Alcohol Ban

[jdinasia]

Let's restrict the use of motor vehicles...it may lead to a reduction in road deaths & global warming. Let's restrict the use of petrol...it may lead to a reduction in road deaths, global warming & Australian aboriginals being brain dead. Let's ban tobacco smoking...it may help to reduce health deficits & reduce global warming. Let's ban/restrict.........

Have any of these measures ever worked?

The stupidity of the restriction of alcohol sales in Thailand is not only a joke but is also unnecessarily costly.

The costs include:

a] the government to decide upon this rule.

b] the government to enable the police to enact in accordance to this rule.

c] the police to actually enforce this rule.

d] the increased unemployment & decreased business income as a result of this rule.

As the OP says, it's simply more moralistic folly...idiots clinging to what is left of their "perfect world"...or should I say "perfectly controllable world".

At last....................The voice of reason. Got it in a nutshell. Now perhaps that awful insulting woman with PMT will go away and boil her head.

get real

1) Govt -- on salary

2)police -- on salary

3)increased participation in the vote and less vote buying

etc etc etc

[tracer5050]

Take the girls out of thre bars, see how much alcohol you see sold. stock up if you have to drink evey day.

[mangostays]

If you can't go a day (or 2 in the case of Khao Pansah) without drinking in a bar then I have severe worries about you. I guess a few ignorant tourists might not know they are arriving in Thailand on a day when public sale of alcohol will not be allowed but I am sure they will get over it quickly.

No country should sacrifice it's sense of self and history and respect just to appease a guy that can't go a day without a drink in a bar

I find it very hard to believe that you don't see through this policy for what it genuinely is seeking to achieve. And don't bother quoting holidays and durations because we already know this.

Bigger picture. Kao jai mai?

[mangostays]

Let's restrict the use of motor vehicles...it may lead to a reduction in road deaths & global warming. Let's restrict the use of petrol...it may lead to a reduction in road deaths, global warming & Australian aboriginals being brain dead. Let's ban tobacco smoking...it may help to reduce health deficits & reduce global warming. Let's ban/restrict.........

Have any of these measures ever worked?

The stupidity of the restriction of alcohol sales in Thailand is not only a joke but is also unnecessarily costly.

The costs include:

a] the government to decide upon this rule.

b] the government to enable the police to enact in accordance to this rule.

c] the police to actually enforce this rule.

d] the increased unemployment & decreased business income as a result of this rule.

As the OP says, it's simply more moralistic folly...idiots clinging to what is left of their "perfect world"...or should I say "perfectly controllable world".

At last....................The voice of reason. Got it in a nutshell. Now perhaps that awful insulting woman with PMT will go away and boil her head.

get real

1) Govt -- on salary

2)police -- on salary

3)increased participation in the vote and less vote buying

etc etc etc

what? are you being serious?

You REALLY think that the police won't capitalise on this stupid policy and line their own pockets? Do you actually live in Thailand?

[britmaveric]

Why are we even debating this - alcohol bans are never enforced? At the end of the day bars do what they like with the BIB looking the other way when it comes down to it. The one thing that is a guaranteed is the more things change in Thailand the more they really stay the same.

[britmaveric]

dbl post

Edited October 12, 2008 by britmaveric

[RobbM]

I see the latest wheeze from the new government is a proposal to enforce a more comprehensive ban on sales of booze on several religious and national holidays. Brilliant Idea. Bemoan the drop in numbers of tourists and then suggest closing bars and places of entertainment for several days in the year, including a 3 day booze ban during one of the buddhist holidays. Even getting a glass of wine in a restaurant on those days will be banned. A sort of mini Thai buddhist Ramadan?

When tourists then start disappearing to Cambodia, Vietnam & Bali etc. will the authorities scratch their heads and ask why? Lots of people, in fact the majority I would imagine, look on their holiday as a time to let their hair down, relax, stay up late, enjoy a few beers with friends, go cruising the bars or enjoy a sunset cocktail in a beautiful beach bar. Imagine their response when they discover this is not allowed because Thailand is buddhist.

And what of the economy? Hundreds of thousands of thais work in bars, restaurants and places of entertainment. The loss of income even if it is only a few days in a year but as many as 3 days in a month is significant to those on lower incomes, and that certainly includes bar and restaurant workers.

Do you recall the brief midnight closing experiment? Cost lots of bar workers their jobs and some bars to close down all together. [Gave a slight boost to police income though]

Come to your senses. Think about the consequences for others, especially those who don't share the holier than thou attitude this booze ban proposal's supporters love to flaunt. [And don't suggest it will help address the problems of alcohol abuse. Do you think those with serious alcohil problems will be affected by this ban? Will the village hooch or moonshine be unavailable on these holidays?]

Yet another aspect of Amazing Thailand and the mismanagment of its governance.

Very well said, I agree wholeheartedly with every comment. Nothing more to add

[grantbkk]

Amazing Thailand sometimes reminds me that it is really only "Burma with Electricity". I will sell the new campaign moniker "BE Thailand" for only one billion Baht.

We will have to suffer several moronic ideas before the present government is replaced and scraps what has been done and begins their own agenda. Remember the coup makers actually were too busy to invoke draconian anti-alcohol laws way back in 2006. Then came the elections and more elections with whole weekends subject to prohibition. Many posters have noted that we are able to skirt the system if you happened to know where to go.

My best story from the era is the tourist that could not order a dish in white wine sauce at the Marriott Hotel in Bangkok due to a ban on alcohol sales that day. I would have to agree with other posters that there will be no high season this year and the government should be exploring ways to attract all manner of tourists. The incompetence and corruption of the government and especially the Tourism Authority of Thailand knows no peer. It is like they get up in the morning and decide that this is a good day to once again shoot themselves in the foot. Tourists want choices and options while on holiday. Many travelers are nondrinkers but their companions may have a drink from time to time. When travelers are faced with restrictions of any kind they will simply make a more attractive destination choice.

[talk2tony]

If you can't go a day (or 2 in the case of Khao Pansah) without drinking in a bar then I have severe worries about you. I guess a few ignorant tourists might not know they are arriving in Thailand on a day when public sale of alcohol will not be allowed but I am sure they will get over it quickly.

No country should sacrifice it's sense of self and history and respect just to appease a guy that can't go a day without a drink in a bar

Just hang on, how can you call the tourists ignorant maybe you should use the word

,,,,,, not informed,,,,,

1 a: destitute of knowledge or education <an ignorant society> ; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified <parents ignorant of modern mathematics> b: resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence <ignorant errors>

2: unaware , uninformed

Same mistaken point that was made by younghusband - see my reply to him. This is not about people "being unable to go a couple of days without a drink", it is about imposing religious morality on everyone without their consent, about free personal choice and about effects on tourism, the food & drink & entertainment industry. Perhaps "poor ignorant tourists", your smug and arrogant words - not mine, might choose other destinations once they are better informed about Amazing Thailand and its quirky customs [plus the ability of government ministers with very dodgy personal records being able to change the law by diktat]. What this has to do with Thailand sacrificing its sense of self, history or respect is beyoned me.

1) It has been this way for ages (history)

2) Changing the way they do this to kowtow to some other person's ideals of 'personal freedom' is just an arrogant attitude on your part (sense of self and respect)

3) I said ignorant tourists .. please refer to the definition of ignorant ignorant = unaware/uninformed

4) Bar employees/Bar owners work more than almost any other group, most do not object to a day off.

5) No tourist is gonna get all bent out of shape over 1 day of no booze (in a bar)

Nobody objects to a deeply religous person abstaining from alcohol but the imposition is a political decision. Many tourists were very angry after enduring the May 19th riots and curfews and then finally to be kicked in the teeth for hanging in there when alcohol was banned. Thailand can do what it wants, like Saudi Arabia or Iran, but I have no sympathy when the government is concerned about dramatic falls in tourism. Sixty percentage of tourists are returnees (17% for Malaysia) but anti-tourism activities will wear away the attachments many people have with with this country and also regard the religon as domaneering.