Pictures courtesy of Komchadluek 

 

Bangkok’s alcohol control organisations and restaurant operators have launched a coordinated campaign to tighten alcohol sales and promote drink-driving prevention during the annual “dangerous days” road safety period, aiming to reduce deaths and injuries over the New Year holidays. The campaign enforces strict compliance with age limits, refusal of service to intoxicated customers and encourages safer travel options for drinkers. Authorities warned that violations, particularly sales to those under 20, will face legal consequences.

 

The initiative is led by the Alcohol Control Foundation (FAO) in collaboration with restaurant business groups across Bangkok. It comes as Thailand continues to record high road accident figures during festive periods, especially involving motorcycles. The campaign forms part of a broader public-private effort to address drink-driving while balancing public health and economic activity during peak tourism seasons.

 

According to Chatchada Chandarangsu, President of the Alcohol Control Foundation, road accidents during the most recent New Year monitoring period remained severe. During the “10 dangerous days” from 28 December 2024 to 5 January 2025, Thailand recorded 2,467 accidents, 436 deaths and more than 2,300 injuries. The main causes were speeding, drink-driving, and motorcycle use, with motorcycles accounting for the highest number of fatalities.

 

Chatchada said that despite the expansion from the former “seven dangerous days” to a 10-day monitoring framework, average daily deaths have not declined compared with previous years. She said this highlighted ongoing weaknesses in road safety measures and raised questions about whether such losses should continue to be accepted each festive season. She stressed that tackling drink-driving requires law enforcement alongside a culture of responsible drinking.

 

Sorathep Rojnapojanarat, President of the Restaurant Business Operators Club, said the “Celebrate safely, don’t drink and drive” campaign will run for seven days from 27 December 2025 to 2 January 2026. Restaurants across Bangkok are being urged to strictly follow the law by refusing alcohol sales to customers under 20 and to visibly intoxicated patrons. Educational information on alcohol’s health impacts will also be shared with the public through various media.

 

Restaurant operators highlighted three core measures: no alcohol sales to those under 20, no sales to clearly intoxicated customers under Section 29 of the law and support for safe travel home, particularly promoting public transport instead of motorcycles. Sorathep said the message displayed in participating venues is clear: responsible drinking, no sales to minors and no sales to intoxicated individuals.

 

Jeanont Kerdjaroen, President of the Restaurant Association, welcomed the government’s trial extension of alcohol sales hours, including sales between 14:00 and 17:00 and allowing drinking for one additional hour after the legal sales cut-off. The 180-day trial, effective from early December, aims to stimulate the economy and will be evaluated before any permanent decision. He confirmed that operators will strictly comply with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) B.E. 2568, particularly responsibilities under Section 29.

 

Komchadluek reported that the Alcohol Control Foundation, restaurant associations and business clubs plan to continue joint training and public communication nationwide. They aim to strengthen awareness, support fair law enforcement, and promote long-term road safety to protect both residents and tourists.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Thailand recorded 436 deaths and over 2,300 injuries during the 10 dangerous days from 28 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.

• Bangkok restaurants are enforcing strict bans on alcohol sales to under-20s and intoxicated customers.

• A seven-day campaign from 27 December 2025 to 2 January 2026 promotes responsible drinking and safe travel.

 

 

 Adapted by Asean Now from Komchadluek 2025-12-29

 

Nice words but not effective... The ones that really can make it stop is the RTP, by strict controls and big fines, but we all know they don't do it

Beating around the bush yet again.

 

Consistent police enforcement is the key. This does not happen. 

On 12/29/2025 at 6:12 AM, ikke1959 said:

Nice words but not effective... The ones that really can make it stop is the RTP, by strict controls and big fines, but we all know they don't do it

The bars & restaurants including vendors could do a lot more to prevent drunkenness, but then that would cut profits and probably start trouble when customers are refused drinks.

The RTP should step-up their game... they should be stationed at strategic locations and do breath tests.

As for heavy fines, that's up to the courts, who should show no leniency to DUI or drink related crimes.

Thailand has all the laws they need, yet little enforcement or will to insist on it.

 

Until a culture of valuing human life and not relying on fate to determine outcomes, nothing will change.

 

Most people don’t even want to wear crash helmets or provide child seats for their kids. Carrying people in pickup beds or multiple kids on motorbikes is never questioned. No wonder so many die.

On 12/28/2025 at 10:18 PM, Georgealbert said:

“.....seven dangerous days”

On Thai roads (and sidewalks) every single week has those.

And what happens to all those caught finishing their beers after midnight? Apparently the consumer is being fined. Another lining of pockets programme getting into full swing? 

strengthen "awareness"...So that's there reference in this country to manage the booze-induced year end carnage? Freaking Jean Claude Van Damme?

The same thing, or similar thing happens every year, does it do any good, do these messages get thru? Sadly no?

Why not target the ones who drink alcohol and drive 

As usual looking at the problem the wrong way round blame someone else 

Heavier fines and sentences if caught driving over the limit needed 

Run a no-DUI campaign all year round; only doing it during New Year's and Songkran is just window dressing.

On 12/29/2025 at 6:18 AM, Briggsy said:

Consistent police enforcement is the key.

 

Only if one wants to live in a police state?

15 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Only if one wants to live in a police state?

Simple minded

3 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

The same thing, or similar thing happens every year, does it do any good, do these messages get thru? Sadly no?

“Chatchada said that despite the expansion from the former “seven dangerous days” to a 10-day monitoring framework, average daily deaths have not declined compared with previous years. “

No need for the question mark. They acknowledge that nothing has worked in previous years, but continue doing the same thing over and over.  Because, let’s face it, the RTP and provincial authorities don’t REALLY care about lost lives and changing the attitudes of pretty much the whole nation. It’s all lip service.

1 hour ago, VocalNeal said:

 

Only if one wants to live in a police state?

You do realise that there is a big difference between a police state, such as North Korea for example, and a lawfully abiding state, such as Singapore for example, or less extreme law abiding countries such as Western European nations.

 

obeying sensible traffic laws hardly qualifies as a police state. Otherwise why not ignore red traffic lights, drive on the wrong side of the road, drive against one way street traffic, ride without a helmet, drive without a seatbelt.?

All of those happen to a greater or lesser extent on Thai roads everyday, are you suggesting that it’s a good thing, because it proves Thailand is NOT a police state?

 

its a nonsensical position to adopt.
 

Particularly given Thailands political situation, which makes it far more close to a police state than abiding by a few simple traffic laws  would do.

I have a good friend, a Thai  friend, who was recently out drinking with her friends, and at 2 am she got in the car, while she was very drunk and she drove into a light post doing nearly 100 kph. 

 

She could have very easily been killed, badly injured or killed somebody else on the road such as a motorcycle with a mom, dad and child. Her life would have been pretty much over at that point. So we often wonder why would somebody do something like that, why wouldn't she have known better, why wouldn't her friends have told her not to drive, why wouldn't she have left the car at her friend's house and taken a taxi home or found a ride home, or just stayed over a friend's house? Why risk everything? 

 

Granted I'm not a heavy drinker, but I'll have a few drinks and then I'll cut back knowing that I need to drive home, most people with common sense would do that. So, why are Thais willing to take those kind of risks? 

Every year since the day Thailand used to be called Siam the authorities state the same whether it be Bangkok or all Thailand that they will crack down on DUI. Like the movie, "Ground hog day". One day the RTP migt actualy get off their ar.se and actually police not just the New year, but the whole of 2026. 

 

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=scene+from+groundhog+day+when+bill+murray's+character+wakes+up#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:66379229,vid:KPjDfN9E74o,st:0

Is anybody even in Bkk?

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have a good friend, a Thai  friend, who was recently out drinking with her friends, and at 2 am she got in the car, while she was very drunk and she drove into a light post doing nearly 100 kph. 

 

She could have very easily been killed, badly injured or killed somebody else on the road such as a motorcycle with a mom, dad and child. Her life would have been pretty much over at that point. So we often wonder why would somebody do something like that, why wouldn't she have known better, why wouldn't her friends have told her not to drive, why wouldn't she have left the car at her friend's house and taken a taxi home or found a ride home, or just stayed over a friend's house? Why risk everything? 

 

Granted I'm not a heavy drinker, but I'll have a few drinks and then I'll cut back knowing that I need to drive home, most people with common sense would do that. So, why are Thais willing to take those kind of risks? 

Maybe do as in UK would work. A police car outside bars , bar streets , with a few breathalyzer officers checking up. With 20 000 deaths a year on Thai roads , I think it’s time to do something. All those families ruined, children fatherless or dead themselves. It’s a horrifying situation. People should publish the road deaths number of say, UK, France , Germany and Thailand on newspaper front pages. It’s shaming that the Thai government does zero to stop this horror. 

31 minutes ago, geisha said:

Maybe do as in UK would work. A police car outside bars , bar streets , with a few breathalyzer officers checking up. With 20 000 deaths a year on Thai roads , I think it’s time to do something. All those families ruined, children fatherless or dead themselves. It’s a horrifying situation. People should publish the road deaths number of say, UK, France , Germany and Thailand on newspaper front pages. It’s shaming that the Thai government does zero to stop this horror. 

I totally agree and oftentimes I find that if nothing else works, shame and humiliation does the trick here. At some point time somebody has to take responsibility and stop shrugging off the problem, as if it doesn't exist. 

 

Making declarations without follow-up doesn't work as we saw during the 10 years of the Prayuth administration disaster. 

On 12/29/2025 at 5:18 AM, Georgealbert said:

during the annual “dangerous days” road safety period

The "dangerous days" periods in the Thailand calendar are invariably the safest in terms of road deaths, although still tragically significant, the daily numbers are lower than the average, simply because the police tend to be more proactive rather than lackadaisical, and the media campaign raises awareness. 

1 hour ago, geisha said:

Maybe do as in UK would work. A police car outside bars , bar streets , with a few breathalyzer officers checking up. With 20 000 deaths a year on Thai roads , I think it’s time to do something. All those families ruined, children fatherless or dead themselves. It’s a horrifying situation. People should publish the road deaths number of say, UK, France , Germany and Thailand on newspaper front pages. It’s shaming that the Thai government does zero to stop this horror. 

 

I've often thought of that, but it won't work as it means the police have to lift their fat XXXX and get out. There are 5 pub near us sharing a huge car park and I've seen cars (on our CCTV) crawl out at 3 am , sometimes hitting the gate. Just 2 or 3 police officers standing there could either earn a private fortune or make the police station wealthy. 

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have a good friend, a Thai  friend, who was recently out drinking with her friends, and at 2 am she got in the car, while she was very drunk and she drove into a light post doing nearly 100 kph. 

 

She could have very easily been killed, badly injured or killed somebody else on the road such as a motorcycle with a mom, dad and child. Her life would have been pretty much over at that point. So we often wonder why would somebody do something like that, why wouldn't she have known better, why wouldn't her friends have told her not to drive, why wouldn't she have left the car at her friend's house and taken a taxi home or found a ride home, or just stayed over a friend's house? Why risk everything? 

 

Granted I'm not a heavy drinker, but I'll have a few drinks and then I'll cut back knowing that I need to drive home, most people with common sense would do that. So, why are Thais willing to take those kind of risks? 

Because it’s considered socially acceptable here. 
 

TBH, when I was young, England was fairly similar. Only a multi year education coupled with stiff penalties caused a change in mind set and made it shameful rather than acceptable.