Despite Thai Buddhist Holiday Ban, Alcohol Sales Continue, Fueling Road Deaths

[yellow1red1]

Surprisingly? Thailand does not rank high in consumption or alchohol related problems.

UK, Canada, Ozzie, USA, Russia and many Euro countries out guzzle.

http://en.wikipedia....Y_-_WHO2002.svg

http://en.wikipedia...._by_Country.png

http://en.wikipedia....hol_consumption

Not even in the Top 50 in most studies.

not that controlling addictive substances should not be a govt priority

http://www.nationmas...umption-current

< this study does not include Asia; Thailand would fall between Norway and Mexico

methinks Thailand would be higher male drinkers, as the women don't seem to get into the family drinking circles?, and higher for drunk driving? as the West has cracked down on that for a couple of decades

[RedNIvar]

I buy my beer once each month. About 12 boxes of large bottles does the trick.

Didn't realise that this level of forward planning intelligence was triggered by iodised salt consumption in my formative years. Maybe I should up the intake, or is it too late in my degenerative years?

But as has already been pointed out, restricting sales at certain times is BS. And why is it considered worse to die on Buddhist holidays, surely more auspicious?. And what on earth prompted the 14:00-17:00 ban, unless buying enough for a massive binge?

1) The ban of alcohol between 14:00 and 17:00 was for the times that CHILDREN are going home from school and just before "rush hour". Doesn't England etc still have bars close at dinner time?

2) What do you suggest the government do, throw their arms up and just let it happen? At least they are trying.

3) These alcohol bans on Royal days and Buddhist days are ment as a means of RESPECT. Weather it works or not the Thai system is still trying to show respect.

4) I like my beer but TIT and I can take a day off evry once in awhile.

I don't think the bans are ment to impose arrests for some folk sitting at homw on one of these days having a few frosties but to keep SOME hold on the respect. Not easy you must admit but it's not like there are road blocks set upon these days the same a say New Years, Songkran, Christmas etc.

That is what I thought as well the ban from 2 to 5 was to curb underage drinking, so all stores selling alcohol were banned from selling during this time. I walked in to Fuji the other day for a late lunch at about 2:30 pm and was refused a beer. No way in hel_l would I be mistaken for a school kid, 40 year old, beer gut and a thick beard. What is up with that?

Why is it that I can walk into any restaurant in Siam Paragon or Emporium or Sukhumvit at any time and order myself a beer? but I can not for the life of me get a beer with my meal everywhere else. Is this law also enforced at restaurants? or Is this another Thai thing?

[dudopode]

lol we once wanted 3 nice bottles of wine but in the wrong time frame so we bought our 3 good wine bottles and added enough chang beers in the basket.... and left them there as we left the store with our 3 bottles of wine

lost 300 - 400 bahts in the transaction.....

Edited September 7, 2010 by dudopode

[12DrinkMore]

lol we once wanted 3 nice bottles of wine but in the wrong time frame so we bought our 3 good wine bottles and added enough chang beers in the basket.... and left them there as we left the store with our 3 bottles of wine

lost 300 - 400 bahts in the transaction.....

That's what I love about this place.

Always some way of achieving the goal.

Hasn't been mentioned yet, but another example is that the 7/11 stores located next to garages are not permitted to sell alcohol. Even if just around the corner or on the other side of the road there is a 7/11 that does sell alcohol. Like do they really think that if a driver is desperate for a frothy and cannot get one at the garage it will prevent him from stopping 20 meters up the road, probably double parking in the process?

Thailand is like Ripleys, "Unbelievable but True".

[mahtin]

Not only that, but the window of opportunity doesn't open until 11 a.m.

This I learned in Tesco Lotus at the checkout around 10.30 a.m. when a bossyboots informed me that I could not buy until five o'clock.

Thai time; 6+5=11.

1 box of Leo left at the till.

1 box of Leo bought at stopoff at local shop on the drive back.

[hayden5650]

Let's be realistic, as we've seen in the last few days a Thai will sell his or her own daughter to make a bit of cash, so they're certainly not going to refuse the sell of alcohol on any day!

Yea you can't buy it from Tesco or 7/11 on the holiday but if you know your sois you'll know where to go.

Even the day before the beginning of lent, the manager at the restaurant I frequent told me "No alcohol tomorrow, holiday." Unsurprisingly, the next day 100 Pipers was flowing freely amongst the Thais.

[asiawatcher]

It comes back to road deaths. Drink and drive - not matter what the rules - dead is dead.

[tombkk]

It comes back to road deaths. Drink and drive - not matter what the rules - dead is dead.

But only between 2 and 5pm?

[tombkk]

Well... so long as they keep making these ridiculous laws and not bothering to enforce them, we can pretty much do what we like, eh guys?

But they do enforce them. I once tried to buy beer at Carrefour just after 5 once (about 5:02) and the cashier said she couldn't sell it to me because the cash register didn't show it was 5pm yet. According to her the clock was still 4:45. So she couldn't sell it to me for another 15 minutes. (It was too busy to bother going to another register or talk to a supervisor).

I don't think it's the government that enforces the law, but the retailers. At Carrefour, 7-eleven, and some other international chain stores, the cash registers are blocked for alcohol at that time. It's a software without which these companies couldn't control their staff or franchisees.

Sorry to hear that you experienced a clock that went wrong, I haven't heard that yet. This indeed is an incident to report to the country management. Which store was that. and on what date?

[TAWP]

Well... so long as they keep making these ridiculous laws and not bothering to enforce them, we can pretty much do what we like, eh guys?

But they do enforce them. I once tried to buy beer at Carrefour just after 5 once (about 5:02) and the cashier said she couldn't sell it to me because the cash register didn't show it was 5pm yet. According to her the clock was still 4:45. So she couldn't sell it to me for another 15 minutes. (It was too busy to bother going to another register or talk to a supervisor).

I don't think it's the government that enforces the law, but the retailers. At Carrefour, 7-eleven, and some other international chain stores, the cash registers are blocked for alcohol at that time. It's a software without which these companies couldn't control their staff or franchisees.

Sorry to hear that you experienced a clock that went wrong, I haven't heard that yet. This indeed is an incident to report to the country management. Which store was that. and on what date?

Had similar case in a 7/Eleven.

They wrote down what we bought so they could put it in the cash register after the time was enough...

[rubl]

But they do enforce them. I once tried to buy beer at Carrefour just after 5 once (about 5:02) and the cashier said she couldn't sell it to me because the cash register didn't show it was 5pm yet. According to her the clock was still 4:45. So she couldn't sell it to me for another 15 minutes. (It was too busy to bother going to another register or talk to a supervisor).

I don't think it's the government that enforces the law, but the retailers. At Carrefour, 7-eleven, and some other international chain stores, the cash registers are blocked for alcohol at that time. It's a software without which these companies couldn't control their staff or franchisees.

Sorry to hear that you experienced a clock that went wrong, I haven't heard that yet. This indeed is an incident to report to the country management. Which store was that. and on what date?

Had similar case in a 7/Eleven.

They wrote down what we bought so they could put it in the cash register after the time was enough...

I have a mom&pop shop opposite 7/11. Need I say more? Especially after midnight lots of taxi drivers sitting around, drinking whatever, talking. I had a drink offered a few times

[tombkk]

Well... so long as they keep making these ridiculous laws and not bothering to enforce them, we can pretty much do what we like, eh guys?

But they do enforce them. I once tried to buy beer at Carrefour just after 5 once (about 5:02) and the cashier said she couldn't sell it to me because the cash register didn't show it was 5pm yet. According to her the clock was still 4:45. So she couldn't sell it to me for another 15 minutes. (It was too busy to bother going to another register or talk to a supervisor).

I don't think it's the government that enforces the law, but the retailers. At Carrefour, 7-eleven, and some other international chain stores, the cash registers are blocked for alcohol at that time. It's a software without which these companies couldn't control their staff or franchisees.

Sorry to hear that you experienced a clock that went wrong, I haven't heard that yet. This indeed is an incident to report to the country management. Which store was that. and on what date?

Had similar case in a 7/Eleven.

They wrote down what we bought so they could put it in the cash register after the time was enough...

LOL! I love that. I have to suggest it to the 7-eleven across the street.

In fact, when I come just before midnight, one of the staff behind the counter will run to the beer fridge and fetch me my beer, scanning it into the cash register before I can say a word. I go in there every evening after work so they know what I buy, but sometimes I work late and it gets tight. Very nice and helpful people. I'll have to tell them this trick so they don't need to run.

That said, I still think the hours of no alcohol sales make no sense at all. I always have two days' worth of emergency beer supply at home anyway.

[tombkk]

I have a mom&pop shop opposite 7/11. Need I say more? Especially after midnight lots of taxi drivers sitting around, drinking whatever, talking. I had a drink offered a few times

You have a typing mistake there. I am sure you mean to say "sitting around, drinking water, talking".

Nobody in Thailand, especially not professional drivers, would drink anything else after midnight, that's why I caught it.

[bob6023]

Total tosh, the lack of a credible active police presence to provide fear of being caught is the solution not beer sales. Any one can stock up for the holiday but there is no deterrent only threats that being enforced is virtually nil.

I agree there is no enforcement of traffic laws. I drive all over and I've never seen a cop make a traffic stop. Except the ones that stand in the road and randomly signal drivers to pull over. Very dangerous job on their part,Heck a couple times I didn't even notice the guy rushing out to the traffic until my wife yelled at me.

[tombkk]

Total tosh, the lack of a credible active police presence to provide fear of being caught is the solution not beer sales. Any one can stock up for the holiday but there is no deterrent only threats that being enforced is virtually nil.

I agree there is no enforcement of traffic laws. I drive all over and I've never seen a cop make a traffic stop. Except the ones that stand in the road and randomly signal drivers to pull over. Very dangerous job on their part,Heck a couple times I didn't even notice the guy rushing out to the traffic until my wife yelled at me.

That's nonsense, but it belongs to another thread.

I got a ticket in the mail for speeding on the Motorway. That's not a policeman flagging me down and asking for some money without receipt, it's the real thing and Thailand's traffic police have joined the developed world in this respect. I hear there are also cameras for red-light-jumpers.

As I said, stuff for another thread.