England Sets Thailand An Example

[astral]

England has just changed the law to allow pubs to stay open longer, if they wish.

Thailand is fast going in the opposite direction, perhaps to total prohibition.........??

[westybrook]

My Thailand keep this up, ok to ban it altogether But to keep strick laws on buying and drinking alcohol.

The UK has lost it tottaly now. I am British and have lived here all my life, I know what going out with the lads means, its means to many young guys drink drink and more drink.

We are a nation of binge drinkers and I don't think this will change for a very long time. If Thais was to wittness a popular street in the UK at 11:20pm they would know Thailand has its head screwed on with its alcohol policy.

[ProfessorFart]

Westybrook, your post makes no sense.

I have seen too many British streets at 11:20PM which is why this law is the best move this Government has made. It will put an end to binge drinking simply because people don't have to any more.

I don't want to see Thailand go the same way as the UK was. Force people to cram alcohol into themselves in a limited amount of time and that is just what will happen.

[britmaveric]

Welcome news - this will stop mass legless tw*ts all pouring out at 11pm into the streets. For once the govt has done something sensible.

[Fast Eddie]

Unfortunately it will take people a while to adjust, and for the binge drinking culture to change. Problems will probably get worse before they ultimately get better. Thailand would certainly be better off not creating such a culture in the first place.

[BambinA]

saw the news in tv. this evening , brit boys hit/punch each other after drunk , ..i thought pubs close earlier there ..

[ProfessorFart]

Welcome news - this will stop mass legless tw*ts all pouring out at 11pm into the streets. For once the govt has done something sensible. 

Exactly Brit.

Its one thing for all of those highbrow Ivory Tower dwelling fools who posted on the news clippings branch saying, 'I never came to Thailand for the beer' etc. to welcome Thailand's social order reforms, but I wonder how loudly they will be applauding when the Thai youth is puking and fighting outside their Ivory Towers at midnight every night.

saw the news in tv. this evening , brit boys hit/punch each other after drunk ,  ..i thought pubs close earlier there ..

Bambina. The problem was that in England and Wales on an average weekend night people only had maybe 3 hours to have a drink so they would drink as much and as quickly as possible. The result of this was that at closing time town centres were full of drunken people who had all been turned out of the pubs and violence was commonplace.

Now people will have more time to drink and drinking will become a more relaxed past time instead of having to stuff it in. Therefore you won't get this collision of drunks in town centres every weekend. Instead there will be a steady trickle.

What is worrying is that Thailand is going in the opposite direction. From a place where drinking is often a relaxing past time where people socialised it will become a place where people who want a drink will have to cram it in.

[BambinA]

Bambina. The problem was that in England and Wales on an average weekend night people only had maybe 3 hours to have a drink so they would drink as much and as quickly as possible. The result of this was that at closing time town centres were full of drunken people who had all been turned out of the pubs and violence was commonplace.

actaully , methinks its happend everywhere around the world , after people got drunk, some of them just get upset each other..and then fight

yes, we can see it in TH also

[ProfessorFart]

You will always get the odd fight when you get drunken people but because in the UK you had a lot of drunks thrown together the problem here was worse than elsewhere.

[GuestHouse]

The reversing of in English licensing law neglects the evidence presented in the years prior to the laws enactment.

Numerous reports on public health, poverty, social problems all concluded that alcohol was a significant factor in crime, poverty, domestic violence.

When the government debated this issue, these earlier reports where raised, the government's response was that people are more sophisticated now than at the time licensing laws were enacted.

Well I've seen how sophisticated English drinkers are, falling around p1ssed in town centers, p1ssed up brawls in pubs drunks vomiting in shop doors.... not some made up story, but the reality of English towns three nights a week.

The answer to the problem is not relaxing licensing laws, but reigning in the breweries who now demonstratebly dictate goverment policy.

Relaxed drinking laws ushering in European style night life.

Listen, I live in Rome, I live with European nightlife and I've lived with English pub culture, the problem is not licensing laws but English drinking culture and it was English drinking culture that brought about strict licensing laws in the first place.

The English are beer pigs, relaxing drinking hours will only make matters worse.

I'm against relaxation of licensing laws in the UK, and more to the point of this website, tighter drinking laws in Thailand enjoy the support of the majrity of Thais.

Edited November 25, 2005 by GuestHouse

[ProfessorFart]

You've lived in Rome with unrestricted drinking laws and people who have grown up with them.

The problem in the UK isn't some invented 'drinking culture' but a simple fact that after a week at work people want a drink. If they only have 3 hours a night to get it in then they drink fast and furious. This leads to extreme drunkeness and all of the problems which occur in ANY country on Earth where you get groups of drunken young men thrown together.

The English 'drinking culture' is bourne from English Licensing laws and nowhere else. Now people have the time to slow down things will change. It will take time but they will change.

[phuketsiam]

I agree, the strict licensing laws were introduced during the 2nd world war and since supported by the church, that created the drinking the culture. It won't change overnight, but it's a step in the right direction

[ProfessorFart]

I'm against relaxation of licensing laws in the UK, and more to the point of this website, tighter drinking laws in Thailand enjoy the support of the majrity of Thais.

Why Guesthouse?

Its one thing to have a rant about the English Beer Culture and people who get drunk in town centres, but if things under the existing system which you claim to support both in Thailand and the UK is so abhorrent to you then surely something has to change?

Lets see....Oh wait! How about a change the laws to the oh so much more sophisticated European licensing laws........erm.....?

How can you speak for the majority of Thais as well? Have you been down the pub with them recently?

[BambinA]

always hear..irish always drunk.. ..is it true? and why?

[ProfessorFart]

Its just a media invented sterotype Bambina.

[BambinA]

Its just a media invented sterotype Bambina.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

pheewwwwww

[Patsycat]

In Europe you can drink from midnight to midnight and you never ever see drunks staggaring around the streets like they do in England. The English just have to get it into their heads that they now have the right to drink later, but it does not give them the right to drink more - just not binge...

[ProfessorFart]

Utter rubbish Patsy cat. All countries in Europe have alcohol related social order problems. Its just that due to restricted opening hours in the UK ours are more visible.

Edited November 26, 2005 by ProfessorFart

[mittheimp]

The reversing of in English licensing law neglects the evidence presented in the years prior to the laws enactment.

Numerous reports on public health, poverty, social problems all concluded that alcohol was a significant factor in crime, poverty, domestic violence.

When the government debated this issue, these earlier reports where raised, the government's response was that people are more sophisticated now than at the time licensing laws were enacted.

Well I've seen how sophisticated English drinkers are, falling around p1ssed in town centers, p1ssed up brawls in pubs drunks vomiting in shop doors.... not some made up story, but the reality of English towns three nights a week.

The answer to the problem is not relaxing licensing laws, but reigning in the breweries who now demonstratebly dictate goverment policy.

Relaxed drinking laws ushering in European style night life.

Although pubs are going to be open longer people are not going to have more money to spend on alcohol, therefore less pressure to drink quicker!  Also the point made that people will not be exiting pubs at the same time is a good one - this causes a lot of the trouble.  24 hour drinking exists in Australia but also a law that is strongly enforced  making it an offence to serve alcohol to intoxicated customers also exists.  This is also being introduced in the UK at the same time as 24 drinking - sounds like a sensible and pragmatic approach to me - but the effect will not be seen or should be judged for at least 6 months.

Listen, I live in Rome, I live with European nightlife and I've lived with English pub culture, the problem is not licensing laws but English drinking culture and it was English drinking culture that brought about strict licensing laws in the first place.

The English are beer pigs, relaxing drinking hours will only make matters worse.

I'm against relaxation of licensing laws in the UK, and more to the point of this website, tighter drinking laws in Thailand enjoy the support of the majrity of Thais.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[westybrook]

People are still gonna cram it in and drink heavy Come on do you think England is going to go all continental now and drink sensible. People in England drink to get p**sed thats what they do, thats what makes a night enjoyable for them! Crazy I know but true! I drink, I love the stuff, but I don't drink to get drunk.

The problem in England now is pubs/clubs that have late night licences, the police don't have an exact time in which to put the force on full-alert. They will come out at all hours of the morning and night, the police will have too much to do, and there will still be fights and drunks on the streets cause thats are society!

[Guest endure]

People are still gonna cram it in and drink heavy   Come on do you think England is going to go all continental now and drink sensible.  People in England drink to get p**sed thats what they do, thats what makes a night enjoyable for them!  Crazy I know but true!  I drink, I love the stuff, but I don't drink to get drunk.

The problem in England now is pubs/clubs that have late night licences, the police don't have an exact time in which to put the force on full-alert.  They will come out at all hours of the morning and night,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's not the problem it's the solution! If they don't all turn out at the same time there won't be a big gang of peeps looking for a fight.

[mittheimp]

my message gotabit mangled around other quotes last time (always preview methinks!)

Although pubs are going to be open longer people are not going to have more money to spend on alcohol, therefore less pressure to drink quicker! Also the point made that people will not be exiting pubs at the same time is a good one - this causes a lot of the trouble. 24 hour drinking exists in Australia but also a law that is strongly enforced making it an offence to serve alcohol to intoxicated customers also exists. This is also being introduced in the UK at the same time as 24 drinking - sounds like a sensible and pragmatic approach to me - but the effect will not be seen or should be judged for at least 6 months.

[redrus]

Of the thousands of drinking establishments in England, hardly any have applied for this 24 hr licence.

Only 3 places in my town have applied for it (realistically) and, all 3 have got it. 1, Sainburys(supermarket), 2 ASDA (supermarket), and 3, Cardinal Sins, a night club that has only agreed to use the licence once a year.

redrus

Edited November 26, 2005 by redrus

[mittheimp]

Of the thousands of drinking establishments in England, hardly any have applied for this  24 hr licence.

Only 3 places in my town have applied for it (realistically)  and, all 3 have got it. 1, Sainburys(supermarket), 2 ASDA (supermarket), and 3, Cardinal Sins, a night club that has only agreed to use the licence once a year.

redrus

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This will change over time, and actually many more applied nationwide than originally reported a few weeks ago. I think its a very good thing for many reasons - but doesnt need the daily mail treatment, as that will kill it!

[chonabot]

My Thailand keep this up, ok to ban it altogether   But to keep strick laws on buying and drinking alcohol.

The UK has lost it tottaly now.  I am British and have lived here all my life, I know what going out with the lads means, its means to many young guys drink drink and more drink.

We are a nation of binge drinkers and I don't think this will change for a very long time.  If Thais was to wittness a popular street in the UK at 11:20pm they would know Thailand has its head screwed on with its alcohol policy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Edited November 26, 2005 by chonabot

[chownah]

I believe that a gov'ts main function should be to infringe on the freedoms of its citizens the least...so I think that restrictions on drinking should be minimal...so I support alcohol being freely available at all times and in mostly all places. It is my opinion that anyone who drinks for the purpose of getting drunk every weekend....and especially two or three times every weekend....has some problem. It doesn't bother me that they have a problem...its not my job to fix their problems.....many wonderful and capable people do this but in my opinion even these wonderful and capable people who get drunk two or three times every weekend have a problem. I fully support 24 hour availability of alcohol...I also support open discussions about the problems of binge drinking. I do not support enabling behavior like people telling their friends, "Ha ha ha, you really got drunk last night. That bloke was sure an a55hole so you shouldn't feel bad that bloodied his face. Ha ha ha. Good show mate! Let's go back tonight and see what's happening."

[pnustedt]

I hope that they make the hospital A&E depts. open 24 hrs also - they'll be needed.

[SEAtramp]

I've read some factless crap in my time but Guesthouse takes the biscuit. Not only is his longwinded post factually incorrect but he is speaking for the majority of people in a country 6000 miles away. I live in Thailand and I have already began to see signs of binge drinking in the karaoke bars near my apartment. Although TRT will never publish reports showing an increase of alcohol related violence as people 'guesthouse' has never met start drinking the same amount in half the time it will soon be evident to anyone who actually LIVES in Thailand and not just coming up with these pearls of wisdom half way round the world.

[lomatopo]

 

always hear..irish always drunk.. ..is it true? and  why?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ireland is usually in second or third place for total per capita alcohol consumption.

(Figures for Y2000, http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-B/hea_alc_con )

1. Luxembourg 14.9 litres per capita

2. Ireland 14.2 litres per capita

3. Portugal 13 litres per capita

4. Hungary 12.3 litres per capita

5. Czech Republic 11.8 litres per capita

6. Spain 11.7 litres per capita

7. Denmark 11.5 litres per capita

8. Austria 11.3 litres per capita

9. Switzerland 11.2 litres per capita

10. Germany 10.5 litres per capita

11. France 10.5 litres per capita

12. United Kingdom 10.4 litres per capita

13. Belgium 10.2 litres per capita

14. Netherlands 10 litres per capita

15. Greece 9.4 litres per capita

16. Slovakia 8.9 litres per capita

17. New Zealand 8.9 litres per capita

18. Italy 8.7 litres per capita

19. Finland 8.6 litres per capita

20. Poland 8.5 litres per capita

21. United States 8.3 litres per capita

22. Japan 8.2 litres per capita

23. Canada 7.7 litres per capita

24. Sweden 6.2 litres per capita

25. Iceland 6.1 litres per capita

That's pure alcohol per person, every man, woman and child!

In March 2004, Eurostat the European Union's statistics service reported that in Ireland, 52% of the population drank alcohol regularly in 1999, compared with 25% for the EU average. Denmark and the United Kingdom (both 44%) and the Netherlands (43%) also recorded high percentages, while the lowest were observed in Italy (12%) and Spain (19%).

http://www.finfacts.com/Private/bestprice/...riceseurope.htm

That's 52% of the total population, so figuring that children don't drink it's easy to imagine nearly every adult doing so?

Thailand is supposedly closer to ~ 4 liters per capita, according to some sources I've seen, and that figure includes all the booze consumed (including tourists, visitors, retirees, TV members) but the per capita population figure just uses Thai citizens.

edited to add:

And a related letter-to-the-Editor from today's Bangkok Post

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/26Nov2005_opin20.php

Thai alcohol consumption

Concerning the consumption of alcohol by Thais: It would appear that Travelling Engineer (POSTBag, Nov 24) has got it all wrong, while And Anders (POSTBag, Nov 22) has got it all right.

Thailand is not even mentioned in a study of world alcohol consumption by the Economist magazine published in July, 2004.

It lists the top 26 alcohol consuming countries, with Luxembourg coming in first at an annual consumption rate of an equivalent of pure alcohol, in the form of beer, wine and spirits, reaching 12 litres per person.

By contrast Mexicans, who came bottom, consume only a quarter as much, at three litres per person per annum.

Whatever Thais consume it's below three litres per person per annum, while the average of the 26 countries listed is well over double that.

It's interesting to note that the British, at 9.6 litres per person outdrink the Russians at 8.5 litres and the those in the US (6.5 litres).

Another interesting observation is that the British female tosses down more booze than women anywhere else in the world.

In Asia, Thais consume considerably less than half the intake of the average Japanese, who downs the equivalent of 6.5 litres of pure alcohol per year.

So, Mr Anders may go to the head of the class while my suggestion to Travelling Engineer is to sober up and move on.

E. J. GALLAGHER

Bangkok

Edited November 26, 2005 by lomatopo

[stumonster]

tw*ts

I don't think it will stop them being tw4ts - its an attitude that is there even before they start drinking. and it is not just the poms , you can find these people all over the globe.

drinking just seems to bring the arsehat personality to the forefront