proposal. Panumat Yannawetsakul, the Director-General of the Disease Control Department, conveyed that the SRT must reconsider and resubmit their proposal at an upcoming session, citing concerns that require attention.

 

The SRT's request sought to legalise alcohol sales in the air-conditioned hall at Hua Lamphong, typically reserved for events, and aboard chartered train services. However, these proposals have faced significant hurdles, primarily due to the serious repercussions of past incidents.

 

Back in 2014, the tragic rape and murder of a young girl by an inebriated man on a train triggered a nationwide prohibition on alcohol sales in train settings—a measure aimed at preventing similar incidents.

 

The committee’s rejection was also influenced by the ambiguous categorisations within SRT’s request concerning which trains would allow alcohol sales.

 

 

 

This ambiguity, the committee argues, poses risks of varying interpretations that might erode public safety measures. Thus, the committee urged the SRT to clarify these details thoroughly before a resubmission could be considered.

 

Despite the SRT's repeated attempts, this rejection marks the third denial from the Alcohol Control Committee.

 

Alongside these developments, the committee also focused on broader alcohol-related policies. They approved an operational plan by the Public Health Ministry, intended to deploy health volunteers to manage drink-driving risks during next month's Songkran holiday, a period notorious for alcohol-related incidents.

 

A notable shift, however, is the Prime Minister’s Office’s draft directive allowing 24-hour alcohol sales at international airports, deemed crucial for accommodating global travellers. Similarly, hotels can now apply for permission to offer round-the-clock alcohol sales, pending approval from local governors.

 

In conclusion, while the SRT's ambition to introduce alcohol in rail settings remains unfulfilled, Thailand's broader alcohol-related policies continue evolving. These nuanced steps aim to balance commercial interests and public safety, ensuring a vigilant approach to alcohol governance amidst evolving societal needs, reported The Nation.
 

-- 2025-03-18

 

 

[flyingtlger]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

This decision resonates with a longstanding policy reflecting the country's commitment to public safety and health....

Ba ha ha ha!

 

 

[Cuchulainn]

........policy reflecting the country's commitment to public safety and health........

 

 

3 words:

Rama 2 Road.

[daveAustin]

Baby governance. That was a very rare occurrence and sadly you’ll never prevent tragic deaths by penalising everyone, bringing policy down to the lowest common denominator. That’s not how it works in a healthy, happy society, or you may as well ban it state-wide. Tragedy is prevented through competent policing and public awareness. 

[Woke to Sounds]

Wise decision by the Thai ACC.

 

Foreign tourists are already whacked out of their skull on the devil's lettuce. That was the gov'ts first miscalculation, to legalise weeed.

 

No need to mix booze with the other drugs in public spaces like trains.

[Robert_Smith]

Nanny train state.

 

regards,

bob.

[Mason45]

7 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Wise decision by the Thai ACC.

 

Foreign tourists are already whacked out of their skull on the devil's lettuce. That was the gov'ts first miscalculation, to legalise weeed.

 

No need to mix booze with the other drugs in public spaces like trains.

Did the Governmement legalise weed or did go Anutin go ahead and approve it himself?

[redwood1]

7 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Wise decision by the Thai ACC.

 

Foreign tourists are already whacked out of their skull on the devil's lettuce. That was the gov'ts first miscalculation, to legalise weeed.

 

No need to mix booze with the other drugs in public spaces like trains.

 

 

I agree it was a mistake to not legalise weed and mushrooms at the same time... 

[Mason45]

Just now, Mason45 said:

Did the Governmement legalise weed or did go Anutin go ahead and approve it himself?

Actually before I bought my first car here we used go all over Thailand by train, much safer than night buses. Alcohol and food were freely available purchased from the vendors who used to work between stations sometimes 100 kms apart.

[Robert_Smith]

12 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

 

 

I agree it was a mistake to not legalise weed and mushrooms at the same time... 

Cocaine too....

 

regards,

bob.

[JoePai]

28 minutes ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Wise decision by the Thai ACC.

 

Foreign tourists are already whacked out of their skull on the devil's lettuce. That was the gov'ts first miscalculation, to legalise weeed.

 

No need to mix booze with the other drugs in public spaces like trains.

Ummm this was due to the Thais, nothing to do with 'Foreign tourists'

[hotchilli]

50 minutes ago, Mason45 said:

Did the Governmement legalise weed or did go Anutin go ahead and approve it himself?

I think the latter...

As for booze on trains, unless it's a real buffet carriage I think it's a good idea for  booze free area.

[jaywalker-2]

My newsletter email said "Thailand bans sale of alcohol to Trans...."

 

EXCELLENT

 

No more booze for katoeys! MATA! Make Thailand Great Again!

[2long]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the tragic rape and murder of a young girl by an inebriated man on a train

It was the drugs he was on, not the booze.

But now everyone who wants to enjoy being a PASSENGER with a few beers is affected. I wonder how many Somchais choose to drive, instead of take the train, because they can drink... yes, I meant that.

[edwinchester]

"This decision resonates with a longstanding policy reflecting the country's commitment to public safety and health."

 

Laughing my bit fat hairy farang arse off.

 

[dinsdale]

18 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I think the latter...

As for booze on trains, unless it's a real buffet carriage I think it's a good idea for  booze free area.

There were buffet carriages. As I remember you were not allowed to take alcohol back to your seat. It was nice. One SRT employee gets drunk more than likely from the lao kao he brought on board and raped some poor girl. This ends up with the Junta banning alcohol not only on trains but in train stations and bus station. The ultra conservative dinosaurs run the show here.

[hotchilli]

1 minute ago, dinsdale said:

There were buffet carriages. As I remember you were not allowed to take alcohol back to your seat. It was nice. One SRT employee gets drunk more than likely from the lao kao he brought on board and raped some poor girl. This ends up with the Junta banning alcohol not only on trains but in train stations and bus station. The ultra conservative dinosaurs run the show here.

Personally I'm ok with alcohol ban on public transport, who needs a pee-head sitting near you making  nuisance of themselves... and their are many of them that would should it be allowed

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Personally I'm ok with alcohol ban on public transport, who needs a pee-head sitting near you making  nuisance of themselves... and their are many of them that would should it be allowed

Trains world wide serve alcohol where alcohol is legally available in those countries. I might be wrong but this would make Thailand unique in this regard.

 

[PETERTHEEATER]

Just get a widow seat on the platform side of the carriage. Each stop, hang out of the window and make the 'tipping bottle to mouth' signal and the vendors will come a'runnin.

[marin]

1 hour ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Wise decision by the Thai ACC.

 

Foreign tourists are already whacked out of their skull on the devil's lettuce. That was the gov'ts first miscalculation, to legalise weeed.

 

No need to mix booze with the other drugs in public spaces like trains.

Pity you have no knowledge of what happened. An SRT employee who worked on the train did the deed. No tourist involved.  The incident had nothing to do with "weed" either. Find another place to push your agenda dude!!!

[Jack Batty]

41 minutes ago, jaywalker-2 said:

My newsletter email said "Thailand bans sale of alcohol to Trans...."

 

EXCELLENT clickbait.

 

No more booze for katoeys! MATA! Make Thailand Great Again!

MATA?

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Baby governance. That was a very rare occurrence and sadly you’ll never prevent tragic deaths by penalising everyone, bringing policy down to the lowest common denominator. That’s not how it works in a healthy, happy society, or you may as well ban it state-wide. Tragedy is prevented through competent policing and public awareness. 

Scotrail do not allow alcohol on their trains.

[khunjeff]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

This decision resonates with a longstanding policy reflecting the country's commitment to public safety and health.

 

No, it doesn't - it "resonates" with a desire to continue a purely performative response to a tragic incident which the response would not actually have prevented.

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

these proposals have faced significant hurdles, primarily due to the serious repercussions of past incidents

 

Not "past incidents", but one single incident. 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Back in 2014, the tragic rape and murder of a young girl by an inebriated man on a train triggered a nationwide prohibition on alcohol sales in train settings—a measure aimed at preventing similar incidents.

 

The "inebriated man" was not a passenger and did not buy alcohol on the train, so the prohibition could not possibly "prevent[] similar incidents".

 

Problem: drugged-up railroad employee commits a terrible crime. 

 

Solution: prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol on trains. 

 

Wait, what? 🤔

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Wise decision by the Thai ACC.

 

Foreign tourists are already whacked out of their skull on the devil's lettuce. That was the gov'ts first miscalculation, to legalise weeed.

 

No need to mix booze with the other drugs in public spaces like trains.

Quite. I travelled on the trains several times following the rape and it wasn't difficult to have a drink if you were discrete.

The only ones I saw being challenged and penalised were those, obviously intoxicated, being a public nuisance.

I suspect many SA comments are from those that have never been on a train.

[sandyf]

25 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Trains world wide serve alcohol where alcohol is legally available in those countries. I might be wrong but this would make Thailand unique in this regard.

 

Thailand is not unique in this regard, but probably unique with a more comfortable journey.

I was on a UK  train back in Oct and most of the carriage was half cut and extremely noisy, not the best way to travel.

i enjoy my drink on the Thai trains but do it with respect for others.

[Kaopad999]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of The Nation

 

Thailand's Alcohol Control Committee has decisively rejected the State Railway of Thailand’s (SRT) appeal to permit alcohol sales on trains and at the bustling Hua Lamphong station. This decision resonates with a longstanding policy reflecting the country's commitment to public safety and health.

 

Chaired by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, the recent committee meeting witnessed the persistent denial of SRT's proposal. Panumat Yannawetsakul, the Director-General of the Disease Control Department, conveyed that the SRT must reconsider and resubmit their proposal at an upcoming session, citing concerns that require attention.

 

The SRT's request sought to legalise alcohol sales in the air-conditioned hall at Hua Lamphong, typically reserved for events, and aboard chartered train services. However, these proposals have faced significant hurdles, primarily due to the serious repercussions of past incidents.

 

Back in 2014, the tragic rape and murder of a young girl by an inebriated man on a train triggered a nationwide prohibition on alcohol sales in train settings—a measure aimed at preventing similar incidents.

 

The committee’s rejection was also influenced by the ambiguous categorisations within SRT’s request concerning which trains would allow alcohol sales.

 

 

 

This ambiguity, the committee argues, poses risks of varying interpretations that might erode public safety measures. Thus, the committee urged the SRT to clarify these details thoroughly before a resubmission could be considered.

 

Despite the SRT's repeated attempts, this rejection marks the third denial from the Alcohol Control Committee.

 

Alongside these developments, the committee also focused on broader alcohol-related policies. They approved an operational plan by the Public Health Ministry, intended to deploy health volunteers to manage drink-driving risks during next month's Songkran holiday, a period notorious for alcohol-related incidents.

 

A notable shift, however, is the Prime Minister’s Office’s draft directive allowing 24-hour alcohol sales at international airports, deemed crucial for accommodating global travellers. Similarly, hotels can now apply for permission to offer round-the-clock alcohol sales, pending approval from local governors.

 

In conclusion, while the SRT's ambition to introduce alcohol in rail settings remains unfulfilled, Thailand's broader alcohol-related policies continue evolving. These nuanced steps aim to balance commercial interests and public safety, ensuring a vigilant approach to alcohol governance amidst evolving societal needs, reported The Nation.
 

-- 2025-03-18

 

 

 

[Kaopad999]

Great decision! There's nothing worse than having to endure loud drunks on a long journey. Keeping things calm and quiet definitely makes the trip safer and more peaceful.

[HK MacPhooey]

47 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Personally I'm ok with alcohol ban on public transport, who needs a pee-head sitting near you making  nuisance of themselves... and their are many of them that would should it be allowed

Better than having to sit next to a boring sanctimonious 'holier than thou' farang

 

[dinsdale]

21 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

 

No, it doesn't - it "resonates" with a desire to continue a purely performative response to a tragic incident which the response would not actually have prevented.

 

 

Not "past incidents", but one single incident. 

 

 

The "inebriated man" was not a passenger and did not buy alcohol on the train, so the prohibition could not possibly "prevent[] similar incidents".

 

Problem: drugged-up railroad employee commits a terrible crime. 

 

Solution: prohibit passengers from drinking alcohol on trains. 

 

Wait, what? 🤔

Ah! That's right. He (SRT employee) was on yaba and the junta's instant reaction was to ban alcohol on trains and in all train and bus stations. It was a trigger for the ultra conservatives to impose their ultra conservative values on the rest of Thailand. 

[CecilM]

Unless they check people's luggage, I don't see what's the point.

It was a long and loud train ride from CM-BKK as many travelers got out their booze as soon as the train left.