Songkran Alcohol Ban Canned, Crackdown On Alcohol Postponed To April 16

[asia_pilot]

Not sure if anyone know today's date.

April 1st !

[animatic]

very tricky

[barryofthailand]

April Fools you fools.

Barry

[dereklev]

Not sure if anyone know today's date.

April 1st !

I posted that half an hour ago but my post got deleted....

[ezside]

Too much alcohol is not good, so this seems to be a fair compromise. Too many drunk drivers on the roads!

People don't drink for no reason; (over)controlling sales only helps the mafia. Moralistic crusades like this always fail in the end, usually leaving the situation far worse than before...

[StevieH]

very good george.

[PhilHarries]

I would anticipate much fuming from Pattaya-based expats, who are already hard-hit by the new ban on elephant-rides, lucky that there are no changes to the visa-requirements too !

She may be a little on the chubby side but no way could you describe Chang as fat, Muu on the other hand....................

Anyway as I see it the over 40 rule won't have any effect in the massage parlours of Pattaya.

There is also a rumour, and it's only a rumour, that alcohol sales will be permitted 24/7 to bald, fat farangs who have their passport number tattood on their forehead.

But only if accompanied by their 20 year old "girlfriend" who will vouch for their good behaviour and promise to carry them home.

[asia_pilot]

Not sure if anyone know today's date.

April 1st !

I posted that half an hour ago but my post got deleted....

Now I know what happened to my first post. It got deleted as well, as the admin was laughin on his PC. I thought I was just to stupid to hit the submit button and posted it again.

[jaiyenyen]

Good one!!! you caught me.

But only because a sliding window alcohol ban and 40yr+ massage girl law wouldn't suprise me one day.

[londonthai]

Not sure if anyone know today's date.

April 1st !

I posted that half an hour ago but my post got deleted....

I posted it before you (post number 3 in this thread) - and my post disappeared as well

[Darkling]

The massage law has been in force in Pattaya for over 2 years now. Or maybe they just look that old with all the booze i am drinking. my last post was deleted so i might as well go along with it.

[Sirbur]

Anyone can remind me what date is today ?

There are 365 April the first's in the Thai calender, after 20 years here nothing surprises me anymore.

Disappointed about the 40 year rule being a joke, may have been able to get the wife a job

[farang prince]

Songkran alcohol ban canned, crackdown on alcohol postponed to April 16

BANGKOK: -- The Thai government has postponed the proposed alcohol ban during the Songkran festivals. The National Committee for Alcohol Consumption Control yesterday canned the no alcohol ban during the traditional Thai new year from April 13 to 15.

The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, found that a alcohol sales ban during Songkran would further harm the tourism industry.

"The meeting decided the ban would have a bad impact on tourism, particularly on Songkran day, which draws over 150,000 foreign tourists," Maj Gen Sanan said.

Alcohol crackdown to start April 16

The Committee has become alarmed at the deterioration of family values and family unity. One of the main evils of this problem is alcoholic beverages. The new proposal will require bars, convenience stores and entertainment centers that serve alcohol to adjust their closing times as follows:

All bars, shops and entertainment centers will closed based on a sliding window. Mondays close at 1:00AM, Tuesday 12:00 Midnight, Wednesday 11:00PM, Thursday 10:00 PM and Fridays at 9:00PM. Saturdays, Sundays and all official holidays, alcoholic beverages will not be allowed to be sold.

"The sliding window will reduce the problems with sudden alcohol withdrawal and allow family members to be able to spend more time with each other. Saturdays and holiday closures will improve Thai tourism and family outings", says Boonlert Sukaparpraeng, consumption controller at the Department of Culture.

The sliding window could be different in various provinces allowing the creation of many jobs for coach and minibus companies to ferry foreigners around to the correct province to fit in with the well established pattern of Immigration decentralized offices, recently enforced by the Immigration Bureau.

Foreigners holding a valid work permit or residency will still be able to purchase alcohol in so called Mom'n'Pop shops during the prohibited hours.

"This is typical for the Democrat Party", says Somchai Duemlaukaeng, Deputy chairman at the Consumer Protection board. "Thai people has one of the highest alcohol consumption pattern in the world per capita". This will only increase the sales of Lao Khao in the provinces."

Massage parlour minimum age

On April 16, another controversial law is being enforced. After that date, massage parlors can no longer employ anyone under the age of 40, and are required to register all employees as such. This will minimize the request by customers for "extra services" which can cause problems with marriages and minor wives.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-04-01

George, you are such a naughty boy.

[Greer]

OK, OK - so I take it that you HAVE all noticed the date today right?

Oh yes - I see - obviously George was not letting anyone ruin his fun for a while at first...hehe!

Edited April 1, 2009 by Greer

[PeaceBlondie]

Okay, so I'm just stinkin' about this...I hardly ever drink at a pub, and often leave early. Have not gotten a massage in years. Okay with me.

[monkeyofdoom]

I would be a fool to stand for this!

[yumidesign]

let the annual killing of the innocents begin.......

[Snowdog]

do these politians actually have a brain in there head.they will drive tourists out of thailand with stupid crack downs like this.people will go to other places like the philippines or laos or vietnam and spend there money.and with only woman over 40 giveing massages there will be allot of unemployed girls out there.sometimes i don`t think these idiots use there heads when they make up things like this.if it isn`t broke don`t fix it.why do you think its right to control peoples lives.thailand has been a popular place to go because the way it is.I love thailand very much and the people of thailand.this is starting to become a dictatorship.no public vote on anything just the polititians will forced on everybody.id hate to see the good people of the country I love get hurt by the polititians driveing the tourists away.It will happen

[animatic]

If a fahrang opens a massage parlour with only thai women over 60,

then they get a 5 year visa and no visa runs for the term of the visa.

As a way of making sure grandmothers get plenty of work in a tough economy.

[BigSnake]

Can no longer employ anyone under 40, come on this has got to be a sick sick JOKE, 22 to 39 years of age is primetime for workers at the Massage Palors. Mr Chuwit where are you please come back and left HOOK some sense into this Government. If this not a SICK JOKE many primetimer workers will be out of a JOB

[CBDK]

Anyone remember what date it is today....?

[Kees5]

The massage parlour age was just a bit too much!

Until I noticed today's date......

All bars, shops and entertainment centers will closed based on a sliding window. Mondays close at 1:00AM, Tuesday 12:00 Midnight, Wednesday 11:00PM, Thursday 10:00 PM and Fridays at 9:00PM. Saturdays, Sundays and all official holidays, alcoholic beverages will not be allowed to be sold.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-04-01

i think i misunderstand this...does this mean i can't get a drink in a bar after 9pm on a fri, sat and sun?...ever again? is this for real. if it is i'll never come to thailand again...

Smaller shops will always sell... (see below):

Foreigners holding a valid work permit or residency will still be able to purchase alcohol in so called Mom'n'Pop shops during the prohibited hours.

[crocodilexp]

It's a bad April 1st joke, I see... the problem was, powers that be and their rules in Thailand are so messy that I thought for good 5 minutes that all this may well be real (and sporadically enforced, as always). Please, don't give them any ideas

[Unfaithful]

Omigod, I wake up with a hangover and this is on ThaiVisa.Geez.Minor wives, no problem.Sammi Noi is a good masseuse. But dry weekends, no way.

[samgrowth]

I quite fancy mid 40 once a while. They are mean old bltches to have survived that long in the business.

[CBDK]

Does anyone know what date it is today...?

[jonb1942]

All bars, shops and entertainment centers will closed based on a sliding window. Mondays close at 1:00AM, Tuesday 12:00 Midnight, Wednesday 11:00PM, Thursday 10:00 PM and Fridays at 9:00PM. Saturdays, Sundays and all official holidays, alcoholic beverages will not be allowed to be sold.

-- thaivisa.com 2009-04-01

i think i misunderstand this...does this mean i can't get a drink in a bar after 9pm on a fri, sat and sun?...ever again? is this for real. if it is i'll never come to thailand again...

Personly I think the Mormons are taking over.

[trevjay]

Its April Fools Day !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[spode]

George - excellent post, and very effective for the day!

Crocodilexp - disagree on it being a bad one, I think it was brilliant, given the idea is to get people to eompletely buy into it. Seems to have worked a charm.

As an over-40 myself, I kind of like the idea of being employable.

LOL!

-Spode

[Unfaithful]

Also, Sammi Noi gives special happy for no extra charge.