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Thai Election Forces 2-weekend Booze Ban


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Posted
Believe this "no booze days" requirement is going to be strictly enforced - and may well extend to private gatherings - so keep the party noise down for fear of a visit from the boys in brown

So extending to private parties/gatherings, maybe? I hope the nice government guys would tell us was it more than 2 or 3 people not allowed to gather...? This starts to sound good. Especially on pre-election days. Will they crack down on 5 person in bangkok sharing a studio?

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Posted
The main reason for this law is simple. The authorities try to prevent Thai people from going to "Vote buying parties" where the organizers will woo them with booze, try to convince them to vote a certain way, and then send them off to do it.

How does that explain why resident expats and tourists can't drink either?

Posted

My Thai partner works very long hours all week and looks forward to his Week-End to relax and have a few Beers so the next 2 week ends will not stop us, we will simply stock up, make a picnic, and head off somewhere to join everyone else that wont be beaten. Maybe we will save a bob or two also. I am quite looking forward to it myself, although I think its a bit much being an Alcohol ban for two week ends - it should be in the daytime, say from 2am onwards, surely heavy drinkers would be sober enough to vote by then !!!! I feel sorry for all of the bars also - and holidaymakers who have spent fortunes on there holiday of a lifetime in Amazing Thailand - lol. (certainly is amazing at times)

Posted
The main reason for this law is simple. The authorities try to prevent Thai people from going to "Vote buying parties" where the organizers will woo them with booze, try to convince them to vote a certain way, and then send them off to do it.

How does that explain why resident expats and tourists can't drink either?

Well maybe the police have better things to do on election days than check up on bar's to see who is drinking and who is not?

Easier for a blanket ban.

This weekend is a surprise to many but next weekend has been known for months now so caveat emptor

Posted
It doesn't say that we are forbidden to consume alcohol. It only says no alcohol will be "served" or "sold".

This means it is okay to drink our own alcohol, and to drink it regardless of the location.

It's a bit like the time-of-day restriction on alcohol sales. You can't buy alcohol before 11am or between 2pm and 5pm, but you can consume it any time of the day.

If we had left bottles of whisky with our name on it at a bar or club that were purchased on a date prior to the 14th of December 2007, can we consume them?

Would any bars or clubs allow BYO?

Possible answer is for a bar to do a "bin" for a packet of fags but issue a beer instead! Saw this before. The whole thing is a farce

Posted
Wher you get the news from and is it possible to find a n outprint about the banned days in Thai because my customers call me very simple a liar.

As so often in this country, the left hand does not know what the right hand does or even care if regulations are completely incompatible or unenforcable.

As written, 'local' rules might apply, so you will have to ask your local police. They might not know until the last minute before, so don't hold your breath to get a useful answer there either...

Posted

What do we have to do with the Thai election, not one expat nor tourist goes to an election. Again one of those rules from a desk nerd who never goes out and enjoys live. How about the restaurants, can they sell alcohol with the meals?

Posted

There will be thousands of tourists who have paid big money to come to Thailand over this period.

The ban on alcohol for two weekends will inconvenience the plans of many of these tourists.

It really is a case of over kill with these bans.

I am glad i am not in Thailand on holidays over this period for while a day or two here and there through out the year is not a real inconvenience to ban alcohol over two of the busiest weekends in high tourist season is a major dispappointment for most people who enjoy the night life of thailand.

Posted
There seems to be some criticism of how the Thais are unable to remain sober for the election and have to have this order imposed on them.

It seems from some posts that some expats are unable to manage a few days without drink as well as those they criticise.

I doubt whether this will have much impact on tourists other than those on 'boozy' trips who are hel_l bent on getting pissed at every given opportunity.

A few days sobriety wont do anyone much harm!

I think the point is that the ruling is pointless. The Thais will just buy a couple of bottles of Lao Khaow or Sangthip and get drunk anyway. So the aim has not been acheived.

The only people that are inconvenienced are the tourists / Farangs that live here who go out to bars and they can just buy booze to drink at home too anyway.

The only people then that really suffer are the bar owners who's income is affected.

Posted

So what possible benefits will this ban bring?

It won't stop people drinking because they'll just buy it beforehand.

It won't stop people driving - it may actually cause them to drive more by going out on picnics instead of to pubs.

It won't stop people holding vote buying parties with alcohol because they will just be held on private property instead of in bars/clubs.

It won't stop people drinking while driving to their home towns to vote.

So what might the ban achieve?

It will affect a lot of small businesses negatively and may put Thais out of work.

It will annoy a lot of tourists.

It may increase the number of drunken drivers/riders on the roads.

More people will drink at home instead of going out.

So, why are they doing it again? (I must be missing something...)

Posted
It may stop vote buying, violence and other problems with the election - YES, please ban the crap. If it will be best for Thailand, go for it.

But it WON'T stop these things, if anything it'll just encourage people to get drunk 'cos they have a day or 2 off work.

Posted

The temporary ban will indeed be a hardship for some businesses. It mightn't be so bad if vendors had been given several months notice about these 'pre-elections'. Advertised events to be held at venues that serve alcohol in Bangkok and elsewhere have had to be postponed at considerable cost to those participating, including cost of air tickets, accommodation, equipment rental and so on. So it's not as trivial a government action as some here are trying to portray it.

Posted
To be serious I assume that only Thai people can vote so why not allow some bars (and hotel bars) to open in tourist areas as long as they serve people with non Thai ID.

BB

Oh no, couldn't do that -- I mean, that would almost be like treating Thais and tourists differently where ticket prices for parks et.al. are concerned -- unthinkable :o

Posted
WOW! - what a pathetic group of people / alcoholics.

See ya :o

I don't know why some people even bother to post.

I'm with Gez, bring back the dunking chair !

Posted
We are in Patong during both weekends for holiday, to have fun and we were ready to leave our Euro's in Thailand by having good times. We do NOT have to vote for these [admin edit] so I can't get it why we (tourists) have to suffer too ?

What a brilliant idea again !!! Specially during peak season.

In simplest of terms, It's their country and they make the rules....

Posted

As people have said this will be largely ignored / worked around.

Also if you plan your weekend, and alcohol purchasing it will not affect you.

However, I do think it is patronizing and stupid to have these bans around election time. I bet the government officials will be having alcohol over these weekends.

And in a country where they have a system for foreigners to pay 400% more to get into national parks, why could they not have a system where foreigners can buy alcohol if they are not eligible to vote. And the 400 or so that are currently residing in Thailand and can vote would not make any difference to the outcome even if they did get pissed and cross out the wrong box on the ballot paper.

At then end of the day if you live in any country you should respect it's laws. That does not mean you have to agree with them though. And this law is just plain arse.

Posted

I feel very sorry for the bar owners. Especially the small bars that really need the income during high season! Taking away 2 weekends worth of revenue really hurts all the bar owners especially small ones. So contrary to what some are posting here it is not just a matter of people wanting to booze it up all the time! :o

Posted

Anyone ever noticed how many more drunks there seem to be around on these "dry" days?

It's just that little more fun to do something if it's not allowed (especially if it's only temporarily not allowed, so not really seen as a major illegal thing to do) :o:D

Posted
In simplest of terms, It's their country and they make the rules....

I have REALLY waited for this argument to pop up (it always comes with any topic even remotely concerned with the harebrained things the Thai governement is doing lately).

This argument is incredible stupid in itself, and if you feel so then you must -- by LOGIC -- also feel that discussion is unnecessary.

So then, please remove yourself from this discussion.

Posted

Yes this is a big soccer-ball weekend and certain landlords in Chiang Mai will have been expecting a beano - the four big clubs are playing against each other. Manu to win 2-1? A Ronaldo dive and penalty? That should be banned before alcohol sales - watch Arsenal play the beautiful game a couple hours later, that's my advice, and the beer should be back a-flowing by then.

Posted
In simplest of terms, It's their country and they make the rules....

I have REALLY waited for this argument to pop up (it always comes with any topic even remotely concerned with the harebrained things the Thai governement is doing lately).

This argument is incredible stupid in itself, and if you feel so then you must -- by LOGIC -- also feel that discussion is unnecessary.

So then, please remove yourself from this discussion.

Jts, I like your style. So succinctly observed.

Hunkey Dorey

Posted

According to a GoGo bar owner in Pattaya, the order not to sell or serve alcohol is NOT from the police - it is a MILITARY order. The police have been ordered to enforce it and apparently will have little choice but to do so. :o

That makes it different from, say, the usual Buddha holiday booze bans, which are pretty half-hearted affairs. No doubt there will be some people still willing to serve you a beer in a dingy shophouse or wherever, but I get the feeling that if you are caught then the penalties will be severe. If you do go out drinking, be sure to wear clean underwear. After all, you wouldn't want to offend Yai the Katoey, who will be your cellmate for the next couple of weeks. :D

Posted (edited)

"According to a GoGo bar owner in Pattaya, the order not to sell or serve alcohol is NOT from the police - it is a MILITARY order. The police have been ordered to enforce it and apparently will have little choice but to do so"

Are any of the Juntaista's on here moaning about the booze ban - I wonder :o:D

It would be even funnier if they were also bar owners

Edited by Prakanong
Posted

Our company considers to cancel the party for about 300-400 people. We talked to Police, authorities, but nobody is willed to give you a guarantee that no problem will occur. We will lose about 100,000 Baht for prepaid arrangements. Great isn't it?

If this would happen in my home country, the government would face thousands of legal actions, and they would lose them all.

I just do not understand, why those regulations are not widely announced in the public WELL IN ADVANCE!

Posted
Reading some of these posts you'd think Thailand was only here for tourists and expats.

What do you expect, this forum is for tourists and expats.

Maybe you wanted to say that reading some of these posts you'd think there was nothing in Thailand to do except drink alcohol.

Personally, I could go for a little break from drinking but to have it pertain to foreign tourists is just stupid as hel_l. What next? Stop traffic across the country so everyone can stand for the national anthem?

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