Police Prepare For Election Day Expat Sobriety Riots

[theoldgit]

You still haven't figured out that this is a joke. Further proof that TV members are not renown for their intelligence.

Oh I'm so sorry, I didn't realise the ban on alcohol sales was a joke.

[Soutpeel]

What a low and arrogant opinion some Thais have of us. I wonder how they would feel if we all just left and took our money with us.

Got to the bottom of the class and go back and read the article again a 100 times...

[blackthorn2005]

"The EC has launched an educational campaign by posting messages on Thaivisa.com, reminding expatriates of the alcohol ban and suggesting that they host ‘Election Parties’ in their apartments." What a great idea, everybody do that and invite as many Thais as you can

[nicolas18]

Christ, some people here are really dense.

[tominbkk]

I could care less, but feel bad for restaurants and clubs that rely on alcohol sales to pay their employees.

[Garry]

Thanks George, you gave me a good laugh :lol

[cdnvic]

Well done! How many remember the April 1st story? That had people climbing the walls.

All kinds of people still believe it too.

[theoldgit]

That said, most of what I said holds water.

No, it doesn't.

Of course it does:

The "report" does say that well prepared ex-pats can sit at home with a case of beer and a dvd, if this report is true it just shows what a poor view the police have of the ex-pat community in Thailand. OK, I got that wrong, or did I? I for one enjoy eating a Sunday Lunch in a Bangkok restaurant with a glass of wine, not sure if that makes me an alcoholic, but whilst I will probably still have my lunch, this week I will have to wash it down with a glass of coke. True

What is a pity, is that the Thai Authorities don't trust their own nationals to vote responsibily if they have had a drink in the preceding twelve hours. True

I'm sure the tourists from around the word, who of course cannot vote, will be happy not to have a drink late tonight and all day tomorrow in the full knowledge that no Thais motorcycle taxis riders will be drinking whiskey by the roadside, no Ma and Pa shops will be selling to those have run out at home, so that the electors can vote with a clear head. True

Thai friends of ours have a bar in Chiang Mai, they are already complaining about the money they lost last weekend, what they will lose this weekend and for what they will lose in the upcoming Buddhist Lent. True

So what exactly doesn't hold water?

[livingthedream]

Hold on a minute, what this.... an election ...this weekend !

cue: political debate

[Fishface]

I did'nt know there was an election what time do the polling booths open -- I don't want to be late casting my vote.

Farang cant vote of course,--so when the police come round would it be impossible to see the Falang and Thai drinkers.

I don't remember ever ever seeing a Thai drinker in the go go bars or any bar that I might go to,--ever.

[exbelg]

euh, do they claim that we EXPATS will do harm ???

[Soutpeel]

Could be an article of notthenation.com

No sh*t sherlock. ......it says so at the bottom of the article...

As part if Thailands efforts towars improving its literacy rate nationally, they should consider setting up a remedial English language course on TV as well while they are at it....

[qutejute]

How sad

[theoldgit]

I for one put my hands up to missing the word satire, and as I said, good one George.

However I wish I was as perfect as some of the other posters.

[maapaa]

we all know Thais dont drink alcohol ......... they are never drunk ...behave perfectly in the society and never cause troubles ..... oh are we talking about farang here ? Oooops ...... that is the most stupid things I have seen today so far ....

I really thought farang was not part of those elections ....

We are! As some of us decided to live here - and so we have to follow the Thai laws! And that's good.

If Thais are following the laws or not - we don't have to care about it because it's not our business!

I am living and working here in Thailand since a year now.

What I really can't stand aren't any Thai laws or police checkpoints. No. I am really getting bored of foreign guests (that what we are here) complaining about nearly everything!

Nobody forced you to come to Thailand, it was your own, free decision! If you don't like Thailand anymore - go back home! It would make life here much better.

[snowgard]

In my eyes they try to find a way to explain why so much additional police and maybe military in the streets on the election days.

It's more easy to speak its about the riots farangs who need alcohol than to tell they are scare about big riots about the election.

And yes, for farangs it's much more better to buy beer, whisky, food and a lot of other things what they need for the next two weeks and stay at home.

Who knows exactly what will be happen in the next days???

[Soutpeel]

Hold on a minute, what this.... an election ...this weekend !

cue: political debate

Its the Thaksin and the red shorts fault, they have deprived all the local Farang alcoholics the right to drink this weekend...

[rayw]

Nice one George. I love good satire but still remember there is usually a lot of truth in satire too. Yep not a real serious problem this weekend just a rather silly restriction on ordinary people's lives. SO you need to just ensure that you get yourself a case of your favourite beer or a bottle or two of wine or whisky or whatever to take home so if you fancy a drink you can at least have one at home and with with your friends around too. Feel more sorry for the guys who as one said on here like a glass of wine with their Sunday dinner, this is harmless surely.

I am totally against prohibition for adults in any form so cannot endorse this Dickensian law or other similar ones which ties up thousands of Thai police from their real job of trying to solve thousands of still unsolved REAL crime and trying to prevent other REAL crimes form being committed. In the UK there is no such alcohol ban on election days but you would not be allowed into a polling station if you were drunk of course. But here with the higher level of corruption I can understand how they do not want to make easy the buying of drinks for votes.

I am admittedly someone who can go without alcohol even for a week sometimes so am not hooked on drink at all, though usually I have a couple of beers every day as I enjoy that with my dinner and sometimes I admit on a Saturday night at a local friends houses I do have a few too many beers and get nicely merry or just a little more than that some weeks. If I felt I HAD to have alcohol I would immediately take steps to stop drinking for a while as why would I want to really harm myself when I enjoy life.

So overall, although unhappy with this alcohol prohibition law and those on Buddhist days and the law that says I cannot buy between 14:00 and 17:00 each day (this time of day restriction law is totally stupid and unnecessary in the extreme), I can see where they are coming from knowing the instability of Thai elections. Also it IS difficult to differentiate between Thais and Falangs when imposing such prohibition laws as would make an even higher total waste of police time. Easiest way is to ban anyone over a alcohol limit from voting, much like for driving over a limit, as they do in most democratic countries. It would then be fair and sociable for folk to be able to vote BEFORE they start any drinking and enjoy a beer or two afterwards on election days, or is that too grown up and sensible for Thailand?? You beat election corruption by using police time properly to fight and stop election vote buying etc not by tying them up enforcing the banning of anything that could remotely relate to such corruption. Bit like banning cars to prevent speeding and road deaths, it is policing drink driving that is what matters surely.

[Dap]

Hub of satire

Brilliant!!

[Soutpeel]

In my eyes they try to find a way to explain why so much additional police and maybe military in the streets on the election days.

It's more easy to speak its about the riots farangs who need alcohol than to tell they are scare about big riots about the election.

Who knows exactly what will be happen in the next days???

:lol: ...and so the conspiracy theorists start......Its April 1st all over again...

I do know for definite what will happen over the next fews day.......you are going to have problems buying booze....

[SAffer]

we all know Thais dont drink alcohol ......... they are never drunk ...behave perfectly in the society and never cause troubles ..... oh are we talking about farang here ? Oooops ...... that is the most stupid things I have seen today so far ....

I really thought farang was not part of those elections ....

We are! As some of us decided to live here - and so we have to follow the Thai laws! And that's good.

If Thais are following the laws or not - we don't have to care about it because it's not our business!

I am living and working here in Thailand since a year now.

What I really can't stand aren't any Thai laws or police checkpoints. No. I am really getting bored of foreign guests (that what we are here) complaining about nearly everything!

Nobody forced you to come to Thailand, it was your own, free decision! If you don't like Thailand anymore - go back home! It would make life here much better.

Shut up or go home... heheee, you been in Thailand SINCE a year now, and you just love everyhing, and all the Thai people treat you as they do other Thais, right??

[jdinasia]

In my eyes they try to find a way to explain why so much additional police and maybe military in the streets on the election days.

It's more easy to speak its about the riots farangs who need alcohol than to tell they are scare about big riots about the election.

Who knows exactly what will be happen in the next days???

:lol: ...and so the conspiracy theorists start......Its April 1st all over again...

I do know for definite what will happen over the next fews day.......you are going to have problems buying booze....

I think George wanted to lighten the mood ... and that some "silly people" don't understand what the word Satire means

[Zammo]

Christ, some people here are really dense.

haha true.

The posters that start unnecessarily bickering, they're the real triggers, sit back and laugh.

[Samuian]

Well as everyone is entiteled to an opinion, the author of the article certainly has his point of view, which is but a mile of the truth, alright it's labeled "satire".

Is really the average expat and EVERY visitor an "alcoholic" an drink dependend, are they all "deranged poeple" and are "all" of them queuing in "Irish pubs and yell at the waitress"? Just because the want drink and can't understand this crazy rule?

While, as in another post at certain venues there are drinks supplied, Restaurant no Problem, Farang Hotel Bar/Restaurant - no problem, but the 7/11 and other stores have signs up or the fridge doors covered with garbage bags... now this is crazy and the real satire behind it all, no to mention that non of us has to go to the polling booth, it's like so many other crazy stories in the LoS!

[drdoom6996]

Brilliant! The article could have gone for real if it didn't carry the label SATIRE.

War of the Worlds in Thailand.

[lifeincnx]

Makes sense. One dry drunk American comes to mind who actually started the Iraq war.

[DonGato]

Satire

Nice one George!

I propose a drink to it!

[Soutpeel]

Christ, some people here are really dense.

haha true.

sit back and laugh.

Or cry.....these are the same personages who comment that Thai's are not the sharpest knives in the draw....

I still think the Thai goverment should require an IQ test before handing out long term visa's to anyone, certainly were there is the possiblity that they may be adding to the Thai gene pool...

[Beetlejuice]

“For many of these men, 36 hours without a drink and the company of a rented Asian female represents something unacceptable, terrifying even,” said Noppawan Rangkulan.

Nice to know that us farangs have a good reputation here in Thailand.

We have already taken precautions. The girlfriend has purchase for me 400 cans of Leo beer and arranged for 3 prostitutes to visit me at home during the alcohol and women of ill repute curfew.

Last time she failed to do this and by 8.00 in the evening I turned into a raging deranged psycho, burned down the house, raped the girlfriends sister, knifed her brother and skinned our 4 dogs alive.

Well, better to be prepared then sorry.

[theoldgit]

Changed my mind.