File picture for reference only

 

Public Health Minister Pattana Phonphat has confirmed the government will temporarily lift the ban on alcohol sales between 2pm and 5pm, introducing a six-month trial intended to assess the social, health and economic consequences of the change. The move follows intense public concern about stricter penalties introduced under the amended Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which came into effect on 8 November. Authorities say the trial will give them sufficient time to evaluate whether extended sales hours create any measurable benefits or risks.

 

The National Alcohol Control Committee recommended lifting the afternoon ban on Thursday after public backlash over new provisions that, for the first time, allow individuals to be fined 10,000 baht or more for drinking or being served during prohibited hours. Previously, only businesses faced penalties for selling at restricted times. Under the proposal, the removal of the ban is expected to take effect after a 15-day public consultation period, likely around 1 December.

 

Mr Pattana said the government must balance economic interests with public health priorities and noted that tourism stakeholders had raised concerns about Thailand’s stringent alcohol laws and high penalties. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has warned that unclear regulations and harsh fines could discourage foreign visitors, particularly during the festive season. Several countries have reportedly approached Thailand to express concern about the potential impact on their citizens.

 

Some civil society groups have questioned whether Thursday’s committee meeting was legitimate, citing the absence of appointed expert members. Mr Pattana said the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act permits meetings to proceed with ex officio members in urgent circumstances, emphasising the need to prepare for the New Year and Songkran periods when alcohol consumption typically rises. He acknowledged the lack of NGO representation but said legal provisions allow such meetings when swift action is required.

 

During the six-month trial, provincial alcohol control committees will monitor local impacts and compile findings covering advantages, drawbacks and recommendations for the national committee. Their reports will inform any future revisions to alcohol-control policy once the trial ends. Existing zoning regulations under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act will remain unchanged throughout the period.

 

The Bangkok Post reported that the minister also clarified rules governing nighttime drinking, stating that customers may stay in venues for one hour after the midnight sales cutoff but no alcohol may be sold during that time. He said this allowance aims to give patrons sufficient time to finish meals and travel home safely. Vendors found selling beyond permitted hours will face penalties, and Mr Pattana urged businesses to demonstrate a clear intention to stop service, such as dimming lights or beginning clean-up.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• The government will test lifting the 2pm–5pm alcohol sales ban through a six-month nationwide trial beginning around 1 December.

• Provincial committees will monitor health, social and economic impacts and submit their findings to the national committee.

• Officials say urgent action was needed ahead of the festive season despite concerns about meeting legitimacy and civil society inclusion.

 

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  Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Bangkokpost 2025-11-15

 

 

 

 

So people can now buy alcohol 2 - 5 PM but can't drink it between those hours?

 

 

 

 

12 minutes ago, Lee65 said:

So people can now buy alcohol 2 - 5 PM but can't drink it between those hours?

 

 

 

 

That's what you took from this story?

"Existing zoning regulations under the Act will remain unchanged throughout the period." So am I reading this right and this will apply only for already designated zones and not all of Thailand? Very disappointed but not surprised. I think I actually said i woner if this would be the case on a previous thread. Midnight cut off is ridiculous. This will go zero way to increasing tourism. The ridiculous prohibition law should be scrapped nation wide. 

Another half way action.. How can you really give a trial if only a few places and venues are allowed?? Just open it for the whole country and see what the results will be... All because nobody wants to be responsible or can be blamed... How can you ever get a reliable  responsible and trustworthy law and government

I really don't understand this problem.If i want a beer i go to a pub at these hours.No problem at all.I also have cold beers in my fridge at my hotel and whiskey too.Anyway i agree that its time they lift the ban for shops selling alcohol like 7/11 etc

The initial reason for the 2pm to 5pm ban was to stop government workers to drink in the afternoon, instead of working. They could have prohibited government workers from drinking during these hours, and letting all others, including tourists, to drink whenever they wanted.

 

Thai laws make very little sense, and the  enforcement by the police is completely void. 2pm to 5pm happy hours have been around for many years even if both happy hours and sales during these times have been illegal.

 

Will crime rates increase, not to mention drunken driving?

 

 

Complete and utter shambles as always: half a law not enforced, another half of another law maybe enforced here but not there for obscure reasons, anything possible but nothing confirmed and all experimental anyway so all may change again next week or the week after ...

 

Thais love complexity (just look at their architecture - Thai Gothic).

 

Complexity in government and administration means that anyone who has money or influence can do absolutely anything they like without fear of interference. Everyone else must live in fear & trembling before mysterious rules and laws that noone understands and that may or may not be enforced according to the whims of someone more important.

 

42 minutes ago, GammaGlobulin said:

Will crime rates increase, not to mention drunken driving?

 

 

Thais will drive drunk (and buy/drink booze) whenever they like anyway.

2 days ago a drunk Thai crashed his nice new Merc pretty bad near my house.... at 5am!

9 hours ago, 2long said:

Thais will drive drunk (and buy/drink booze) whenever they like anyway.

2 days ago a drunk Thai crashed his nice new Merc pretty bad near my house.... at 5am!

i agree.. the law will not stop people who really want to drink during the times the law says it is illegal. Just like the clubs and bars will not close at the times they are supposed to if it means they will make a lot of money. The police only enforce when there is a complaint. So there is not much incentive to follow the laws. 

17 hours ago, norsurin said:

I really don't understand this problem.If i want a beer i go to a pub at these hours.No problem at all.I also have cold beers in my fridge at my hotel and whiskey too.Anyway i agree that its time they lift the ban for shops selling alcohol like 7/11 etc

 The problem is for example yesterday when we went for a late lunch in Bangkok, I wanted to order a bottle of wine and was told I’d have to wait a couple of hours until 5. 
 

I just smiled at the stupidity of it, but imagine if it was a tourist, not a great lasting impression.

3 hours ago, sungod said:

 The problem is for example yesterday when we went for a late lunch in Bangkok, I wanted to order a bottle of wine and was told I’d have to wait a couple of hours until 5. 
 

I just smiled at the stupidity of it, but imagine if it was a tourist, not a great lasting impression.

For a supposed tourist and holiday location it is crazy.  has the 2 to 5 prohibition always been a law?  My first trip was in 2004 and I have been to several cities and do not recall ever seeing or experiencing any alcohol limits during those hours, be it buying alcohol at a 7 11, eating at scores of restaurants, bars, gogos, etc..

23 hours ago, Upnotover said:

That's what you took from this story?

 

No.  From several recent news articles, some saying the person consuming the alcohol between 2 & 5 PM can be charged.

 

The usual government and journalistic incompetence will fuel this discussion for weeks if not months ...

2 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

For a supposed tourist and holiday location it is crazy.  has the 2 to 5 prohibition always been a law?  My first trip was in 2004 and I have been to several cities and do not recall ever seeing or experiencing any alcohol limits during those hours, be it buying alcohol at a 7 11, eating at scores of restaurants, bars, gogos, etc..

its been a law for quite a time.

 

7-11 will not sale out of hours, restaurants in Bangkok shopping malls. IN beach resorts its mainly ignored except in supermarkets and 7-11 etc. 

On 11/15/2025 at 2:08 PM, Georgealbert said:

Authorities say the trial will give them sufficient time to evaluate whether extended sales hours create any measurable benefits or risks.

Zero benefits... just because sales are available for an extra 3 hours means virtually nothing

Customers have worked around that out-dated law for years

18 hours ago, gk10012001 said:

For a supposed tourist and holiday location it is crazy.  has the 2 to 5 prohibition always been a law?  My first trip was in 2004 and I have been to several cities and do not recall ever seeing or experiencing any alcohol limits during those hours, be it buying alcohol at a 7 11, eating at scores of restaurants, bars, gogos, etc..

The 2 to 5 restriction has been in place for 53 years. If it has affected tourism in the past probably for the best,  Thailand would struggle with any more than the number that came in 2019. Only become a major issue since the media decided it was.

Covid was a major blow to tourism worldwide and the last thing Thailand needs in the recovery process is unnecessary distractions.

It has been law but was not

enforced vigourisly untill Taksin revived it along with other silly rules about petrol station opening times,

I nearly missed a flight because the taxi I had booked to the airport could not fill up...he called his mate and we got to the airport on time but it was stressful.

Thai Logic working overtime again can smell the sawdust burning from afar 555

Until someone in power suddenly cries the world is coming to an end because someone was found drunk between 2-5pm and it will be back to as was 🙄🙈

I don’t agree with the law but it ‘s a very easy law to comply with.  

On 11/15/2025 at 2:39 PM, Upnotover said:

That's what you took from this story?

Ok you buy and I'll drink it

More than once on a no grog religous or voting day I have gone to a 7/11 nd wanted to buy a few beers and the assistant said no can but the manager said o.k. and puts them in a brown paper bag and checks outside for cops .. all clear and off I go back to my room.  

It is a "heat up the Farang front" story ....... in my neighbourhood absolutely nobody cared nor cares about any such ban hours. During the Covid-stint even cold beer was available 24/7 at the usual prices. Except the supermarket and convenience stores, all others sold, sell and will continue to sell firewaters and my entire neighbourhood will carry on drinking - or not. 

It is just another example of how weird all this is. The government is there to serve the people; here it is the other way round. Buddhist holidays = no booze, in Thailand only. I therefore assume that the Buddhists in Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam must have a different Buddha. Election weekends - the same story, in Thailand only. 

So this "lifting trial" is nothing but the backdoor for those clowns in the government who overdid it - again. Lets see, in six months nobody talks about it anymore and I still would need to see the public moving in large numbers towards a government building protesting against "abolishing the booze ban hours" - what a hopeless farçe of the planet's possibly biggest kindergarten! 

As an oenophilist (OK = wino), my only interest is, I eat breakfast in the morn by 09:00 and then my main meal, usually 14:00-16:00 in the afternoon. So, occasionally, would prefer to have a glass of wine with the meal. Other than that, shopping usually between 11:00 - 16:00 and would include wine purchase on some trips. So, for me overall, not a critical issue, just occasional inconvenience. Past the evening bar stage, now quite happy evenings at home watching movies and sipping red wine (heart medicine ... don't cha know).

On 11/15/2025 at 7:25 AM, Lee65 said:

So people can now buy alcohol 2 - 5 PM but can't drink it between those hours?

 

 

 

 

You've poked the bear now. Liverpool Lou will be along at some stage to put you straight and probably call you an idiot for good measure......

On 11/15/2025 at 2:25 PM, Lee65 said:

So people can now buy alcohol 2 - 5 PM but can't drink it between those hours?

 

 

 

 

Not yet 

 

The government will test lifting the 2pm–5pm alcohol sales ban through a six-month nationwide trial beginning around 1 December.

On 11/15/2025 at 3:55 PM, ikke1959 said:

Another half way action.. How can you really give a trial if only a few places and venues are allowed?? Just open it for the whole country and see what the results will be... All because nobody wants to be responsible or can be blamed... How can you ever get a reliable  responsible and trustworthy law and government

government policy

Just do it. Who cares. Mountains out of molehills. 3hrs less a day is nonsense. 

It's a stupid policy that is ignored by most anyway.   If really I wanted to have an alcoholic drink between 2-5pm and I lacked the foresight to purchase crates of alcohol before 2pm then I can think of countless places to buy it from anyway.   

 

This trial will really just affect chains like 7/11 and supermarkets that follow the rules so the very predicable outcome of this is trial is that 7/11 will make a bit more money from selling alcohol during those times and mom/pop stores will make a bit less, otherwise there will be zero difference.  

 

If they were in the business of wanting to "save lives" they could maybe start with proper deterrents for drink driving and not wearing helmets.