Ban On Booze As Emergency Services Brace For Accidents: Songkran Festival

[bangon04]

What's with that weird rule where they can't sell booze between 2 and 5 in the afternoon? What was the logic behind that?

where is the logic ? there is NO logic ...

The "logic" was to make it more difficult for schoolboys and schoolgirls, to buy booze within the time window when they are released from school and the arrival home.

Surely alcohol reduces their reflexes when playing computer games all afternoon and evening?

[ripstanley]

In most countries shops need a licence to sell both alcohol and tobacco products, here "mum and pop" shops sell both at any time of day and night

Here in Phayao you do need a licence to sell alcohol and tobacco products. You cannot sell alcohol at service stations.

[Rosco911]

Who will enforce this law, for the past 7 years in Chaing Mai I have never seen a police man on duty during the water throwing. Has any one else ever seen them ?

[mowgus]

Well, hang on, things are on the move here in Chiang mai, they are really enforcing helmet and lenience checks ,even at night now, so they are moving in the right direction,it's just gonna take time,just like every thing else,the laws are already there,the weak link in the chain is the enforcement! happy sonkran everybody...

Quite right, I have seen quite a few check points in CM lately. However, everyone knows they're only in the morning (typically) so they wear their helmets in the morning and take them off in the afternoon.

I for one will be leaving the bike at home and walking during Songkran. Drinking or not, getting a face full of water while driving a motorbike probably isn't the safest action. I wonder how many accidents are not drinking related? People falling out of the back of trucks, wiping out their bikes, etc.

[Ajaan]

When I first lived in Thailand--admittedly, in leave of my senses for having a Thai GF at all--and lived in a village in Ayutthya Province with my then-Thai GF, just by my personal casual observation I would say that AT LEAST 40% of all of the drivers on the road at any given time...let's say, from 10 am in the morning on...were drunk. This includes the local school bus driver...after dropping off his morning round, whilst waiting for his afternoon round, he would sit in the local "store/restaurant" and throw back shots and beers...

And I'm not talking Songkran or anything here....everyday life, folks, all year 'round...

[BigJohnson]

The Emergency people will have to depend on booze to help them to face all those unsightly accident rescue mission.

Unfortunately, I have been coerced into volunteering as a medic for Songkran...again. If I knew they could enforce the alcohol ban from 2 to 5 then that is when I would work; but then I would so miss being harassed, groped, and thrown-up on by the drunks. Of course, let's not forget the all mangled bodies covered in blood and guts due to drunk driving accidents that would be permanently burned into my brain.

By the way, alcohol would not even put a dent in dealing with the trauma and crap I will have to deal with.

[ivan96822]

What's with that weird rule where they can't sell booze between 2 and 5 in the afternoon? What was the logic behind that?

This is Thailand.

[thaiedward]

Hey Folks!

I just googled "Songkran Alcohol (Ban)" and up popped ThaiWebGuide with the bulletin that the Ban had been rejected by The Sanan Panel because of its negative impact on tourism.

The new plan is to ramp-up activity to monitor the roadways.

That sounds sensible.

[skorchio]

The problem is not really related to alcohol sales hours, as those who want to drink all day can do so by purchasing plenty of alcohol in the days before. That part is not rocket science, but my cutting-edge analytical skills are not shared by the authorities.

The problem stems from the fact that drink-driving is basically not a crime (thank fork). If your average Thai is busted at a checkpoint (I refer to only to Phuket), he is locked up overnight, hit with a max of THB 5,000 fine tomorrow morning in court, and is on his way before noon. Unless he has a few grand in his pocket at the checkpoint, and this is acceptable to the police officer.

In the case of a Farang stopped at same checkpoint, if he is locked up, he is looking at up to a 60,000 fine in court in the morning. Unless he can negotiate a fee at the checkpoint. It is harder to do this up the copshop.

There have been threats of deportation in the last year or 2, usually this makes a Farang either dig deep in his pocket (6-figure sums), or think twice about drink-driving.

[sfbandung]

What's with that weird rule where they can't sell booze between 2 and 5 in the afternoon? What was the logic behind that?

This is Thailand.

Indeed it is. But in all seriousness the more I visit Oz these days the more I think I've made the right decision to retire in Thailand.

[jeffcool]

Pretty hard to enforce this since those who do the enforces are the problem. Checkpoint with a tent on the side of the road with the guys sitting or standing doing nothing! Next year they will be talking about the same thing and doing the same nothing. But thanks for trying anyway.

That ain't True..... They are doing some drinking... heavy drinking I shall say....

Was one of the "volunteer" last year..... rarely been so blind drunk.....

[connda]

Translation: If you are not paying the local authorities Tea Money, expect to be fined this year.

[ThaiTerry]

Yeah .. good idea. They should ban alcohol not only on Songkran but all together. And tobacco as well. Since all better drugs are already banned why not ban the worst two? ...

Notime, Reread the article not just the headline. Nobody is going to ban anything only enforce the existing times on selling alcohol.

[MunterHunter]

Hey , the 2 and 5 thing has to do with the King Rama,so cool out fellas!...

What a load of old c**p

[sparebox2]

I believe the thinking behind that rather porous law was to prevent alcohol being sold to minors during the hours they are returning from school. It was a blanket law that supposedly orders all liquor outlets to not sell alcohol between 1400hrs and 1700hrs.

All major stores such as Tesco, Big C, Tops, Makro, 7-11 etc comply. The small "mom & pop" stores in every soi usually do not, because they either know the buyer or need the sales.

Personally I have never been refused a beer purchase at several small shops in my area during those 'restricted' hours.

The law inconveniences tourists, and the adult population who may be shopping at that time of day. It causes a huge loss of revenue to these larger companies.

You mention "LOGIC" I assume you live in Thailand? If you do, you know the answer.

The law is not against minor.

The law is to help small shops.

[bigbamboo]

The really weird thing about this ban on alcohol sales between 1400 and 1700 is that you can buy alcohol legally from the major outlets during this period provided you buy at least 10 litres. Go to a Makro store between these hours and see for yourself. So 2 x 5 litre wine casks, or a couple slabs of beer and you are not breaking the law!

This law is just to show the world how caring Thai society is. As if schoolkids would ever risk arrest traipsing through Tesco Lotus to buy alcohol when they can buy at it at any Mom and Pop shop.

Edited April 5, 2012 by bigbamboo

[chooka]

What's with that weird rule where they can't sell booze between 2 and 5 in the afternoon? What was the logic behind that?

It is to encourage people to start drinking earlier and get plastered before lunch, then you have the taste and stock up for mid afternoon to get you through to 5 p.m. A marketing ploy for Songkran.

[bigbamboo]

Wouldn't it simply be easier to ban Songkrraan or at least zone it restricting it to pedestrian areas?

No festival is worth the lives of a few hundered people and the knock on effect it has to thousands of relatives and friends of the deceased.

It is crazy and wouldn't be allowed to happen in the west.

How can you ban Songkran? That's like banning Easter, although I suppose they could always say it's cancelled because they've found the body....

[chooka]

A man needs a beer

[kutjebu]

Traffic accidents? .. Has anybody ever seen a highway police stopping and giving somebody a ticket for:

not using an indicator when turning or using indicator when not turning?

driving and parking on wrong side of the road?

parking near/on intersections and other clearings?

not having lights at night?

overtaking when not safe?

crossing the continuous line?

not wearing seat-belts?

talking on mobile phone when driving?

Hmmm .. maybe they could start from "trying" to enforce some of the existing rules before adding the new ones? But of course .. talk is cheap.

and not forget,many farangs driving with their big bikes and without a T shirt or helmet.

[MunterHunter]

Easy answer to all of this.

Aggressively enforce the existing law on Drinking and Driving. So people have the choice, Drink OR Drive.

[w11guy]

Traffic accidents? .. Has anybody ever seen a highway police stopping and giving somebody a ticket for:

not using an indicator when turning or using indicator when not turning?

driving and parking on wrong side of the road?

parking near/on intersections and other clearings?

not having lights at night?

overtaking when not safe?

crossing the continuous line?

not wearing seat-belts?

talking on mobile phone when driving?

Hmmm .. maybe they could start from "trying" to enforce some of the existing rules before adding the new ones? But of course .. talk is cheap.

Yes, I know a few people (Thais and farangs) that have been fined for using their cellphone while driving. I think most people won't have seen what you listed because the chance of you being around when the police stop them is pretty remote. I live in the UK for 50 years and never saw the police issuing tickets for most of the things on your list. Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I think your mistake is that you listen to the drivel on this forum and believe that it's true.

You hang around a few bar areas and assume the whole of Thailand is like that. You should get out and about more and talk to some real people.

[chooka]

Easy answer to all of this.

Aggressively enforce the existing law on Drinking and Driving. So people have the choice, Drink OR Drive.

Is there a law?

[w11guy]

It isn't so much about driving under the influence of alcohol as it is about driving while Thai that causes these tragic fatalities each Songkran. We need driver's education to be a mandatory course in high schools! Alcohol simply compounds problem of the lack of driving skills.

Have you walked in the MRT and BTS? Thais drive the same way they walk. Education would never help these people. I'm convinced it's genetic.

Thais usually line up in a need line for the BTS and MRT. You should try the London underground and see how people fight to get on and also try to get on before others have had a chance to get off. BTS and MRT are very easy to navigate compared to Western mass transport systems. If you don't like Thais, then just go home.

[robertson468]

Traffic accidents? .. Has anybody ever seen a highway police stopping and giving somebody a ticket for:

not using an indicator when turning or using indicator when not turning?

driving and parking on wrong side of the road?

parking near/on intersections and other clearings?

not having lights at night?

overtaking when not safe?

crossing the continuous line?

not wearing seat-belts?

talking on mobile phone when driving?

Hmmm .. maybe they could start from "trying" to enforce some of the existing rules before adding the new ones? But of course .. talk is cheap.

If the law is unenforceable people both ignore it and scorn it and the law then becomes an ass. Either have laws and enforce them or don't bother. It would have also been interesting to have the dates of the booze ban in the article which assumes everyone knows the dates. C'mon TV you can do better journalism than this

[w11guy]

Traffic accidents? .. Has anybody ever seen a highway police stopping and giving somebody a ticket for:

not using an indicator when turning or using indicator when not turning?

driving and parking on wrong side of the road?

parking near/on intersections and other clearings?

not having lights at night?

overtaking when not safe?

crossing the continuous line?

not wearing seat-belts?

talking on mobile phone when driving?

Hmmm .. maybe they could start from "trying" to enforce some of the existing rules before adding the new ones? But of course .. talk is cheap.

If the law is unenforceable people both ignore it and scorn it and the law then becomes an ass. Either have laws and enforce them or don't bother. It would have also been interesting to have the dates of the booze ban in the article which assumes everyone knows the dates. C'mon TV you can do better journalism than this

There are plenty of laws in USA, UK and other countries that aren't enforced. So why pick on Thais? Every country ignores some laws.

[Basil B]

What's with that weird rule where they can't sell booze between 2 and 5 in the afternoon? What was the logic behind that?

We also had this draconian law in the UK for much of the last century, I remember in my youth being "locked In" and losing an afternoons pay.

[w11guy]

Best way is application of very tough penalties. Like they do in the US and Europe. Drunk driving is down drastically there.

Completely untrue. Drink driving convictions are up over the last decade. In the UK they're at an almost all time high. 9,590 drink drive convictions in 1966 and 83,975 in 2006. So not really coming down drastically are they? Just think about it. These 83,975 were the ones that are caught. There are probably millions who drink drive without getting caught.

[w11guy]

Wouldn't it simply be easier to ban Songkrraan or at least zone it restricting it to pedestrian areas?

No festival is worth the lives of a few hundered people and the knock on effect it has to thousands of relatives and friends of the deceased.

It is crazy and wouldn't be allowed to happen in the west.

Of course it happens in the west.

[bigbamboo]

Wouldn't it simply be easier to ban Songkrraan or at least zone it restricting it to pedestrian areas?

No festival is worth the lives of a few hundered people and the knock on effect it has to thousands of relatives and friends of the deceased.

It is crazy and wouldn't be allowed to happen in the west.

Of course it happens in the west.

It isn't Songkran that kills, it's the idiots who drink and drive.