Nationwide Alcohol Ban For Makabucha Day: Thailand

[RedNIvar]

Was in Fuji Phuket the other day and aparently the can't buy alcohol with your meal after 2pm and before 5 had been scrapped. Maybe not because in Bangkok you still cannot. It's a miracle if you ever know what is happening from day to day.

I remember last Easter at the Chokchai Steakhouse at Pak Chong they wouldn't sell wine with a mean after 1400 (2pm). Drove me mad and I'll never go there again.

Anybody else know about the 1400 no alcohol rule?

This rule in only in places where mainly locals go. Walk into any restaurant in Emporium, Siam Paragon, Paradise Park (including Fuji, Zen and I mean any restaurant) at any time of the day and you will get served any alcoholic beverage. Go to all foreigner hang out place, restaurants on Sukhumvit/Silom and it should be no problem. Thai's have no problem practicing double standards.

Walk into Fuji at Seacon Square after 2pm and no beer. Walk 10 minutes to Paradise Park and the Fuji there will be more than happy to serve you a beer.

[Beetlejuice]

I have that covered already.

So it`s all round to your place tomorrow night for the booze is it?

[BigSkip]

good luck

[metisdead]

A defamatory comment on moderation has been removed.

[airconsult]

I wonder if any expats here would be amused by derogatory comments about Jesus Christ's somewhat obscure parentage ... or perhaps his dalliances with Ms Magdalene ...?

Careful not to upset the bible-bashers! They don't believe in freedom of speech or opinion either.

Somewhat off topic' date=' but remind me, who turned water into wine ?

[/quote']

That feat was obviously NOT achieved on a Buddha day

Could have been...... maybe crucifixion was the punishment......

[MEL1]

The law is the law and we have to abide, hate looking over my shoulder all the time....

What law? I could give you a list a mile long about Thai laws which no Thai citizen abides to. They don't look over their shoulders, and neither do I!

I even bump a few cyclists out of my way, and the consequences? There is no law, when you pay the BIB 200 Baht!

-mel.

[furyrider]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

Oh My god son get real how many Thais do you think is going to go for this.

[cardholder]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

Oh My god son get real how many Thais do you think is going to go for this.

Steady fury - I don't think he has actually been to Thailand !

Edited March 6, 2012 by cardholder

[Reasonableman]

It's one day. Put a few tinnies in the fridge and enjoy them tomorrow if you wish. Enjoy and _relax_ ;-)

[pastitche]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

Being from the UK I am a bit puzzled about when these sacred days are - Christmas, when the pubs might, depending where you are, be closed but everybody's getting pissed at home anyway or Easter, the major Christian festival which is a holiday weekend when the pubs make loads of money. Most people on here I believe are from nominally Christian countries where there is scant acknowledgement of any religious significance to these "sacred days".

However I accept your point about respect for Thai festivals

Edited March 6, 2012 by pastitche

[Nisa]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

Being from the UK I am a bit puzzled about when these sacred days are - Christmas, when the pubs might, depending where you are, be closed but everybody's getting pissed at home anyway or Easter, the major Christian festival which is a holiday weekend when the pubs make loads of money. Most people on here I believe are from nominally Christian countries where there is scant acknowledgement of any religious significance to these "sacred days".

However I accept your point about respect for Thai festivals

Throughout the US there are many many places that limit or ban the sales of alcohol on Sundays.

Edit: And in the UK, wasn't it not that long ago that all (not just booze) trade was restricted on Sundays?

Edited March 6, 2012 by Nisa

[cardholder]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

Being from the UK I am a bit puzzled about when these sacred days are - Christmas, when the pubs might, depending where you are, be closed but everybody's getting pissed at home anyway or Easter, the major Christian festival which is a holiday weekend when the pubs make loads of money. Most people on here I believe are from nominally Christian countries where there is scant acknowledgement of any religious significance to these "sacred days".

However I accept your point about respect for Thai festivals

Throughout the US there are many many places that limit or ban the sales of alcohol on Sunday.

Not being critical but I am not sure if that is an apology or a statement of support.

restricted hours don't stop drunkards getting drunk - they do stop socially responsible people from getting a drink.

Tricky one really - one would like to think that people would become self-moderating.

[RKASA]

When I lived in Virginia the malls were closed on sunday as was most everything else by law. It was that way when I left and not sure if it even changed I mean why would I go back and check I am not a Baptist. Some there still think the law was about Nascar.

[rayw]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

+1

Really most of you need to get a life if you cannot spend a day without drinking, or if your life resolves around drinking. Ohhh wait, what do we call that back in the states. That's right, an alcoholic .

Enjoy your stay!

Agree with you on that one, but it should not be law and that is the valid reasonable point I am making. It should be everyone's own personal choice no matter WHERE in the world you live, and up to each persons own religion as to whether they (not everyone else note) comply with its doctrine.to the letter. It is called basic human FREEDOM. No skin off of my nose bacuase I usually have 2 or 3 days a week alcohol free anyway for my good health and only drink Lite beer when I do have any beers and indeed not much of it these days. I do apply obsevance because it is the law, whether that law is an ass or not it IS still the law at the momnet. A law that just needs looking at in an adult responsible way and intelligently and sensibly changing IMHO.

Yes many folk are alcoholic and many many are Thais of course, but no good making laws to stop them buying alcohol,as that NEVER works anyway as we all know. They need health care treatment and provided free to encourage them to seek help,

Also it is correct that a few years ago very little was open on Sundays in the UK, but public outcry against such outdated and selfish laws, and with the UK being supposedly still a democracy, the law had to be changed and indeed it was, but only after a lot of self centred one sided bleating by the Christian churches. Even many non extreme Christians agree with the philosphy of live and let live, and anyway in a poll I seem to remember a few years ago that it showed about 80% of poeple in the UK were not really relivgious at all. If you still have enforced Sunday closing in some areas of the USA then you should be ashamed as this is hardly the freedom that you guys preach so much about, come on now. Mind you if I owned a shop anywhere in the World I would want at least one regualr day (of MY choice) to close each week for a well earned rest and to enjoy whatever wealth I had made during the rest of the week. Life is much more than just making money for money's sake you know!!

Edited March 6, 2012 by rayw

[Reasonableman]

The responsible drinkers and the drunks can adopt the same strategies: stop drinking for one day (OMG), stock up in advance, go somewhere that ignores the law and have a drink there. Some locales have been suggested. Surely, this a minor inconvenience, no more. No-one is gonna die! ;-)

[Nisa]

Being from the UK I am a bit puzzled about when these sacred days are - Christmas, when the pubs might, depending where you are, be closed but everybody's getting pissed at home anyway or Easter, the major Christian festival which is a holiday weekend when the pubs make loads of money. Most people on here I believe are from nominally Christian countries where there is scant acknowledgement of any religious significance to these "sacred days".

However I accept your point about respect for Thai festivals

Throughout the US there are many many places that limit or ban the sales of alcohol on Sunday.

Not being critical but I am not sure if that is an apology or a statement of support.

restricted hours don't stop drunkards getting drunk - they do stop socially responsible people from getting a drink.

Tricky one really - one would like to think that people would become self-moderating.

Nothing to do with what you are mentioning -- simply of laws based on religious views (see post I was replying to). Interesting to note too that Thailand has a population that is approx. 95% Buddhist while the US probably has less than 70% of the population that is Christian based (dealing with Sunday's being a day for rest).

[MEL1]

The responsible drinkers and the drunks can adopt the same strategies: stop drinking for one day (OMG), stock up in advance, go somewhere that ignores the law and have a drink there. Some locales have been suggested. Surely, this a minor inconvenience, no more. No-one is gonna die! ;-)

However, is there a smoking ban tomorrow? A yabba-dabba-doo smoking ban, where people do die as a result of psychotic states?

Yabbah ban? Would that be a minor inconvenience in Ubon or Udon, to name but a few?

Can the responsible smokers stop for a day, and yet cigarettes will be for re-sale tomorrow?

Isn't it ALL relative?

-mel.

[chrisinth]

So silly and what a waste of police tiem with so much real crime still to solve. Prohibition NEVER works hasn't history shown us that. If your religion says you should not drink and it is important to you then simply do not drink but why involve others who do nto follow you faith in such rulings. Hardly freedom or logical or sensible/ Oh well I suppose TIT.

Or perhaps you could try observance out of respect. After all, it's not your country. No doubt you would be pissed off with foreigners in your own country carrying on as though your own sacred days meant nothing. Just a suggestion.

+1

Really most of you need to get a life if you cannot spend a day without drinking, or if your life resolves around drinking. Ohhh wait, what do we call that back in the states. That's right, an alcoholic .

Enjoy your stay!

It's nothing to do with do with spending a day without a drink, it's to do with being dictated to what you can do and can not.Thailand is a major tourist destination so T.A T say. So why treat the tourist like children just because you are like sheep in the STATES we are are not all like that

That is one of the reasons the hotels don't fall under the ban. But if you do go to a hotel and have a drink, see how many Thai people get served. At least that is what it is like where I am. Imagine being in your home country and only the foreigners are allowed to drink; that would be a reason to be pissed off!

[retiringinthailand]

Is this actually the law? Do the police really have the power to apparently arbitarily impose alcohol bans for religious festivals?

[TAWP]

Gf picked up the whiskey - my coke shall not go virgin tomorrow.

[rayw]

The law has nothing to do with tourists. Thailand, its culture and prominent religion doesn't revolve around tourists. If you have no problem with not drinking for a day then why get worked up over this? You need to obey speed limits too regardless of how skilled a driver you are or how remote and safe the road is. Take a lesson from the culture here and don't get worked up over things that don't even effect you or that you cannot control. If you're an alcoholic that for some reason is only able to drink in the bars or is only able to go out on Wednesday then by all means, share your gripe. But to act as though this is the first time in your life you have experienced laws or restrictions on when, where, how much, what type and by whom alcohol can be bought or sold (in just about any country) is to get yourself worked up over nothing.

Speeding laws are based on a lot of logic it is called road safety, same with drink and driving. But to ban everyone from drinking alcohol because of some reigious doctrine is just crazy IMHO. If you are a fully practicing Budhist and want to respect that doctrine then of course you should do so but NOT expect others to have to follow you by force, that is childish and selfish. It is a bit like an Atheist trying to ban all religions (as they did do in the USSR at one time last century) whihc is also mega selfish and intolerant of other folks freedoms..

Oh and just because somehting does not affect you personally it does not mean you should not stand up and express your thought out views, and thus support others who are wrongly and selfishly affected by such clearly silly and illogical laws. Too much of the "I'm Alright Jack" attitude these days I am sorry to say.

[Nisa]

The law has nothing to do with tourists. Thailand, its culture and prominent religion doesn't revolve around tourists. If you have no problem with not drinking for a day then why get worked up over this? You need to obey speed limits too regardless of how skilled a driver you are or how remote and safe the road is. Take a lesson from the culture here and don't get worked up over things that don't even effect you or that you cannot control. If you're an alcoholic that for some reason is only able to drink in the bars or is only able to go out on Wednesday then by all means, share your gripe. But to act as though this is the first time in your life you have experienced laws or restrictions on when, where, how much, what type and by whom alcohol can be bought or sold (in just about any country) is to get yourself worked up over nothing.

Speeding laws are based on a lot of logic it is called road safety, same with drink and driving. But to ban everyone from drinking alcohol because of some reigious doctrine is just crazy IMHO. If you are a fully practicing Budhist and want to respect that doctrine then of course you should do so but NOT expect others to have to follow you by force, that is childish and selfish. It is a bit like an Atheist trying to ban all religions (as they did do in the USSR at one time last century) whihc is also mega selfish and intolerant of other folks freedoms..

Oh and just because somehting does not affect you personally it does not mean you should not stand up and express your thought out views, and thus support others who are wrongly and selfishly affected by such clearly silly and illogical laws. Too much of the "I'm Alright Jack" attitude these days I am sorry to say.

As I stated in the speeding analogy, if you can speed and still be safe, you are still breaking the law. So, this would clearly not be about safety. Besides, shouldn't people be able to decide for themselves what is safe out on an open road with no other traffic?

But ok, so then I guess you see having laws that limit bars from being open 24/7 is also an infringement on people's rights. You are in a de facto Buddhist country where there are laws and government promotion of this religion that makes up 95% of the population. There are religious countries all over the world and even ones that don't subscribe to promoting a particular religion or have freedom of religion but still promote a religion or belief system. In the US where there is Freedom of Religion, you will nor find currency not having the words, "In God We Trust" and person in the US has recited a pledge (most thousands of times) stating the US is one nation "under God"

There is simply no reason to act surprised by linking religion and booze. It has and continues to happen throughout history in many countries. In the US sales of Booze is limited in many places on Sunday and up until I believe the mid-90s the UK didn't even allow most shops to be open on Sunday.

No doubt you should help stand up for others who are being mistreated or abused if they welcome and wish you to help but somehow I doubt there are many Thai's looking for help from a farang about Buddhist laws or observances in Thailand. As for other tourists and guests in this country, they don't have a say in the laws and cannot vote .. this should be a hint that we should simply respect the laws and customs in Thailand.

If you want to moan about something, that is certainly your right but I would think there is actually worthwhile causes to support than getting your panties in a bunch about sales of alcohol being limited on a certain holidays in a foreign land. Lots of local would certainly appreciate your help with certain things but I just don't see this as one and don't see your voice meaning anything to anybody that matter on this subject. So, it would appear it is not a matter of standing up to or for anybody but simply a minor thing to try to make into a big thing.

[Nisa]

Is this actually the law? Do the police really have the power to apparently arbitarily impose alcohol bans for religious festivals?

It is the law -- police simply enforcing or being asked to enforce or maybe just providing them some additional income to compensate for their incredibly low salaries.

[TAWP]

It might be the law or a regulation, but anyone living here has the right to complain over them.

If we look at history some laws clearly change after the people has spoken out against them.

[Nisa]

It might be the law or a regulation, but anyone living here has the right to complain over them.

If we look at history some laws clearly change after the people has spoken out against them.

Everyone can complain all they want but unless you are a citizen, your voice is fairly insignificant and actually could, in some circumstances, end up getting you tossed out of the country if you actually did try to interfere (cause change) in Thai politics, religion or laws.

Edited March 6, 2012 by Nisa

[Brewsta]

1039 reading this topic!!

And all refreshing sober, no doubt.....

[americaninbangkok]

"Public Health Minister, Wittaya Buranasiri, says the authorities will get tough on the ban of alcohol sales on Makabucha Day tomorrow."

Tee-hee... a Thai official said he's gonna "get tough". That is a funny one. I want to hear another good story...

[yummypizza]

Well.no one was enforcing the law tonight in Chiang mai, business as usual, full of people lots of drink, i left at 2am and no sign of the law!!!

[Joolz63]

I love reading this stuff. Lets get it right, If you live here you know where you can get a drink, If your that stupid ask your Thai missis(providing you aint pissed her off with the previous nights intoxication). Other than that chill out, drink and be merry and save the bitching for next night your out with your pals , talking about how shit the law is ! Nuff Said

[Nisa]

Well.no one was enforcing the law tonight in Chiang mai, business as usual, full of people lots of drink, i left at 2am and no sign of the law!!!

I wasn't out but my past experience says it was probably the same in most places. It is kind of an odd ban since it goes from midnight to midnight. If bars followed this they would basically be closed much of two nights. My guess is they will all be closed tomorrow and there won't be anybody advertising they will be open starting at midnight.