On 11/9/2025 at 7:28 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

Have the cops booking all the foreigners drinking beer on the beach, early afternoon (2 to 5pm).

Drinking alcohol on beaches has been officially prohibited for years, that's nothing new and not anything that has been included in these amendments to the law.

On 11/9/2025 at 7:47 AM, Stressed Eric said:

This is it.

The final nail in the proverbial coffin for the Land Of Fake Smiles...

 

No coming back from this one.

Utterly ridiculous.

Gawd...that ridiculous "final nail in the coffin" remark again that has been made for decades.

On 11/9/2025 at 9:07 AM, ikke1959 said:

Money is only that counts in Thailand.

Exactly the same as every other country, without exception, in the context of the thread's comments, i.e. tourism.

On 11/9/2025 at 10:54 AM, garygooner said:

I don't need to drink alcohol personally between 14:00 & 17:00, but it's such a childish rule. 

Same Same, Except for BD parties. 

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On 11/9/2025 at 3:13 AM, Georgealbert said:

Authorities say the move is aimed at curbing excessive drinking and promoting public order,

So stopping drinking in certain locations between 2pm-5pm is going to achieve this?

While allowing other locations to remain open until 4am

Total idiots in suits

On 11/9/2025 at 6:35 AM, TheAppletons said:

 

  That's what you concluded from reading the OP?  Astounding.

Black and white,,  or in Thailand's logic..  clear as mud

Individuals caught drinking or being served alcohol between 2pm and 5pm, or from midnight to 11am, could face penalties of 10,000 baht or more. 

The law, first enacted in 1972 to restrict alcohol sales between 2pm and 5pm at most retail outlets and supermarkets, has now been updated to shift responsibility from sellers to consumers. Although licensed entertainment venues, hotels, certified tourist establishments and international airports are exempt, customers themselves are now liable for violations. 

So..   Mr.X is in a local resturant, trying to enjoy a meal and have a beer,   that he ordered at 1:50  does the waitress come over and slap it out of his hand if he picks it up at 2:00:01 ?

On 11/9/2025 at 6:20 AM, bubblegum said:

he left hand again not knowing what the right hand is doing.

I have a shrewd idea.... 

Anyone been in a bar last couple of days and not been able to buy a beer from 2pm to 5pm? Probably not.

13 hours ago, AhFarangJa said:

Yep, not sure about the law on this one, but a friend in Hua Hin was stopped at a checkpoint and fined for carrying some beers, and a bottle of vodka on the back seat.

 

Sounds strange to me. Why would he be fined for that? I go shopping and often put bags with alcohol on the back seat.

51 minutes ago, Luuk Chaai said:

Black and white,,  or in Thailand's logic..  clear as mud

Individuals caught drinking or being served alcohol between 2pm and 5pm, or from midnight to 11am, could face penalties of 10,000 baht or more. 

The law, first enacted in 1972 to restrict alcohol sales between 2pm and 5pm at most retail outlets and supermarkets, has now been updated to shift responsibility from sellers to consumers. Although licensed entertainment venues, hotels, certified tourist establishments and international airports are exempt, customers themselves are now liable for violations. 

So..   Mr.X is in a local resturant, trying to enjoy a meal and have a beer,   that he ordered at 1:50  does the waitress come over and slap it out of his hand if he picks it up at 2:00:01 ?

We saw several people openly drinking beer with their lunch at 14.20 in a well known shopping mall yesterday. Nothing has changed. 

10 hours ago, bbbb1952 said:

It was only last week they were talking of abolishing the 2 to 5 drinking law now their reinforcing 

 

Yeah to 2 to 5 sales bans are lifted, replaced by 2 to 5 drinking bans!

On 11/9/2025 at 10:20 AM, connda said:

For tourists who want to spend a couple of weeks of vacation relaxing, which includes having drinks during the afternoon which is considered perfectly acceptable and normal behavior outside of Thailand...

Goodbye Thailand

20 hours ago, Aussie999 said:

First, I do not consume alcohol, but I see this change absolutely rediculous...fancy fining drinkers, who, in many cases, are unaware of the rules... it's incumbent on the manager/bar staff, to warn drinkers. Oh well, word will get around, I do think this could be detrimental to tourism... But I am not as smart as those who make Thai laws.

 

The men in tight brown uniforms unaware of the rules may cause some anxiety as well.......😉  

8 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Alcohol is not permitted on Thai beaches at any time, been that way for ages.

and is and has NEVER been enforced on any beach 

On 11/9/2025 at 10:56 AM, Hellfire said:

Recently, two young girls at 7-Eleven refused to sell us beer at 1:20 p.m. I even had to take a photo of their own sign, which clearly stated that the prohibition applies only from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Something is seriously wrong with this restrictive mentality — starting from the government at the top and spreading all the way down through society.

Many years ago, i just put the money on the counter and walked way. Followed by lots of shouting.

A Thai guy i new shoed the best way by opening the bottle in the shop, they are then please to take your money.

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Goodbye Thailand

 

I hope they leave/do not arrive en-mass!

11 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

 

 

Next step should be to take tougher action on public marijauna use. 

Yes, very noticeable on the lower Suk when i was there last year. Hate it when i smell it at home, it's worse when i smell it on holiday!

25 minutes ago, chrissables said:

Many years ago, i just put the money on the counter and walked way. Followed by lots of shouting.

A Thai guy i new shoed the best way by opening the bottle in the shop, they are then please to take your money.

Hope you don't have a swig before you have your daily ride Chris!

4 hours ago, petedk said:

 

Sounds strange to me. Why would he be fined for that? I go shopping and often put bags with alcohol on the back seat.

I agree, but the Hua Hin police are good at fining foreignors. 250 Baht for riding with pillion rests down when no passenger on the bike. They are very creative when it comes to tea money. 

On 11/9/2025 at 6:53 AM, BritManToo said:

That's what I concluded!

Yes, I speak English and I concluded the same.

Probably a misunderstanding though.

'Misunderstanding' is a strange word. It has an English meaning but it's also a Thai word for 'I've made a mess of things, this is how I explain it'.

On 11/9/2025 at 2:24 PM, Peter Crow said:

Maybe they shouldn't open at all. Just saying...

If not already there, head home. Your puritanical views are out of place in SEA.

23 hours ago, shdmn said:

That person is being quite the drama queen acting like it's the end of the world or something.  Not even that big a deal for hardcore alcoholics who can just day drink at home or whatever if they can't last 3 hours without getting withdrawls.

Please, just go away. Your wowserism is more appropriate to a strict Islamic country. It's not wanted here.

26 minutes ago, Spock said:

If not already there, head home. Your puritanical views are out of place in SEA.

Yes, I know some people conceptualise Soi 6 as being SEA. IMO mostly people who suffer from Agoraphobia when they move more than 300 yards away from it.

 

On 11/9/2025 at 9:04 AM, cdemundo said:

A big issue on AN but to the Thai public maybe not so much.

 

"Approximately 28% of adults in Thailand drank alcohol in 2021, according to a National Institutes of Health study. This figure represents a slight decrease from 2008 when 30% of the adult population consumed alcohol, as reported by Nation Thailand. "

I got 12 laugh emojis for this.

Reminds of the guy who says "Harry's in the bar all the time, every time I go there he's there".

 

Drinkers always think everybody drinks.

14 hours ago, still kicking said:

I dread coming to Thailand twice a year. I am not really into beer anymore, but I like a glass of wine with my meal. My Thai family has the habit of going out for lunch late, about 2 pm, and they are all non-drinkers, so they don't care. Yes, I can buy drinks for home before but I enjoy a drink with my meal. So I do think it is not fair to tourists.

 

Thank you for your comments, but you haven't really addressed the question!

 

Do you know of any other "tourist friendly"country that has this archaic law?

4 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

Thank you for your comments, but you haven't really addressed the question!

 

Do you know of any other "tourist friendly"country that has this archaic law?

I have been to several muslim countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia.. where, as a non Muslim,  I haven't experienced any restriction on alcohol consumption.

6 hours ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Hope you don't have a swig before you have your daily ride Chris!

55555 Not at all, i enjoy it more after a day's exploring

The usual Thailand MO of trying to fix a problem that wasn't really broken... unless you improved it by selling from 11:00 to midnight or beyond. Let's go back to 1972 and understand why they actually brought in this law, which they never mention... it was to stop civil servants from getting plastered in the afternoons instead of being at work.

As par-for-the-course here, they announce some change which hasn't been thought through properly, then panic when people start saying "Duh!" and asking difficult practical questions.

So, anyone drinking anywhere is now fair game for a fine between 2-5 pm, regardless of location? Is it just in bars/restaurants/public places or does that include some dude sat in his garden on a patio too?

Another case really of some jobsworth civil servant high up trying to justify their existence and make a new law... but has failed completely to think it through properly, and what impact it will have on the locals and tourists. Just a comedy show really.

On 11/9/2025 at 6:55 PM, TheAppletons said:

LMFAO at some of the old geezers who are so befuddled they think their homes are somehow going to be targeted for beer drinking.

 

But, this does happen in America.