Report Thai Booze Rules Set for Reform as New Laws Under Review

[webfact]

File photo for reference only

 

The Ministry of Public Health is in the final stages of revising the Alcohol Control Act 2008. Minister Somsak Thepsutin announced that the House’s recent approval of the bill is part of efforts to liberalise a market expected to boost tourism and support smaller breweries.

 

The Senate is now reviewing the amendments, which aim to update sales restrictions and advertising curbs while imposing stricter regulations like heftier fines for selling alcohol to minors.

 

The legislation will repeal military-era restrictions on legal drinking hours and allow updates approved by the National Alcohol Control Committee.

 

The Ministry will also manage further actions, including announcements about alcohol sales onboard trains and in designated areas. A significant change is the increase in fines for selling alcohol to minors, raising the maximum penalty from 20,000 to 50,000 Baht.

 

During the National No Alcohol Day campaign, coinciding with Buddhist Lent, the government is promoting a “Zero Drink, Zero Death” initiative to reduce alcohol-induced fatalities.

 

The Ministry aims to avoid legal conflicts and respect the rights of drinkers and non-drinkers alike. Despite 20–30% of Thais over 15 consuming alcohol, the majority of the population abstains.

 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will officially announce alcohol sales at Bangkok's Hua Lamphong railway station, taking into account the station's appropriate safety measures.

 

However, we will continue to ban alcohol sales at other stations and aboard trains. Outstanding directives regarding alcohol sales during major Buddhist holidays remain undecided until the Ministry of Interior provides its input.

 

These changes promise to modernise Thailand’s alcohol laws, balancing economic interests with public health concerns.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-07-02

 

 

[ozz1]

Really nothing different modernizing alcohol sales what a joke

[redwood1]

5 minutes ago, ozz1 said:

Really nothing different modernizing alcohol sales what a joke

 

Agreed....Nothing changed at all......Stupid article...

[Enzian]

I'm in California (an expensive state) rn and good Scotch and American whiskies are nearly half the price as in Bangkok. But these policies may reduce my overall alcohol intake there; I can't recall lol. But I do recall wondering exactly whose pockets these markups ultimately end up in. 

[watchcat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The Senate is now reviewing the amendments, which aim to update sales restrictions and advertising curbs while imposing stricter regulations like heftier fines for selling alcohol to minors.

 

Make it a muslim country, and you'll have no problems , but you'll probably have no tourist either. Good luck. Perhaps from the german dummkopfs

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, redwood1 said:

 

Agreed....Nothing changed at all......Stupid article...

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The legislation will repeal military-era restrictions on legal drinking hours

If this means doing away with the ridiculous prohibition hours then it's one very big change.

[StayinThailand2much]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

A significant change is the increase in fines for selling alcohol to minors, raising the maximum penalty from 20,000 to 50,000 Baht (...)

 

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will officially announce alcohol sales at Bangkok's Hua Lamphong railway station, taking into account the station's appropriate safety measures.

 

So, are these the big changes?? Then good luck revitalising tourism through this... 😆 

 

Personally, I consume way less alcohol now when in Thailand, but more in other countries. Good for Thailand's "face", but less so for sellers of alcohol in Thailand.

[connda]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Despite 20–30% of Thais over 15 consuming alcohol, the majority of the population abstains.

BS 🐂💩

[connda]

In other words, nothing is changing for the better.

[newbee2022]

Good decision.

Definitely there are coming now more tourists only because they can buy booze at different times a day.

Or they go to their hotel or a vendor next corner.

So all are happy

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Don’t  worry. Whatever that is done  to try to boost tourism. That will do 2 things to hinder themselves. 

[Tom100]

What nonsense. What percent of booze-selling stores follow any central regulations?

My area has 4+ shops that sell booze anytime. Only 7-11 is hurt by these rules.

[jwl53]

Blah blah blah yawn yawn yawn

[crazykopite]

Which PM will that be, as I heard the Shin clan got suspended yesterday 

[Olof Karlsson]

Boost the tourism??? Mr Somsak,come down to earth

[spidermike007]

If you really want to liberalize the booze market here in Thailand knock the wine taxes down to 20% total for all imported wines, and the same with liquor. That's liberalization, changing the hours to purchase doesn't mean much. But Thailand has been deluding itself for decades now by doing things that don't mean much and pretending that they are significant changes to the law. 

 

Lowering duty on higher end wines would also serve to attract more affluent tourists, as rich tourists who are accustomed to spending $100 or so on a bottle of wine for dinner, will not spend $500 or $600 for that same bottle here in Thailand, presuming they can even find a good wine with bottle age here. 

 

The same applies the luxury goods. I know some rich folks, who spend $100,000 on a 10-day vacation and the wife always gets $15,000 to spend on goodies, and the most common complaint I hear is that she can't go shopping here because she won't pay $11,500 for that same handbag that's $4600 in most other big cities  around the world. The Thai authorities like to presume that rich tourists are dumb, but there's a reason why they're rich. 

[wensiensheng]

“Despite 20–30% of Thais over 15 consuming alcohol, the majority of thepopulation abstains.”

 

Dont worry, those 20-30% drink enough to make up for all of the rest abstaining

[madmitch]

Didn't they announce new alcohol control laws earlier in the week? Now here's a second batch. Why not do it all in one go?

[daveAustin]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The legislation will repeal military-era restrictions

Best hurry up; they’ll be back in control soon. 😋

[daveAustin]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

However, we will continue to ban alcohol sales at other stations and aboard trains.

Absolute nonsense. Banned because of one incident many years ago, so EVERYONE is punished. Get with it! Majority of folks that like a beer on the train just want a quiet one with a meal in the restaurant car or whatever. 

[Quentin Zen]

I spend about 90,000 a month on alcohol and will get the new Maow Visa set to lure the best of the best from around the world

[Burma Bill]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

and support smaller breweries.

 A step in the right direction IMO.

Perhaps a wide range of Thai craft beers will now be on display and available for purchase and consumption, like here in Cambodia.

Thai Bev and Singha Corporation get stuffed!

 

Photo of selection of Cambodian Craft Beers:

 

[Caldera]

Again? Didn't they just revise those rules?

 

Forgive me, I've lost track with all that flip-flopping that's been happening left, right and center...

[koolkarl]

If they really want to boost tourism, grant visitors a 6 month visa upon entry like Mexico and drop all the reporting, finger printing everyone as if all are criminals,  etc.  

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The Senate is now reviewing the amendments, which aim to update sales restrictions and advertising curbs while imposing stricter regulations like heftier fines for selling alcohol to minors

And they think that will achieve something ?

[sambum]

The Ministry of Public Health is in the final stages of revising the Alcohol Control Act 2008. Minister Somsak Thepsutin announced that the House’s recent approval of the bill is part of efforts to liberalise a market expected to boost tourism and support smaller breweries.

 

"The Ministry will also manage further actions, including announcements about alcohol sales onboard trains and in designated areas....."

"Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will officially announce alcohol sales at Bangkok's Hua Lamphong railway station, taking into account the station's appropriate safety measures.

However, we will continue to ban alcohol sales at other stations and aboard trains."

 

So just how does  banning alcohol aboard on trains and stations boost tourism? When the reason they banned it in the first place was because of the horrendous actions of one of their own (unvetted) staff by raping a young girl and killing her by throwing her off the train?

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, connda said:

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Despite 20–30% of Thais over 15 consuming alcohol, the majority of the population abstains.

BS 🐂💩

You have some stats to confirm that your claim of BS is not BS?

[Nickcage49]

Yeah right..."Despite 20–30% of Thais over 15 consuming alcohol, the majority of the population abstains."

[alekth85]

> However, we will continue to ban alcohol sales at other stations and aboard trains.

And this is why I'm not taking a train since they banned alcohol on them. I enjoy having a beer or two when travelling or with food, especially if it's a 12 hour overnight trip...and having a state decide if I can do that or not rules out trains for me. Seriously one of the dumber <deleted>n laws Thailand has, among sea of others, preventing fully grown adults from having a beer with their meal because a meth head killed somebody 10 years ago and blamed it on alcohol.

 

[Aussie999]

3 hours ago, connda said:

In other words, nothing is changing for the better.

Define, in your opinion, what is "nothing is changing for the better."