Phuket Businesses Face Strict Enforcement Of Alcohol Act

[george]

Phuket businesses face strict enforcement of Alcohol Act

PHUKET: -- Phuket businesses selling and promoting alcohol and tobacco will face stricter enforcement of the Alcohol Control Act in the New Year.

Operators of bars, pubs, restaurants and advertising agencies face fines up to 500,000 baht and prison sentences of up to two years for infringements of the laws.

The imminent crackdown follows a Ministry of Public Health report claiming that despite the introduction of the Alcohol Control Act in February 2008, many businesses are still selling alcohol outside of the regulated hours and to minors.

The report also claims that minors can still easily obtain tobacco.

On Wednesday, Director of the Phuket Public Health Office Dr Pongsawat Rattanasaeng and Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Rathasima, announced stricter enforcement of the 2008 Alcohol Control Act in the New Year with tougher monitoring of bars, restaurants and other places selling alcohol and tobacco.

A public relations campaign will also be launched with the aim of creating awareness of the dangers associated with smoking and drinking, especially for minors.

In the past year, investigators have come across many businesses that are not abiding by the law or do not even understand the laws when it comes to alcohol and tobacco sales, said Dr Pongsawat.

“So far, business operators have only received warnings when found to be selling alcohol and tobacco illegally. However, as of January, businesses will face stricter inspections,” he said.

The 2008 Alcohol Control Act states that alcohol cannot be sold at places of worship, health centers and hospitals, government offices, education institutions, and gas stations.

Venue operators found breaking these laws face 10,000-baht fines and/or up to six months in jail.

Alcohol can only be sold between 11am and 2pm and from 5pm until midnight.

Violators face fines of up to 4,000 baht and/or a maximum of two years in jail.

Those found selling alcohol to minors (under 20 years old) face fines of up to 20,000 baht and/or up to one year in jail.

Dr Pongsawat said that alcohol advertising would come under closer scrutiny and that violators could face fines of up to 500,000 baht and/or one-year jail sentences.

He recommended sponsorship of big events as a way for alcohol manufacturers to promote their products.

Dr Pongsawat stressed that the authorities must do their part to educate business operators on alcohol and tobacco laws and punishments for violators while initiating more anti-smoking and anti-alcohol campaigns and clamping down on violators.

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-12-10

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[bobonzo]

no fun allowed I guess

[glegolo]

LOP, (land of plastic)has done it again!!!

looking for bad guys selling alcohol outside the stipulated time instead of taking care of the big issues here.

Why not let the policeforce go out on the roads and pick up the plastic-shit floating around everywhere. Maybe

than they will be interested to inform and educate people to stop just drop their plastic whereever they go.

Glegolo

[eddibabyyeah]

Sounds like another great idea to boost tourism.

[moo9]

Amazing Value only in Amazing Thailand

[Jonathanpattaya]

no fun allowed I guess

Intelligent answer

Existing laws are simply being enforced.

Edited December 10, 2009 by LivinginKata

[theoldgit]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

[mythBuster]

Those hours are only in place for bigger businesses. That is in order to protect the Yellow base. If I were an elected official I would be worried far more about corruption and illegal gambling. With the world cup coming up it means that we have to lock our hotel rooms a bit better and let the dog guard our houses at night.

However this is of course a big show. I bet that a new official is in charge. He or she will show some muscle after which they start their winter sleep.

[starkey_rich]

When dose Prohibition start.How many Crackdowns is that this year I lost count after 50.Never mind all the other crap going on In Phuket like Tuk Tuk scumbags

[lensta]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

Nothing!

[JatujakShopper]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

Oh easy, they do that just to piss me off. Cheers!

[h90]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

1) Hotels and airports are not so crowed.

2) People learn to plan ahead instead of living without plan.

3) Small mum and paps shops get business, specially if they know you.

4) other poor countries get a chance to develop some tourism

not enough?

[kennalder]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

Maybe the really hard core alcoholics wake up that time of day?

Perhaps in the land of "crackdowns", it's time to have a "crackdown" on the enforcers of all these "crackdowns". Maybe a "crackdown czar"?

[def2708]

hello

are all the business concerned about selling alcohol between 11 and 2 ,and 17 to 2 in the morning

i thought it was only the 7/11 and supermarket???

is it only seven eleven and supermarket?

are restaurant and bars concerned????

is it only during public holiday,election days or 24/7 all year long

does anybody has the actual legal text for that law????

PLEASE ANSWER ME........

do restaurants are allowed to sell food or do we have to convert selling suits????

and employ illegal immigrants and pay the police to employ them......

ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO BUSINESS IN THAILAND?????

or maybe we should get the F.... OUT of this country and try to do a living somewhere else??????

please answer me

thanks

def

[batblaster]

What you speak ? smoking in disco and other public places is forbidden in almost all countries in the world why here must be different ? If you smoke and want die why i must die too ? smoke what you want in your house and don't bother all others...

I hope they will do it...

[koto]

LOP, (land of plastic)has done it again!!!

looking for bad guys selling alcohol outside the stipulated time instead of taking care of the big issues here.

Why not let the policeforce go out on the roads and pick up the plastic-shit floating around everywhere. Maybe

than they will be interested to inform and educate people to stop just drop their plastic whereever they go.

Glegolo

Maybe just maybe If there was less drinking and smoking there might be less trash and butts left behind, by non-caring smoking, drinking people, just maybe

374.bmp

[NinjaGladiator]

The laws are always so unclear, I also think the law was put in place and only forced upon the large retailers, as a way of redirceting market share back to the small vendors. But they of course cannot enforce such a rediculous idea, but the likes of Tesco and BigC play along because of late they have found it harder to obtain licences as locals go up in arms that they are being put out of business around the country, whenever a new store is planned. I don't think the law was intended for bars and restaurants, but of course certain individuals are going to get confused.

I had to laugh when the new laws came into force, the main jist of the campaign stated it was to stop underage drinking, so we'll only allow you to buy alcohol during 11am -2pm (duh, isn't that when kids take a break from school, so at least that shouldn't effect them too much (lol)).

If they are serious about the midnight stoppage, that's most of the nightclubs I attend out of business, cos they don't fill up until 12am and go onto 3am, illegally selling alcohol, mind the clubs are very quiet and descreet maybe the authorities don't even know they are trading - NOT!

[sangfroid]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

Maybe the really hard core alcoholics wake up that time of day?

Perhaps in the land of "crackdowns", it's time to have a "crackdown" on the enforcers of all these "crackdowns". Maybe a "crackdown czar"?

Thailand. The 'crackdown" hub of South East Asia.

[PhilHarries]

no fun allowed I guess

Intelligent answer

Existing laws are simply being enforced.

So why are they not enforced uniformly and fairly from the time they come into effect? They introduce a new law, and banning the sales of alcohol and tobacco should find no dissent amongst adults anywhere, with a huge fanfare and photo ops for all manner of major and minor politicians. Then it is just allowed to drift with patchy enforcement until it is virtually ignored often with official connivance (bribes). Then, usually coinciding with a new boy on the block be it governor or police chief, it suddenly gets resurrected and with another major fanfare they announce a crackdown and strict enforcement of the law. Then, after a suitable period, it is allowed to drift again, most likely as the new boy gets his "just rewards" from local businesses. Wash and repeat this cycle ad nauseum.

Also how about enforcing the laws equally, for example we all know about the ban on sales of alcohol between 2pm and 5pm (unless you want to buy a serious amount then it's okay). But we all know just as well that this is only applied to big concerns like Teso-Lotus and if you really want to buy a bottle of whisky during that time a local corner mom'n'pop store will gladly help you out.

btw does anyone know if the 2-5pm ban will also affect bars and gogos because it hasn't up till now?

[madmitch]

The law is just unclear. Maybe there's something lost in translation. I don't see how it can apply to pubs and bars when they are allowed to open legally until 1 or 2am (depending upon location). But TiT.

Afternoon sales restrictions are ridiculous but all this has been debated on this forum so many times you may as well just dig up an old thread and place all the posts on this one.

[koto]

Just remind me again what is actually achieved by restricting alcohol sales in the afternoon?

Nothing!

Could be that the "heavy drinkers" might back off a taste, making it a tad safer on the roads or any other place, they might show up.

[ChangMaiSausage]

Another nail in the coffin for Thailand not many more to go.....

[mitrapaap]

Another nail in the coffin for Thailand not many more to go.....

Crackdown, crackdown, crackdown. I don't believe the word even exists in Thai, but Thaivisa calls everything a crackdown.

As for the rest, whenever Thailand is doing nothing the expats blame it for doing nothing, whenever Thailand is doing something the expats blame it for doing the wrong thing.

I wonder how the laws of this country would look like if the expats were making them. Probably pretty drunk I think.

[Jirapa]

Maybe the really hard core alcoholics wake up that time of day?

Perhaps in the land of "crackdowns", it's time to have a "crackdown" on the enforcers of all these "crackdowns". Maybe a "crackdown czar"?

No the hardcore alcoholics think ahead and either have a fridge full of Lao Khao or get to 7Eleven 3 minutes before prohibition starts. I know that the clock in my local 7Eleven has been 12 minutes slow for about 2 years so I use that to my advantage. In unfamiliar minimarts that display the correct time try setting the time on your mobile back 10 minutes and insist on being served, it has worked!

Another alternative is make sure you have exactly the right notes and change for your 4 beers which you bag by yourself at the counter. Before the cashier has the time to explain the house rules say "yo no habla ingles?" slap the exact money down and walk out then look back to see the cashier going to the fridge to get the barcode!

Tescos is easy! Drink while shopping during prohibition and turn up at the checkout with a few empty cans of beer and a few full ones.

They'll tell you "you can't buy beer" and confiscate it and then spot the 3 empties and the one your drinking. This stumps them so the manager is called and you end up giving the exact money for what you've consumed which is kept out of the till and registered after prohibition ends.

If all else fails go local as granny don't give a sh!t about some dumb ass prohibition law!

Happy Drinking

[mitrapaap]

No the hardcore alcoholics think ahead and either have a fridge full of Lao Khao or get to 7Eleven 3 minutes before prohibition starts. I know that the clock in my local 7Eleven has been 12 minutes slow for about 2 years so I use that to my advantage. In unfamiliar minimarts that display the correct time try setting the time on your mobile back 10 minutes and insist on being served, it has worked!

Another alternative is make sure you have exactly the right notes and change for your 4 beers which you bag by yourself at the counter. Before the cashier has the time to explain the house rules say "yo no habla ingles?" slap the exact money down and walk out then look back to see the cashier going to the fridge to get the barcode!

Tescos is easy! Drink while shopping during prohibition and turn up at the checkout with a few empty cans of beer and a few full ones.

They'll tell you "you can't buy beer" and confiscate it and then spot the 3 empties and the one your drinking. This stumps them so the manager is called and you end up giving the exact money for what you've consumed which is kept out of the till and registered after prohibition ends.

If all else fails go local as granny don't give a sh!t about some dumb ass prohibition law!

Happy Drinking

Wow! so much imagination and efforts just to get a beer. If you were not an alcoholic (read in a dictionnary what the definition is, it starts when you consume alcohol on a daily bases), you would probably jsut drink something else. Looks kind of much easier than all the cabaret you describe, don't you think so?

[dsfbrit]

When dose Prohibition start.How many Crackdowns is that this year I lost count after 50.Never mind all the other crap going on In Phuket like Tuk Tuk scumbags

Yep-this weeks 'crackdown' - it will all be over by Chrismas...

[metro33777]

What is the goal??? Sounds more like actions of the oh so proper America. Not that I drink or smoke, but people will get what they want.

[DegenFarang]

Anything to allow the BIB to shake down business owners for more bribes.

[richieudon]

No the hardcore alcoholics think ahead and either have a fridge full of Lao Khao or get to 7Eleven 3 minutes before prohibition starts. I know that the clock in my local 7Eleven has been 12 minutes slow for about 2 years so I use that to my advantage. In unfamiliar minimarts that display the correct time try setting the time on your mobile back 10 minutes and insist on being served, it has worked!

Another alternative is make sure you have exactly the right notes and change for your 4 beers which you bag by yourself at the counter. Before the cashier has the time to explain the house rules say "yo no habla ingles?" slap the exact money down and walk out then look back to see the cashier going to the fridge to get the barcode!

Tescos is easy! Drink while shopping during prohibition and turn up at the checkout with a few empty cans of beer and a few full ones.

They'll tell you "you can't buy beer" and confiscate it and then spot the 3 empties and the one your drinking. This stumps them so the manager is called and you end up giving the exact money for what you've consumed which is kept out of the till and registered after prohibition ends.

If all else fails go local as granny don't give a sh!t about some dumb ass prohibition law!

Happy Drinking

Thanks for that, good idea. I'm always gasping by 4pm in Lotus....

[mitrapaap]

No the hardcore alcoholics think ahead and either have a fridge full of Lao Khao or get to 7Eleven 3 minutes before prohibition starts. I know that the clock in my local 7Eleven has been 12 minutes slow for about 2 years so I use that to my advantage. In unfamiliar minimarts that display the correct time try setting the time on your mobile back 10 minutes and insist on being served, it has worked!

Another alternative is make sure you have exactly the right notes and change for your 4 beers which you bag by yourself at the counter. Before the cashier has the time to explain the house rules say "yo no habla ingles?" slap the exact money down and walk out then look back to see the cashier going to the fridge to get the barcode!

Tescos is easy! Drink while shopping during prohibition and turn up at the checkout with a few empty cans of beer and a few full ones.

They'll tell you "you can't buy beer" and confiscate it and then spot the 3 empties and the one your drinking. This stumps them so the manager is called and you end up giving the exact money for what you've consumed which is kept out of the till and registered after prohibition ends.

If all else fails go local as granny don't give a sh!t about some dumb ass prohibition law!

Happy Drinking

And maybe we should not be surprised if Thais increasingly perceive the farangs as a****les behaving like poor idiots.