Sometimes public anger is a good thing, sometimes it's a sign that things are moving in the right direction and progress is being made, there are many very traditional people here and they are bound to be resistant to change, however that does not mean that change is not positive and that does not mean that change is not moving in the right direction.

 

Sometimes certain members of the public simply needs to be ignored. 

21 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Thais don't care aboit anything, that is why Thailand doesn't go foreward

Their intention is to protect themselves from more alcohol related problems, which is serious even in more educated informed countries. 

 

Common sense stops when it comes to volunteer intoxication. 

 

Thank you for 8 negative responses in 5 minutes.

 

And can't complain about the engagement 

 

But seriously, who is willing to discuss common sense? Science concerned wife beating and violence against family, drunk driving, and how to minimize alcohol related harm, and as well the overall cost for the society. 

 

More education, more information and health campaigns as well stricter regulations when and where to buy alcohol prevents all negatives above, and we will manage to have our drinks whenever we want. 

 

It is a debate about feelings, not common sense. And how do you feel? Can't buy alcohol 3pm ? Can do in a bar in tourist areas, but not at 7/11 or Tops. 

 

Why on earth should they sell alcohol on gas stations? 

 

AI say (I know I provoke, but that's th intention, for what is an debate without valid arguments)

 

 

Yes, alcohol monopolies can prevent alcohol-related harm by controlling the physical availability of alcohol through measures like limiting the number of stores, restricting opening hours, and prohibiting advertising. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted Nordic alcohol monopolies as an effective public health model for reducing alcohol consumption and its associated harms. 

6 minutes ago, Spock said:

To this day I have never heard one local complain about the alcohol law in Thailand

 

Thais are raised not to question authority.

So many utter nonsense parts of this article.

Complaints from the campaigners basically. Nobody else cares .

Drink driving up by 10% . Utter waffle , show the figures of people charged with drink driving in last month and bet same as before.

Alcohol grade 1 carcinogen and damages Thailand been seen as a wellness hub 😳

Traffic pollution , yearly burning from rice fields , lao khoa , traffic deaths , water pollution. 🙈

On 11/16/2025 at 7:08 AM, ikke1959 said:

Why not common sense?? Alcohol buying only for persons of 21 yrs old or so and with id if there is doubt about the age... Entertainment venues open till 1 am or 2 am.... A good working RTP with strict controls and high fines and punishments, instead of 500 THB or so by driving when drunk,, but there is a lack of everything..People in Thailand are too conservative to even change the selling ban from 2 to 5, no common sense, and the RTP is not working, and the entertainment industry is addicted to long opening hours

21? We aren’t in the backward USA.

Where's the public anger. Just seems like bunch of do gooders complaining.

Anyone who wanted a drink in the afternoon could buy before 2.00 and at any mom and pop store

A carousel spinning at rocket speed...

Perhaps Mr Chuwit Chantaros is a muslim, with his beard putting everything in a different light, because his comment about changing the opening hours makes no sense.

Public anger.... That's gotta be a minority and we all know about minorities... The more we empower minorities the more they want until the minorities dictate to the majority ...like now

My wife and I like a drink but do it sensibly, ie, we restrict ourselves so that we are not overdoing it. Very often I would like to buy a wine for the evening and cannot because of the 2-5 rule which I find ridiculous. This is because I believe anybody who is serious about drinking would buy twice as much before 2 pm or after 5 pm.

Most of the supermarkets now sell it after 2 pm for cash and record the sale, obviously to control the possibility of people buying way too much which has worked well.

Time for 2-5 to go!

Where is the "Public Outcry?" Oh you mean the usual suspects -  "Campaign for Protection from the Dangers of Alcohol Drinking" Now there's a surprise, the temperance brigade spouting misery. Don't dare enjoy yourself on holiday in front of this bunch, you'll be wearing a hair shirt and flogging yourself in public if they had their way.

3 minutes ago, maddermax said:

This is because I believe anybody who is serious about drinking would buy twice as much before 2 pm or after 5 pm.

 

 

anyone serious about drinking would be buying in bulk.

45 minutes ago, Spock said:

How about doing what other Thais do and buy from the mom and pop store. These holier than thou I am more Thai than the most puitanical Thai comments drive me to drink.

Weak response 😉

 

The response about Thai chaotic attempts to inform, regulate and make laws is as expected, but the mental breakdown here is drums 🥁 also as expected, so no surprises at all.

On 11/16/2025 at 5:08 AM, daveAustin said:

I get that. Personally not bothered about extended hours but the 2-5 thing is silly and has to go. 

does that apply to buying as well

I can see both sides. Many retired expats (also in their own country) like to drink late afternoon and go home early evening. If some people are out for lunch, they enjoy a glass of wine with their meal. Most tourists come to Thailand (every tourist destination in the world) to relax and enjoy. It is down to people to be responsible for their actions and come down hard against the people who are not 

I have a Thai friend who owns a small hotel here. She is getting cancelations from foreigners because of all the unrealistic and bizarre changes on laws, visas, etc. The current nonsense is hurting the Thai economy.
Make it easy for foreigners to come here and keep laws sensible. Which brings me to my second point. The laws that DO exist are not policed. Like drunk driving or even serious traffic violations.
It's like the govt makes laws and pick which ones they will enforce and which ones they ignore.  

On 11/16/2025 at 8:35 AM, Hummin said:

To this day I have never heard one local complain about the alcohol law in Thailand, only foreigners, and those  in the bar and restaurant business. 

 

Thais do not care

 

How about respecting the country you visit, it is just some few hours, 

 

how about respecting the tourist who come to your country ,pay a very large percentige  of your population,save up all year just leave a dark cold winter and ,sit on a beach with a few beers and relax. not much to ask for [ remember which side your bread is buttered on!

Oh dear the police might just have to fo their job, your laws and punishment for drink driving are far to lenient ,ban for 12 months. If found driving whilst banned a minimum 3 months prison sentence. The insurance companies need to wake up anyone prosecuted for drink driving need to have their premium increased taking into account the severity of the offence.

Incidentally more people are dying from smoking, these people who are complaining do not seem to want to do anything about that.

So  where's this "public anger." Ok  I do not drink alcohol...but what difference to safety and public health does lifting the ban cause, this smacks of typical Thai lack of thinking/logic....drinks have always been able to buy and stock up on booze.

3 minutes ago, portisaacozzy said:

how about respecting the tourist who come to your country ,pay a very large percentige  of your population,save up all year just leave a dark cold winter and ,sit on a beach with a few beers and relax. not much to ask for [ remember which side your bread is buttered on!

Thailand ranking high in alcohol related incidents such as road accidents, violence and health related problems, so they should respect those few percentage of the total amount of tourists who prioritize alcohol as nr one reason to travel? 

 

Thailand can just take a look at Spain, and see how the Spanish people love their cheap alcohol tourism. 

 

Seriously, how many tourists avoid Pattaya and Phuket just because of their reputation? 

 

Thailand ranks poorly in global alcohol consumption, with at least one study placing it 47th, although more specific, recent data on a country-wide rank is inconsistent. The high prevalence of harmful drinking patterns, such as binge drinking, is a significant public health concern, contributing to issues like road injuries, liver disease, and accidents. Research highlights that the starting age for drinking is declining, with some regions showing higher consumption rates, and a notable percentage of the population engaging in heavy or risky drinking. 

 

If you care to read

 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9666648/

 

And final question, why should Thailand care about tourists who come here to party, and not their own people who suffers because of alcohol abuse? 

Totally agree with the 2-5 pm going as tourists will enjoy a drink with lunch or 

Sitting at the beach ⛱️ 

Could not less about drinking after 0200hrs most sensible people would be in bed by then 

To enjoy the Tourist places to visit the following day 

 

On 11/16/2025 at 7:25 AM, dinsdale said:

Public in this context being a minority activist wowser group represented by an organisation that wants to stop alcohol consumption. 

This probably has more to do with police actually doing more to catch drunk drivers. Opening for another 3 hours in the afternoon will see some sort of huge increase? I'd like to see some supporting data on this.

Not sure what alcohol sales hours have anything to do with non-drinkers. This is purely a temperance like ideology trying to being forced onto the majority of the public by a bunch of wowsers.

 

4:00 am is pretty late in the night maybe 1 or 2 am would be more sensible. Nightlife entertainment is not having to stop having fun at midnight.

Ridiculous. This should be nation wide. Enough of the ridiculous nanny state and arcane alcohol sales prohibition laws.

 

Here is an example of madness. No one should drink alcohol. Absolute nonsense argument from an extreme minority viewpoint.

From the pic I would guess that Chuwit Chantaros, coordinator of the Campaign for Protection from the Dangers of Alcohol Drinking is not his real name and he is of the muslim persuasion

On 11/16/2025 at 11:46 AM, stevenl said:

04.00 is not late in entertainment areas.

 

But in general yes, i agree. There will always be people opposed to any change.

Why don't the government ditch all drinking hours and go back to the good old days like  patong in Phuket in the 90's where the bars and clubs stayed open until they had no more customers left and that could be 3 or 4 am.Usually it was the Thai owner or  night manager on deck then and they are there to make money so why should they have to turn away paying customers at a mandatoty closing time.Many times my mate and I would be the last ones left and would stagger back to our rooms at 4 or 5 am at the CNN after getting  a snack from a vendor on the way. There was very little trouble with violent drunks in the streets or bars  in those days.

Thailand’s ambition to become a wellness hub - really? Like Pattaya is being visited for its temples and Patpong is the planet's best place for fried rice? 

The public anger is scary though. I decided to stay at home under my stone to avoid clashing with the public anger which must be in the tens if not hundreds of thousands demonstrating, looting and destructing everything in their path. 

The public anger ??? 

To consume or not consume is a personal choice. It has little to do with selling. 

 

Some people may not use petrol / gasoline but that doesn't mean they shouldn't sell it.

 

As for Islam. In Indonesia one can still purchase alcohol. They even have a "national" beer in Bintang.  It is up to the individuals belief system whether or not they consume it

20 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

Why don't the government ditch all drinking hours and go back to the good old days like  patong in Phuket in the 90's where the bars and clubs stayed open until they had no more customers left and that could be 3 or 4 am.Usually it was the Thai owner or  night manager on deck then and they are there to make money so why should they have to turn away paying customers at a mandatoty closing time.Many times my mate and I would be the last ones left and would stagger back to our rooms at 4 or 5 am at the CNN after getting  a snack from a vendor on the way. There was very little trouble with violent drunks in the streets or bars  in those days.

How many tourists was it back then ?

 

1990 5 millions

2000 10 millions

2010 16 millions

2019 39 millions 

2024 35 millions 

 

 

Alcohol ban from 2 to 5 pm was already pointless as people make sure to have drinks at home.
Same with ban after midnight, people drink more early and faster, and or continue with friends at home after midnight.

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

Their intention is to protect themselves from more alcohol related problems, which is serious even in more educated informed countries. 

 

Common sense stops when it comes to volunteer intoxication. 

 

Thank you for 8 negative responses in 5 minutes.

 

And can't complain about the engagement 

 

But seriously, who is willing to discuss common sense? Science concerned wife beating and violence against family, drunk driving, and how to minimize alcohol related harm, and as well the overall cost for the society. 

 

More education, more information and health campaigns as well stricter regulations when and where to buy alcohol prevents all negatives above, and we will manage to have our drinks whenever we want. 

 

It is a debate about feelings, not common sense. And how do you feel? Can't buy alcohol 3pm ? Can do in a bar in tourist areas, but not at 7/11 or Tops. 

 

Why on earth should they sell alcohol on gas stations? 

 

AI say (I know I provoke, but that's th intention, for what is an debate without valid arguments)

 

 

Yes, alcohol monopolies can prevent alcohol-related harm by controlling the physical availability of alcohol through measures like limiting the number of stores, restricting opening hours, and prohibiting advertising. The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted Nordic alcohol monopolies as an effective public health model for reducing alcohol consumption and its associated harms. 

Again all countries have people who drink and the same problems as here in Thailand, but many countries don't have restricted alcohol sales buy or drinking hours as here. How do the deal with it than, asThailand seems not be able to control the same problems.

MGK does not approve. 

6 hours ago, thesetat said:

I guess Teera never believed the saying that a glass or wine every day helps the body. 

Potential benefits of moderate, daily wine consumption 

Cardiovascular health: Wine may help increase HDL ("good") cholesterol, prevent blood clots, and reduce artery damage.

Antioxidants: Red wine is rich in antioxidants like polyphenols and resveratrol, which may protect against cell damage.

Reduced stress: Some studies suggest that moderate alcohol consumption can help lower stress and anxiety. 

ask your liver how that's working out !

On 11/16/2025 at 10:28 AM, Hummin said:

 

When it comes to common sense it does, because alcohol related incidents and trouble involves so many more than the person who drinks and make trouble, do stupid things or do crimes because of intoxication by alcohol. Families, kids, neighbors and random people harmed by coincidence, the list is long

So as usual,  the majority must suffer inconvenience because a few cause problems!  It’s not the amount of liquor/wine/beer that YOU imagine people are stuffing their shopping bags with, shaking with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it’s the inconvenience of the majority having to adjust their weekly/monthly/daily shopping routine to suit a law that was set up due to some people causing a problem.  
As regards tourists, apparently a “must have” for Thailand, it is rather condescending to be refused a glass of wine with your late lunch and will cause snarky comments.

 

Are/were you an accountant BTW?