No Alcohol on Election Day - Sellers WILL be Prosecuted

[trainman34014]

Just picked up a case at my usual Mom&Pop shop and asked them if they knew about the ban ? All they said was ''If you want more beer that day just come here as usual ''. Just another 'law' that will never be upheld, welcome to Thailand...Land of Lawbreakers.

[onthedarkside]

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[Chicog]

Oops sorry I forgot about that.

Right, ahem.

If you were to google "examining alcohol oddities legal" it might point you at an explanatory article on a large national daily....

:innocentwhistle:

[narkeddiver]

I know in the past me and the missus have circumvented this by going to a restaurant and bringing along our own drinks - are there any bars showing the footie on Saturday where me and my mate can do the same?

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[muchogra]

The law seems to imply that many Thai do not have self-control. They need to be told what to do, just like some need to be told who to vote for in an election. If drunk, they may defy order!

[heybruce]

So on election weekend I can either not drink, or stock up in advance, or plan a party with friends, or wander down the sois and find a small place that ignores the ban. There are probably a few other options; I think I'll manage to muddle through.

Seems like the ban is more of a pain for the bars than for the drinkers.

[muchogra]

The ban should exempt foreigners, but we all know it's wishful thinking. It's too complicated a concept and who cares anyway.

This reminds me a few years back in Bangkok when I was invited to my foreign friend's birthday party at the seafood market. My foreign friend brought along their 45 proof white liquor but their Thai friends drank only whiskey. My foreign friend ordered a JW Black for them, but was told alcohol was prohibited due to that date being a religious or an election day. My foreign friend said we were foreigners and not included. He asked his Thai friend, a police sarawat and a political canvasser - me being the translator. They nodded. My friend gave his Thai friend a thousand baht bill to his Thai friend. He then asked a motorcyle taxi to buy a bottle of JW Black.

I was relieved and not feeling too embarassed only because we were in a private room!

Edited October 29, 2013 by muchogra

[PJcm]

Gentlemen

Go to the bars,pubs,restaurants in Sansai, Maejo, Doi Saket and Sankhampang maybe just maybe you'll discover another world.

[millwall_fan]

I know in the past me and the missus have circumvented this by going to a restaurant and bringing along our own drinks - are there any bars showing the footie on Saturday where me and my mate can do the same?

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If you took the receipts for the alcohol, your own glasses and bottle openers, you technically might be legal, (the law states that it it illegal to sell or serve alcohol) and you are outside town you might get away with it, but in a country where - to all intents and purposes, the police ARE the law. I doubt that any bar in town would get away with that - unless of course they are making the appropriate contributions........

The law seems to imply that many Thai do not have self-control. They need to be told what to do, just like some need to be told who to vote for in an election. If drunk, they may defy order!

The law was brought in because the political parties were taking voters out to restaurants for all night free alcohol-fuelled parties on the night before elections and then helpfully laying on transport home in the morning via the polling station where they would be 'helped' to vote the right way. The fact that Thai politics has moved on a very long way from those days and most voters now vote out of strongly held convictions as in any other country, means that the ban now has as much to do with the governments puritanical and futile anti alcohol campaign as any democratic necessity.

[muchogra]

I know in the past me and the missus have circumvented this by going to a restaurant and bringing along our own drinks - are there any bars showing the footie on Saturday where me and my mate can do the same?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you took the receipts for the alcohol, your own glasses and bottle openers, you technically might be legal, (the law states that it it illegal to sell or serve alcohol) and you are outside town you might get away with it, but in a country where - to all intents and purposes, the police ARE the law. I doubt that any bar in town would get away with that - unless of course they are making the appropriate contributions........

The law seems to imply that many Thai do not have self-control. They need to be told what to do, just like some need to be told who to vote for in an election. If drunk, they may defy order!

The law was brought in because the political parties were taking voters out to restaurants for all night free alcohol-fuelled parties on the night before elections and then helpfully laying on transport home in the morning via the polling station where they would be 'helped' to vote the right way. The fact that Thai politics has moved on a very long way from those days and most voters now vote out of strongly held convictions as in any other country, means that the ban now has as much to do with the governments puritanical and futile anti alcohol campaign as any democratic necessity.

I hope you recognize that my post is more satirical in nature than anything which you might have interpreted. As for "STRONGLY HELD CONVICTION", I doubt it except perhaps the Bangkokians, among the middle-class. As to your comment "same AS IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY", if you mean all countries, you must be kidding me!

As for "DEMOCRACY NECESSITY", there are many democracy necessity to consider and enforce than just pronouncing to ban alcohol - such petty stuff! Oh, forgot to say, they should exempt the foreigners, for they can't vote. Also, foreigners can only buy properties using the names of their Thai wives who may or may not go to vote. Why can't Thailand let foreigners buy properties just like ANY OTHER COUNTRY (here, I use your words, though it doesn't sound quite right to me).

[arunsakda]

Just went to 7 at 14:45 thinking I had time to

Stock up on "soda". Already shut, told to come back at 5pm.

So only selling from 5 to 6 PM today? Weird.

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[arunsakda]

I meant 13:45. Sorry

[khwaibah]

Just went to 7 at 14:45 thinking I had time to

Stock up on "soda". Already shut, told to come back at 5pm.

So only selling from 5 to 6 PM today? Weird.

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Not really the law says 11 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 12 am . All 7-11's nation wide adhere to it, including Big C, Tesco, Makro, Tops, Rimping, etc etc etc...

Edited November 2, 2013 by khwaibah

[Bpuumike]

what's the actual practical implication of the election booze ban? bars not serving from 6pm saturday until midnight sunday?

What used to happen is candidates would invite the voters to a free piss up then march them down to vote.

Now they just slip them a few quid or a frying pan, mop or something.

In my village it was Thb500 the day before and a new offer of Thb1000 on election morning.

They were lapping it up.

[dave2]

so who won the election ?

anybody know ?

dave2

[noikrit]

The law seems to imply that many Thai do not have self-control. They need to be told what to do, just like some need to be told who to vote for in an election. If drunk, they may defy order!

SPOT ON !!