Shops And Clubs Flout Buddhist Lent: Alcohol Sales Ban

[spidermike007]

All religions are eveil the only thing they produce is stupid rulles like these regarding alcohol, Buddha himself smoked opium, drunk alcohol, smoke marihuana, so why the hell they are trying to impose these crazies bans?

Wow, a man of great knowledge and wisdom, right here on our forum. What on earth do you know about Buddha's daily behavior? What do you know about the quest for enlightenment? We all go to great extents to justify our own lifestyles, but to accuse a great Prophet and Avatar like Buddha, of behaving how you and I behave is quite ignorant. Just live your life, and stop making excuses.

[spidermike007]

Why bust the little mum and pop stores, they aren't exactly selling truckloads and what they do sell hardly provides enoungh income to feed the family for a day.

Because it is the law?

Because alcoholics have rights, too?

Or something else?

What's the right answer?

I do not know. Maybe because it is against the law? Why do they have to break that law? To make an extra 100 baht or so? Do they really need those extra sales? I say lock them up. But the reality is that it will NEVER make it to trial if the family has enough cash to pay off the collection agency (police)

Well, while 100B may not be much to you, to some - namely the people who depend on selling ale for their daily rice - 100B is a good amount of money.

Many of these smaller shops live literally hand to mouth and the 100B loss you speak of would be a severe burden to many of these small establishments.

If it upsets you to the extent you think they should go to jail, how about you, or the powers that be, reimburse them the 100B loss and they they could close for the day and everyone would be happy...?

Good idea. Let me know where to send the check, or transfer the 100 baht. Would be happy to provide some charity to an upstanding upcountry merchant.

[moe666]

I am shocked at all these postings! If I didn't know any better I would think that the LOS is the Hub of Hypocricy .

You could be right

[moe666]

All religions are eveil the only thing they produce is stupid rulles like these regarding alcohol, Buddha himself smoked opium, drunk alcohol, smoke marihuana, so why the hell they are trying to impose these crazies bans?

Wow, a man of great knowledge and wisdom, right here on our forum. What on earth do you know about Buddha's daily behavior? What do you know about the quest for enlightenment? We all go to great extents to justify our own lifestyles, but to accuse a great Prophet and Avatar like Buddha, of behaving how you and I behave is quite ignorant. Just live your life, and stop making excuses.

You know he didn't a bit of the pot calling the kittle black

[el jefe]

Do you really think tourists will really stop coming to Thailand because there are 10 or so days scattered throughout the year when they can't buy a beer? Not everyone is a "heavy drinker".

Indeed not everyone is a "heavy drinker" yet some people just like to be unmolested by having religion and politics thrust upon them thus affecting their hard earned holiday.

I recently visited both Manila and Angeles in The Philippines and Phnom Penh in Cambodia to visit friends who used to come to Thailand.

Both places were (according to locals) booming. When I asked why, the above sentiment - that they were just fed up with having all the <deleted> forced on them (including early closings) - was pretty much the universal reply I got.

If you think this isn't affecting tourism then have a chat with some long standing people in the tourism industry...

I was obviously right when I said you didn't care what I had to say in the post you only quoted part of.

These "long standing people in the tourism industry" that you'd like me to have a chat with .... these are your friends that own bars?

There is no policy that will benefit everyone. Tourism is up. That's a fact. (I'm not googling the link. But you can feel free to send me a link showing that international tourism is down in Thailand.)

Maybe Thailand should adopt a policy of "Free beer - 24/7" and reimburse bars for the price of the beer. I'm sure your friends who are dependent on the heavy drinkers will tell you tourism was never better.

[HeavyDrinker]

Well some are indeed bar/club owners, but also several hotel owners/managers as well as several tour operators here.

The "stats" you place so much faith in (especially those from TAT) are often placed under scrutiny as to their accuracy, however as you seem unwilling to use the greatest resource of them all (simple personal observation) then there seems little point in proceeding.

Anyway I'm off for a pint...

[Wombat6]

If this law is to be enforced, then, all laws should be enforced...especially Traffic Laws...ie: Driving and talking on mobile Phone. Driving m/bike without Helmet. Driving with 4-5 people on Bike, Driving and Parking on wrong side of street. crack down on vehicles without lights, Double and triple parking, Crackdown on Russian Hookers plying their trade in Phuket. Crack down on people using protected animals to make money. Enforce law on Street vendors in Bangla Rd, All the other Scams that do not comply with the law, illegal logging, Illegal occupation of land, etc etc,....I am sure there are many more, but it just seems to me that the laws of Thailand are in place for the Authorities to use them when the Urge arises

[candyman123]

A totally ridiculous law that attempts to thrust some people's morality down everyone else"s throats. The only people who benefited from this charade were those upstanding defenders of the law and morality, the Royal Thai Police. Plenty of tea money for looking the other way, and big, big profits from all the clubs and whore-houses run by the police where the law could safely be ignored.

I have just spent two nights and three days on A Koh somewhere and they didn't have any ban or law for selling beer why because of tea money for the local police. I was talking to one shop and bar owner and he was telling me he pays them the police 5,000 Baht over this period to cover from any problems.

Now think of how many shops/bars that are on this Koh and times that for every 5,000 Baht?.

[el jefe]

Well some are indeed bar/club owners, but also several hotel owners/managers as well as several tour operators here.

The "stats" you place so much faith in (especially those from TAT) are often placed under scrutiny as to their accuracy, however as you seem unwilling to use the greatest resource of them all (simple personal observation) then there seems little point in proceeding.

Anyway I'm off for a pint...

I've already pointed out to you that I have used "simple personal observation" and every report I've read backs up my "simple personal observation" that tourism is up in various parts of northern Thailand. As I've said before, I don't know where you are but your info comes from a couple of bar and hotel owners in one specific location. This is the busiest "low season" I've ever seen with hotels full and waits to get into some restaurants.

But you're sure that the 10 days a year when bars are closed is the cause of the tourism decrease throughout Thailand. Good on you. i've made my point. Enjoy the beer.

[pattayadingo]

Though I've stayed in to watch the Olympic kayak, rowing and the cycling over those days, I've talked to friends who say one of the few places open 365 days a year was doing really well with all the other nearby bars closed. The boss of the bar was quite happy and smiling. I cannot blame her. Personally I do not see why so many workers should have enforced days off. Also I could have bought beer at any time from the local M&P shop but decided to give my system a rest before comes around again.

Free enterprise for all, I say, not just the bigwigs.

[maidu]

My take on all these bans wherever in the world they may be is simply that I think it is OK to say that on this or that day, people of a particular religion should not do particular things, but what the hell does it have to do with the rest of us?

If one has a belief that drinking alcohol is the devils work (or for whatever other reason), thats great...you are welcome to have that belief, but it is wrong to then force that belief on others...

........but of course the PC brigade would be horrified that we did not respect others beliefs by following what they demand....

You're a part of 'the PC brigade' if you think alcohol is perfectly alright, and all other recreational drugs, in any amounts, are criminal,

A totally ridiculous law that attempts to thrust some people's morality down everyone else"s throats.

.....could apply equally well to criminalizing everyone who takes a toke of ganja or has a little bag of hemp in their pocket.

[Bagwan]

My take on all these bans wherever in the world they may be is simply that I think it is OK to say that on this or that day, people of a particular religion should not do particular things, but what the hell does it have to do with the rest of us?

If one has a belief that drinking alcohol is the devils work (or for whatever other reason), thats great...you are welcome to have that belief, but it is wrong to then force that belief on others...

........but of course the PC brigade would be horrified that we did not respect others beliefs by following what they demand....

follow the laws of the land or leave, that's what i tell immigrants to my country

Did you tell Sikhs that when they refused to wear crash helmets? What about the Muslims who stopped the playing of Christmas carols in Birmingham markets about 12 years ago?