Crackdown On Songkran Alcohol Sales

[george]

As Songkran nears, PHM prepares crackdown on alcohol sales

BANGKOK: -- The Public Health Ministry will next week kick off a massive campaign to strictly control alcohol and ban its sale in gas stations across the country - in a bid to increase public awareness of the dangers of drinking when driving during the Songkran festival, Deputy Public Health Minister, Manit Nopamornbodi said Tuesday.

He said the ministry will ask provincial public health office's chiefs to check gas stations across the country for alcohol sales. The ministry will warn gas station owners still selling alcohol products to comply with the law, then offenders will be prosecuted.

MOPH to push forward with legislation barring alcohol sales on holidays

The Ministry of Public Health is pushing for a new act to be issued for barring alcohol sales throughout the nation during major holidays with the potential for criminal offense while also proposing that adverse effects of alcohol be printed onto the bottles as a moral reminder.

Deputy Minister of Public Health Manit Nop-amornbodi (มานิต นพอมรบดี) stated that, as the 2008 Alcohol Control Act will celebrate its first anniversary this February 14th, the ministry has seen fit to push forward with the legislation concerning the ban on sales of alcoholic beverages during major holidays.

The ministry cites public survey's supporting the idea and will implement an initial trial on this coming Songkran Festival. Within 2009, the Ministry of Public Health, in collaboration with provincial authorities throughout the Kingdom, will expedite an agenda to publicize alcohol regulations and bring stringent control over its consumption.

Mr. Manit stated further that pictures of adverse effects of alcohol have been proposed for attachment onto the bottles, similar to those on cigarette packs, with an aim to remind consumers of the dangers at hand.

He affirmed that the laws will not ban drinking but merely keep control over the retail of alcohol with the intent to promote moral awareness.

-- TNA & The Nation 2008-02-12

[Britannia]

Thats really going to promote Tourism, Lets take our holidays in Thailand they ban alcohol so everyone can have a great holiday. Don't they look around and see what tourist actually do in Thailand or are they all up in the clouds, or maybe they are too p-ssed to notice what the tourist actually do. count the number of bars, in tourist areas, count the Thais drinking in them, that should give you some idea. This really is cooc-ko land

[TJAN]

Thats really going to promote Tourism, Lets take our holidays in Thailand they ban alcohol so everyone can have a great holiday. Don't they look around and see what tourist actually do in Thailand or are they all up in the clouds, or maybe they are too p-ssed to notice what the tourist actually do. count the number of bars, in tourist areas, count the Thais drinking in them, that should give you some idea. This really is cooc-ko land

Go back to you brittania and get drunk,hundreds of people are dead every year because of this stupid alcohol,offcourse Thailand need tourist,but "tourist" like you they can miss like a toothage.

Why should they sell alcohol in gasstations.

[Wolfie]

Go back to you brittania and get drunk,hundreds of people are dead every year because of this stupid alcohol,offcourse Thailand need tourist,but "tourist" like you they can miss like a toothage.

Why should they sell alcohol in gasstations.

Firstly, thousands of people die each year on the roads without alcohol.

Secondly, in my experience, its the Thai people (not the tourists) that get drunk at songkran and then drive around in trucks, cars, motorbikes causing accidents and killing people/getting killed.

Lastly, do you honestly think that stopping the sale of Alcohol at gas stations is going to stop these people from getting drunk and driving their cars around? Dream on!

[grantbkk]

The simple fact is that after last months Rohingya human right scandal and the defacto murder of several refugees the Thai government needed a completely new reason to shoot themselves in the foot. You would think they were running out of feet by now but long time observers know different.

Unless you live here you cannot believe the things this government can come up with. They've hid cigarettes from view but smoking is on the rise. They've wanted to turn the labels of alcoholic beverages so we can't see them but people somehow are still buying alcohol. Now we can have gross pictures on our beverage bottles.

For anyone living here these completely stupid rules and laws are common place and avoidable but for tourists they are truly inconvenient and divisive. The hours of sales is an example. I forgot what they are but the reason for the restricted hours was to reduce alcohol consumption by students and to lessen the chance a wife will be beat up by her Thai husband. Is this working? Why can we buy drugs 24 hours a day?

Now a holiday ban on alcohol sales. Tourists will simply love to spread this brain fart. I remember during a beverage ban while votes from some election or another were being counted, the Marriott honored the ban of course. A businessman friend of mine order a dish cooked with white wine sauce and was told he could not order the dish until midnight. Priceless! TIT!

[Pdaz]

Go back to you brittania and get drunk,hundreds of people are dead every year because of this stupid alcohol,offcourse Thailand need tourist,but "tourist" like you they can miss like a toothage.

Why should they sell alcohol in gasstations.

Haahahahah..... Preventing tourists from buying alcohol won't have any affect on the road toll...

How about proper education and testing for Thai drivers. More public awareness campaigns of the 'dangers of drink driving' More Police enforcement and stiffer penalties for those found guilty.. ?

Do what other countries have done ( with some sucess ) and make the idea drink driving unacceptable. 'Banning' just doesn't work... You have to get the message into peoples heads that DD is wrong.. Then they are less likely to do it.. Especially with peer pressure.. Start young.. Educate kids about DD.. Then they will grow up knowing that DD is wrong and dangerous.. While they are at it teach road safety, use of crash helmets and how to obey the rules of the road..

But then again.

Maybe the Thai Govt. realise that their population is too hard headed and stubborn ? Thais seem to relish doing exactly what they want at anytime with little thought of the consequences so most campaigns are a waste of time.. Look how long they have been trying to get them to wear crash helmets. Maybe the 'banning' is just a way to say ''look we tried to do something'' Then they can save 'face' when the Western media reports the huge holiday season death toll

[konfuzed]

@ TJAN

Go to any of the big hotels - well actually they are quite empty at the moment, but ordinarily, the bamboo bar in the Oriental, Angelinis at the Shangrila etc etc... go look at tourists there, how are they relaxing? having a few drinks and enjoying the atmosphere...

what do you have with dinner? the red or the white... what are you having to celebrate? sparkling...

not every tourist is a beer leo/chang swilling booze hound touching up scantily clad paid for acquaintances...

besides for this latest brainfart - i like that term now - i'll just stock up, plenty of green teas, a couple of bottles of the black walking man and perhaps a couple bottles of JD... thats not for personal consumption, i have family from around the world converging and we're having a holiday together...

but obviously if thailand doesn't want tourists who drink at all then we should all decide to go elsewhere...

[GomerPyle]

The simple fact is that after last months Rohingya human right scandal and the defacto murder of several refugees the Thai government needed a completely new reason to shoot themselves in the foot. You would think they were running out of feet by now but long time observers know different.

Unless you live here you cannot believe the things this government can come up with. They've hid cigarettes from view but smoking is on the rise. They've wanted to turn the labels of alcoholic beverages so we can't see them but people somehow are still buying alcohol. Now we can have gross pictures on our beverage bottles.

For anyone living here these completely stupid rules and laws are common place and avoidable but for tourists they are truly inconvenient and divisive. The hours of sales is an example. I forgot what they are but the reason for the restricted hours was to reduce alcohol consumption by students and to lessen the chance a wife will be beat up by her Thai husband. Is this working? Why can we buy drugs 24 hours a day?

Now a holiday ban on alcohol sales. Tourists will simply love to spread this brain fart. I remember during a beverage ban while votes from some election or another were being counted, the Marriott honored the ban of course. A businessman friend of mine order a dish cooked with white wine sauce and was told he could not order the dish until midnight. Priceless! TIT!

It's even more farcical than that , on the alcohol hours of sales.

You cannot buy one bottle of wine between 2 and 5 pm , but you can buy 10 or more. No kidding, that is the law, which actually encourages you to buy, and eventually consume, more alcohol than you had initially planned to.

Complete buffoons ...

[Seneque]

Have you seen the sign at the airport :

Welcome to crackdown land !

[hammered]

Whenever they do these bans it only affects (some) towns and (some) bars and (some) restaurants and western supermarkets. Nobody is going to go round the villages and stop the consuming of vast quantities of lao khao. Nobody is going to stop the consumption of vast quantities of alcohol in private places. It is sure going to upset people attending say Songkhran events who want to enjoy a drink because they dont have to work the next day.

It wont stop drunken mayhem on motorcycles and it wont stop drunken brawls between gangs.

What is needed is education on the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption, better role models among peers and a change in social conditions - when you are poor and work hard most of the time getting drunk is a way of enjoying yourself or just forgetting how awful your life is when few others exist.

In the meantime will we have cocaine sniffing drunken pop stars or silicone stuffed big nosed models hiding behind dark glasses saying dont drink at Songkhran? Good God if we have a change of PM we could even have Chalerm lecturing everyone on the evils of drink. Now wouldnt that be an irony and of course it was his idea in the first place....

[Soutpeel]

Have you seen the sign at the airport :

Welcome to crackdown land !

Regional Hub of crackdowns ??

[TJAN]

@ TJAN

Go to any of the big hotels - well actually they are quite empty at the moment, but ordinarily, the bamboo bar in the Oriental, Angelinis at the Shangrila etc etc... go look at tourists there, how are they relaxing? having a few drinks and enjoying the atmosphere...

what do you have with dinner? the red or the white... what are you having to celebrate? sparkling...

not every tourist is a beer leo/chang swilling booze hound touching up scantily clad paid for acquaintances...

besides for this latest brainfart - i like that term now - i'll just stock up, plenty of green teas, a couple of bottles of the black walking man and perhaps a couple bottles of JD... thats not for personal consumption, i have family from around the world converging and we're having a holiday together...

but obviously if thailand doesn't want tourists who drink at all then we should all decide to go elsewhere...

Who is talking about tourisr buy drinks at gasstations,they want to prevent Thai;s buying alcohol on the stations,but somebody complain oh this is not good for tourism,the hel_l with the tourist they can buy drinks everywhere else.

I agree they have to educate but they have to start somewhere,they are trying to educate the British for a long time now but no results maybe they have better luck with the Thai's.

[hammered]

@ TJAN

Go to any of the big hotels - well actually they are quite empty at the moment, but ordinarily, the bamboo bar in the Oriental, Angelinis at the Shangrila etc etc... go look at tourists there, how are they relaxing? having a few drinks and enjoying the atmosphere...

what do you have with dinner? the red or the white... what are you having to celebrate? sparkling...

not every tourist is a beer leo/chang swilling booze hound touching up scantily clad paid for acquaintances...

besides for this latest brainfart - i like that term now - i'll just stock up, plenty of green teas, a couple of bottles of the black walking man and perhaps a couple bottles of JD... thats not for personal consumption, i have family from around the world converging and we're having a holiday together...

but obviously if thailand doesn't want tourists who drink at all then we should all decide to go elsewhere...

Who is talking about tourisr buy drinks at gasstations,they want to prevent Thai;s buying alcohol on the stations,but somebody complain oh this is not good for tourism,the hel_l with the tourist they can buy drinks everywhere else.

I agree they have to educate but they have to start somewhere,they are trying to educate the British for a long time now but no results maybe they have better luck with the Thai's.

I think people are reffering to the report mentioned in the OP that the MOPH want to ban alcohol sales throughout the country on national holidays

[Hobart]

...........Then like me, I will be going into Seven the day before to stock up and I will still be drinking during Songkran. I was in Changmai last year and there was a ban on the sale of alcohol. Well the bars were shut but the vendors on the street were still selling 3 cans for 100 baht. No need to worry about the police as they were too scared to go anywhere near the water throwers for fear of getting their spandex wet.

Pointless in my opinion and regardless if there is a ban or not, people will still be drinking.

[colibra]

Time to move along. Thailand is fast becoming like the US and other western countries. Pretty soon you will not be able to leave the house without your bubble suit on. Sorry to see it happening and freedoms being lost in such a nice place all in the name of laws that good for you. Next to come to your local country the patriot act. Sad, sad, sad and some of you even supporting giving away your rights and i'm not talking about the right to drive drunk, so before you go on a rant about that. Pleeeeeeeeeease don't

[Gravelrash]

If I feel like a drink during a ban I just wander down to the general shop opposite the police station and pick something up.

[patklang]

the water festival should be one day only,thru out Thailand and celebrate like it should be,and no large cannons that can damage your eyes.

Farangs have created this problem by being very stupid,and very drunken too.

[jimbeam1]

I thought the original post, was that the ban was on Gas Stations selling alcohol. Hey every little helps. No mention of bars, 7/11s or restaurants

[Frankythai]

the water festival should be one day only,thru out Thailand and celebrate like it should be,and no large cannons that can damage your eyes.

Farangs have created this problem by being very stupid,and very drunken too.

No that is not so. It was Thai people who changed the beautifull Songkran festival of the old days into this waterthrowing week.

But yes Farangs are drunk but what about Thais???? You really believe they do not drink????? All posters I saw last few years about not smoking and not drinking are in THAI and not in other languages. Tourist can not read Thai, so foor whom do you think those signs are???

Correct for Thais and the drawings for the Farang. So it is for very stupid Farang and Thai,

But that was not the topic. The topic is banning alcoholsale during holidays, and songkran. I really think that would be a stupid idea. And what about beer in teacups?????

[jimbeam1]

I thought the original post, was that the ban was on Gas Stations selling alcohol. Hey every little helps. No mention of bars, 7/11s or restaurants

Sorry I should have read on. Hey Ho, it is los!

jb1

[TAWP]

"Promote moral awareness" *vomits*

It's not the governments or states job to enforce arbitrary morals in the people. It's the peoples job to define what is moral to themselves and the government to protect the individual rights of each of their citizens.

Instead of trying to work towards proper enforcement of existing laws the try to push through more and more rules, legislation and odd schemes.

[patklang]

the water festival should be one day only,thru out Thailand and celebrate like it should be,and no large cannons that can damage your eyes.

Farangs have created this problem by being very stupid,and very drunken too.

No that is not so. It was Thai people who changed the beautifull Songkran festival of the old days into this waterthrowing week.

But yes Farangs are drunk but what about Thais???? You really believe they do not drink????? All posters I saw last few years about not smoking and not drinking are in THAI and not in other languages. Tourist can not read Thai, so foor whom do you think those signs are???

Correct for Thais and the drawings for the Farang. So it is for very stupid Farang and Thai,

But that was not the topic. The topic is banning alcoholsale during holidays, and songkran. I really think that would be a stupid idea. And what about beer in teacups?????

Of course i know that thais get rat arsed and are a danger to everybody on the roads,but i dont seem to see many thais in the bars of pattaya,especialy soi 7-8 and other sois.this is the crazy farang area that continues to cause problems,and yes if you dont like it dont go to these areas,but i am fxxxxd if STUPID tourists are going to spoil my many years of songkran

[TAWP]

Of course i know that thais get rat arsed and are a danger to everybody on the roads,but i dont seem to see many thais in the bars of pattaya,especialy soi 7-8 and other sois.this is the crazy farang area that continues to cause problems,and yes if you dont like it dont go to these areas,but i am fxxxxd if STUPID tourists are going to spoil my many years of songkran

Move from the party area if you don't like the party.

[patklang]

i enjoy myself with thai friends not tourists and we party much better and safer.wouldnt dream of doing a songkran with tourists.

Edited February 12, 2009 by patklang

[TAWP]

i enjoy myself with thai friends not tourists and we party much better and safer.wouldnt dream of doing a songkran with tourists.

I wouldn't dream of celebrating Songkran at all, but I would also not dream about outlawing you from doing it.

[patklang]

i enjoy myself with thai friends not tourists and we party much better and safer.wouldnt dream of doing a songkran with tourists.

I wouldn't dream of celebrating Songkran at all, but I would also not dream about outlawing you from doing it.

Your kindness is overwhelming.