Thai Election Forces 2-weekend Booze Ban

[marquess]

Such a strange policy i'd say...

When has common sense ever been prevelent amongst govs, and much much less so the Thai gov, with it's own brand of catoon carnival like logic!

[Asianatic]

Arrived here for a months holiday 4 days ago, was in Bangkok until yesterday (great so far) and then arrived in Phuket last night, got showered dressed and headed out as normal only to be told by the hotel reception that there is a ban on the sale of alcohol and that all the bars are closed!!

First I heard of it, so headed out anyway to see what the craic was. Disaster.

Patong Beach was basically a ghost town, just 100's of dismayed thai ladies wondering where their usual custom was and a load of lonely bored looking tuctuc drivers sitting beside their emtpy tuctucs.

Gave up after about half an hour and was back in my hotel room by 00:30.

Case in point I didnt spend a penny of my tourist money. Wont tonight either.

Just googled it now and this is the first link that came up, and is also the first time I've learned that I am basically having another 4 nights of my holiday wasted and taken away from me by the thai government. I had previously assumed it would end at midnight tonight. And again on the 22nd?! For fuc_ks sake they must be mad.

Its a f*cking disgrace. Im also not happy with the TAT for not mentioning this, if they knew, before sending us down here. If I had of known I would have booked some kind of route away from the non-existing nightlife for these prohibition days.

I literally have nothing to do here during the night hours now today and tommorow except mess around on the internet and get very very bored in this hotel room. I mean yes I can technically get drink in the hotel, its sitting there in my rooms mini-bar. But sitting in this room with my mate drinking or roaming deserted streets at night is NOT what I came to Thailand for and is not what I look for in any holiday.

I also will probably not risk coming here again if this is the kind of thing that can happen. In one swoop the government has effectively reduced my holiday from 26 nights to 22. Not happy, not happy at all.

I completely understand and agree what you mean. It is the same sh_t this side. I do not need alcohol to have a great night, although I admit that it helps But this is some of the worst facts I have ever faced during my past 17 years of holiday making throughout South East Asia. I go to Patong to enjoy myself with friends.

If I would have knew before, I would have planned my itinerary accordingly and avoid these dates at all times. Where I live back home is a quiet village with not much going on during weekends, so the main reason to fly half-way around the globe for us is to have some good fun.

Amazing Thailand indeed !

Edited December 15, 2007 by Asianatic

[Mobi]

After 363 posts, maybe we need a little re-cap.

Who is NOT affected by the booze ban?

• Rich Thais, Puyais, Thais of 'influence'. They can drink whatever they like whenever they like, wherever they like with total impunity.
  
• Working and middle class Thais. They know where they can find booze, either to take home or drink on the premises.
  
• Farangs living in Thailand. (Ditto for above - maybe not quiet so easy to obtain as for Thais, but certainly do-able.)
  
• Long term tourists. Those who have been here a while, or know their way around will not be overly inconvenienced.
  

Who IS affected by the booze ban

• Tourists who have recently arrived to enjoy their 2 - 3 weeks of the festive season in the sun.
  
• Thousands of Thai workers, and business owners (Thai and farang) who are engaged in the tourist trade.
  

Who is HAPPY about the booze ban?

• The power crazed little prig who decided to enforce the order. (And the more we whine, the happier, he no doubt will be. )
  

Have I missed anyone?

[mitrapaap]

Unsuspecting visiting tourists will be surely amaized! Thing is a lot of countrys have elections but dont ban alcohol. This will be a right pain for people on their 2 week vacations - especially if they catch both ends.

Two or three days without alcohol is a pain. Hope you never encounter something more painful than that.

[OxfordWill]

I'm a lurker who registered to register his indignation that so many ex-pats (mostly British) deride Thailand for taking measures to ensure full participation in a democratic election.

Mexico does the same thing.

Some local jurisdictions in US do.

You Brits probably could have avoided the troubles if the Irish hadn't been drunk and missed the chance to particpate in UK governance.

Get yourself a new hobby. Find some real friends whose company you can bear without alcohol. Or just continue to rant about your loneliness on this forum.

But please be respectful of the Thai people. Or go home.

Ra ra ra, I'm holding the brush and therefore cannot be tarred by it!

[sober]

After 363 posts, maybe we need a little re-cap.

Who is NOT affected by the booze ban?

• Rich Thais, Puyais, Thais of 'influence'. They can drink whatever they like whenever they like, wherever they like with total impunity.
  
• Working and middle class Thais. They know where they can find booze, either to take home or drink on the premises.
  
• Farangs living in Thailand. (Ditto for above - maybe not quiet so easy to obtain as for Thais, but certainly do-able.)
  
• Long term tourists. Those who have been here a while, or know their way around will not be overly inconvenienced.
  

Who IS affected by the booze ban

• Tourists who have recently arrived to enjoy their 2 - 3 weeks of the festive season in the sun.
  
• Thousands of Thai workers, and business owners (Thai and farang) who are engaged in the tourist trade.
  

Who is HAPPY about the booze ban?

• The power crazed little prig who decided to enforce the order. (And the more we whine, the happier, he no doubt will be. )
  

Have I missed anyone?

Also:

Who does the ban benefit?

All of those who want to live under democracy in Thailand, including Rich Thais, Puyais, Thais of 'influence'; Working and middle class Thais; Farangs living in Thailand; Long term tourists; Thousands of Thai workers, and business owners (Thai and farang) who are engaged in the tourist trade.

I guess that leaves one of your groups in the cold:

Tourists who have recently arrived to enjoy their 2 - 3 weeks of the festive season in the sun.

Let's now pray that they can show the reslience and adaptability to get their drink on Sunday through Friday.

[Rinrada]

Lots to be said about staying home for this years Crimble and Hogmanay festives......

another great company 'Do'last night down at the old Dog and Dick......

Pub food in Blighty has got Soooo much better in the last few years and with the wine flowing freely and Calsberg at 1.90 a pint who needs to hit LOS at the Mo.......and all our boozers dont really shut although after the last bell at 3 am this morning decided it was time tae go hame ...and with all our illegal immi comrades mini cabs are cheap and plentifull.....and no hassle about ...PUT THAT BLIDDY METER ON >.....KRAP......and another PZ up tonight.....wheee...

Incid talking about mini cabs...heard that the New outer Ring -Ling -road is now open....K wifes mate recons only about 10 minutes from Suwanna to our gaff in Paknam....off at Erawan....anybody tried it yet ....

will ask on the general forum ..also........Wee wish you etc...in .....very cold ..could be a WHITE one......

[torrenova]

OK, lets straighten a few points out.

I accept there is a law which prohibits the sale of alcohol before an election. Like it or not, I understand there is such a law. I do not accept that the enforcement of this law is willy nilly differing each time. That is just crazy.

I do not acecpt there is an election this weekend and thus, the law applicable to elections does not apply. This is merely voting early for an election sceduled next week. It is not another election. I believe it can be argued that this closure has been motivated by certain interest groups and is illegal. Furthermore, if early voting requires closure of bars then why did the registration to vote early also not require the bars to be closed ? This has been thought up at the last minute.

No taxation without representation was the shout. Well, we pay our taxes but we cannot vote and yet they remove our ability to do business without as much as a first thought. Heads too far in the trough to hear the screams.

Can you imagine if I was a tourist and came here and was told I couldn't have a glass of wine with dinner on perhaps 6 days out of 12 ? When we book our holidays we check the weather, we may check the food and we may even check the political situation in a country but we do not think we have to check whether the bars are open; this is not some muslim state. heck, last week they said the bars were open !!!!!!

Ther was a poster some pages back who said his staff were down massively on their tips and his takings were down 45% this year. Well I feel sorry for all of them. Those of you not in business cannot imagine how important the high season is to the other 40+ weeks of the year. It can be make or break. Salaries still have to be paid, as does rent but there is nothing coming in at a time when you should be raking it in. Business risks you might say and you would be right in part but not to this degree.

Lets refocus on the staff. If a girl gets Bt300 per day tips and she loses Bt1500 or more then that is a lot of money to her. School fees come in, clothes have to be bought, grandparents get sick. Sorry, no money mama because I could not work those days because the government forced my boss to close. Feeling sorry now ? you dam_n well should be.

[DP25]

The amusing thing about this ban is that it's really only enforced in Bangkok and in tourist zones. In most restaurants in the provinces, where there may be a minuscule danger of drunken vote buying occurring, alcohol is served freely to all. The only places where the ban is enforced is in high profile areas where there is no danger of that happening anyway, which means Bangkok and the various tourist resorts where 90% of the drinkers are non Thais. Hundreds of thousands of European and Asian tourists aren't able to have wine or beer with dinner, while in the jangwats there is not a single Thai voter who wants alcohol that is unable to get it, whether from the local shop or from the local khao tom restaurant. Just drive around, tourist areas are completely shut down, restaurants are shut for lack of business and the bars never opened, while outside those areas Thai restaurants are serving alcohol and food just like normal, though they keep the music down and maybe put the bottle of whiskey under the table.

[NALAK]

I'm a lurker who registered to register his indignation that so many ex-pats (mostly British) deride Thailand for taking measures to ensure full participation in a democratic election.

Mexico does the same thing.

Some local jurisdictions in US do.

You Brits probably could have avoided the troubles if the Irish hadn't been drunk and missed the chance to particpate in UK governance.

Get yourself a new hobby. Find some real friends whose company you can bear without alcohol. Or just continue to rant about your loneliness on this forum.

But please be respectful of the Thai people. Or go home.

the Thai people voted democratically for taskin they were not respected by the Junta. who do suggest we respect the guys who voted or the guys with the guns. i guess if do not like what the Burma goverment does we should shut up and respect there laws. i also think you reference to the Irish is offensive

Edited December 15, 2007 by NALAK

[Mosha]

For a country that relies heavily on tourism, to stop tourists enjoying their holiday. Someone has seriously lost the plot. It's a good job no particular party is running the country if the law was fully applied. It'd be like Norway in the Eurovision song contest Nil point.

They come for say a 2 week holiday, don't understand the issue. The go home, "You know you can't drink in Thailand on a weekend!" H'mm I wonder what the result would be? He says drinking today's bought Chang.

[Scott]

Since they seem to have a policy of two-tier pricing--one for Thais and one for foreigners, I think they have a two-tier alcohol policy. No drinking for Thais, who are supposed to vote and a can drink policy for foreigners who can't vote. They sure seem to be able to tell us apart when they can charge more.

[Prakanong]

Oh the irony

Anybody watching the Man City - Bolton game on TV right now?

Big adverts all around the ground, "Visit Thailand - Singha Beer"

[davejonesbkk]

Hey what happened to sober's posts?? Awww don't tell me they were deleted... and he was just starting to get funny! He managed to insult the British, Irish and French within the space of about 24 hours....pretty good for a n00b if you ask me.

Anyway to stop this from lurching are bars ok to open next Friday???

[Mosha]

You almost made me spill my coffee. Next week is supposed to be the same. If you want a drink visit the non tourist areas.

[bdenner]

.................

Who is HAPPY about the booze ban?

• The power crazed little prig who decided to enforce the order. (And the more we whine, the happier, he no doubt will be. )
  

Have I missed anyone?

Those misguided soles in government (public servants or junta) that believe this ban is truly about preventing election corruption. Vote buying is still rife up here.

OK the law is the law but this is the 1st time in 7 years that I can remember it being applied to “Early Voting”.

[jackr]

Unsuspecting visiting tourists will be surely amaized! Thing is a lot of countrys have elections but dont ban alcohol. This will be a right pain for people on their 2 week vacations - especially if they catch both ends.

Two or three days without alcohol is a pain. Hope you never encounter something more painful than that.

What a pithy reply; why bother?

Of course it's a pain and a very big one for those who have traveled here on their holidays at this time and have both weekends zapped. Thailand is all about the nightlife for many visitors and this policy is sure to persuade a significant portion never to return. Why don't the so-called powers that be continue with their double-standards by keeping the bars open for the tourists and any Thai punter seen to be exercising the act of consuming alcohol to be fined. After all, we can't f*%£"^% vote now, can we!

[mikethevigoman]

After 363 posts, maybe we need a little re-cap.

Who is NOT affected by the booze ban?

• Rich Thais, Puyais, Thais of 'influence'. They can drink whatever they like whenever they like, wherever they like with total impunity.
  
• Working and middle class Thais. They know where they can find booze, either to take home or drink on the premises.
  
• Farangs living in Thailand. (Ditto for above - maybe not quiet so easy to obtain as for Thais, but certainly do-able.)
  
• Long term tourists. Those who have been here a while, or know their way around will not be overly inconvenienced.
  

Who IS affected by the booze ban

• Tourists who have recently arrived to enjoy their 2 - 3 weeks of the festive season in the sun.
  
• Thousands of Thai workers, and business owners (Thai and farang) who are engaged in the tourist trade.
  

Who is HAPPY about the booze ban?

• The power crazed little prig who decided to enforce the order. (And the more we whine, the happier, he no doubt will be. )
  

Have I missed anyone?

Non drinkers ?

[Prakanong]

You almost made me spill my coffee. Next week is supposed to be the same. If you want a drink visit the non tourist areas.

What days is it next week - Saturday and Sunday for certain

Rumours abound that it streches to the 24th and even 25th??

I had changed my flight to arrive 24th but will try to change it back to 22nd tomorrow to meet up with a pal for a meal. This is at least the 5th time I have changed this ticket - luckily I can do so

[Prakanong]

Unsuspecting visiting tourists will be surely amaized! Thing is a lot of countrys have elections but dont ban alcohol. This will be a right pain for people on their 2 week vacations - especially if they catch both ends.

Two or three days without alcohol is a pain. Hope you never encounter something more painful than that.

What a pithy reply; why bother?

Of course it's a pain and a very big one for those who have traveled here on their holidays at this time and have both weekends zapped. Thailand is all about the nightlife for many visitors and this policy is sure to persuade a significant portion never to return. Why don't the so-called powers that be continue with their double-standards by keeping the bars open for the tourists and any Thai punter seen to be exercising the act of consuming alcohol to be fined. After all, we can't f*%£"^% vote now, can we!

Maybe Thailand does not want visitors who come only for the nightlife and so do not care about these visitors??

[Mobi]

Also:

Who does the ban benefit?

All of those who want to live under democracy in Thailand, including Rich Thais, Puyais, Thais of 'influence'; Working and middle class Thais; Farangs living in Thailand; Long term tourists; Thousands of Thai workers, and business owners (Thai and farang) who are engaged in the tourist trade.

I guess that leaves one of your groups in the cold:

Tourists who have recently arrived to enjoy their 2 - 3 weeks of the festive season in the sun.

Let's now pray that they can show the reslience and adaptability to get their drink on Sunday through Friday.

I fail to see how a ban, which a majority of the population has little problem in circumventing, does anything to further the cause of democracy.

In fact the opposite - it tends to render the so-called democratic process a farce, and everyone from the middle classes of the urban areas to dirt farmers in the countryside knows that it is so.

(BTW, I'm convinced you are a troll, which is presumably why most of your posts have now disappeared.)

[chownah]

Anybody bought any alcohol this weekend?

[Bruce1]

It will be interesting to see if the road toll has changed because of this ban.

Can I assume that the powers that be think the ordinary people are so stupid they're likely to vote for the PPP if drunk, but the Democrats if sober? Interesting political strategy, apparently based on the theory that alcohol causes stupidity, which may be true.

[moo9]

Alcohol ban is one thing, it is the law (like it or not). The ban for the pre-election weekend is striclty enforced due to the fact, that certain political circles just look for a loophole in the proceedings of the election, so in case they lose the would initiate legal action against it. That is, what some Thai colleagues told me.

But another question: Why did they play no music in the bars? I mean one could enjoy a night without much or little alcohol, but all bars seemed to be dimmed down and no music was played, which made the places look really dead.

In any case one could get alcohol here and there ;-)

[sriracha john]

.................

Who is HAPPY about the booze ban?

• The power crazed little prig who decided to enforce the order. (And the more we whine, the happier, he no doubt will be. )
  

Have I missed anyone?

Those misguided soles in government (public servants or junta) that believe this ban is truly about preventing election corruption. Vote buying is still rife up here.

OK the law is the law but this is the 1st time in 7 years that I can remember it being applied to “Early Voting”.

There's never been over 2 million voters involved in the Early Voting.

[007]

I figure this will be enforced the same as most laws in...

I'd think that 13-year old Thai teenagers can still buy their beer at the local mom&pop shop. Seen it in many places: kids downing beer after school, before 5 PM, despite the fact that it's against a variety of laws. TiT!

[raro]

We had a little BBQ party last night, the biggest worry was whether or not the beer guy will deliver. The wife called and he did not understand what the problem was....of course he would deliver!

We were apparently not the only ones on his delivery trip, the pick-up was overloaden with kegs and coolers...

[cooL_guY_corY]

funny funny, i bought 10 bottles of sang som from a taxi mocyi yesterday..

[PST]

Rumours {exactly that],In karon/kata this morning that bars can open from 6pm tonight.

Anybody else heard this?

PST.

[sweetchariot]

You almost made me spill my coffee. Next week is supposed to be the same. If you want a drink visit the non tourist areas.

What days is it next week - Saturday and Sunday for certain

Rumours abound that it streches to the 24th and even 25th??

I had changed my flight to arrive 24th but will try to change it back to 22nd tomorrow to meet up with a pal for a meal. This is at least the 5th time I have changed this ticket - luckily I can do so

6pm Saturday until Midnight Sunday, although in previous elections the BiB have driven around saying bars can open at about 7pm Sunday, as the Polling Stations are closed.