what's the reason for alcohol restriction hours at 7-11?

[PaulHamon]

this law was implemented under Thaskin's govt. if i remember well, it was meant to put people back to work...

I'm pretty sure it was done by the caretaker military government thing after Thaksin was kicked out.

[KhaoNiaw]

It's actually a law introduced by a military government in the 1970s, completely ignored and then revived by Thaksin's government. The current mushrooming of the Lawson 108 shops is welcome as they will sell alcohol any time of day or night.

[recycler]

It was meant to reduce alcohol consumption by people at work.

As many Thais are poor planners it works for a considerable amount of people, but than again most small shops sell anyway .... and we all know about enforcement of the law here it's a small thing.

[gmac]

The law was implemented by the Thai government "department for image amongst bitter expats".

Having read the numerous comments here on TVF from bitter expats ranting about the ability of Thai people to perform even the most rudimentary forward planning, the minister for "image amongst bitter expats" implemented the change to alcohol laws and a change to the law governing the use of security cameras.

Stores selling alcohol are now required to close sales at certain times of the day AND video the dumb expats who can't plan for the next time they need their daily alcohol fix.

I've heard they are building a case to present to the Thai people to show that there are expats too who simply can't plan forward.

For those few of us dumb expats who don't actually require a daily alcohol fix it just makes us bitter because we are being told we cannot shop at our usual afternoon time between 2 and 5 if we wish to include an occasional bottle of wine in our basket!

[PJcm]

The law was introduced to "discourage school kids from buying alcohol". It was panned as having being ill-thought-out from the beginning when bars, restaurants and smaller liquor wholesalers discovered they could not buy their stock [from Macro, larger wholesalers, etc.] at certain times. The law was then quickly amended to allow purchases of over 10 litres at any time.

The fact that the law was so badly thought-out and the fact that it clearly fails to achieve its goal led to press speculation. The reasons suggested for this law were

1. To quiet critics. At that time critics of the Thaksin regime were attacking it using the accusation it pandered to firms producing alcohol and was thus immoral under Buddhist teaching.

2. As a useful tool for extracting fines or bribes in lieu of fines for the police along the same lines of the short-lived law that prohibited petrol sales during some hours of the night

3. To pacify the groups of 'mom and pop stores' that were joining with nationalist groups to protest the expansion of foreign-owned retail stores, in particular, Tesco Lotus. The thinking being the larger stores would have to obey the law whilst the mom and pops could ignore it.

Personally, I suscribe to the opinion that it was just a very badly thought-out law that can arise when lawmaking becomes dictatorial rather than going through stages of discussion, trialling and stakeholder review.

Few people remember this but cigarettes were initially included in the ban and bar closings during those hours the first week until all was sorted.

[jinners]

noy

As I vaguely recall, it was implemented by Thaksin with several different excuses, but the real purpose was to punish Charoen, who owned the 7-11 franchises across Thailand, for leaving Thaksin's supporters and moving into either a neutral or opposing political stance.

Loads of excuses for a bad law, but it had personal motives behind it.

Mom and Pops don't have to follow it; big stores got caught up in the personal dispute; it was aimed at 7-11 which follows it rigidly to avoid the backwash from what could happen.

Whatever, annoy's the <deleted> out of me. Guarantee I go pick up a bottle of wine and can't buy the bast**d thing. Stupid law.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

None of the above.

This law was implemented so it can make Farangs like me start swearing and cursing.

How do I always manage to go to the supermarket during restriction hours?.....I don't know

you are going to the wrong places to buy gas

[BlueSkyCowboy]

noy

As I vaguely recall, it was implemented by Thaksin with several different excuses, but the real purpose was to punish Charoen, who owned the 7-11 franchises across Thailand, for leaving Thaksin's supporters and moving into either a neutral or opposing political stance.

Loads of excuses for a bad law, but it had personal motives behind it.

Mom and Pops don't have to follow it; big stores got caught up in the personal dispute; it was aimed at 7-11 which follows it rigidly to avoid the backwash from what could happen.

Whatever, annoy's the <deleted> out of me. Guarantee I go pick up a bottle of wine and can't buy the bast**d thing. Stupid law.

U should see some of the idiotic laws in the US

[geronimo]

There is no logic ti it!

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[BlueSkyCowboy]

The law was implemented by the Thai government "department for image amongst bitter expats".

Having read the numerous comments here on TVF from bitter expats ranting about the ability of Thai people to perform even the most rudimentary forward planning, the minister for "image amongst bitter expats" implemented the change to alcohol laws and a change to the law governing the use of security cameras.

Stores selling alcohol are now required to close sales at certain times of the day AND video the dumb expats who can't plan for the next time they need their daily alcohol fix.

I've heard they are building a case to present to the Thai people to show that there are expats too who simply can't plan forward.

For those few of us dumb expats who don't actually require a daily alcohol fix it just makes us bitter because we are being told we cannot shop at our usual afternoon time between 2 and 5 if we wish to include an occasional bottle of wine in our basket!

Some of the smart "alcoholics" buy a case at a time. So if a dumb ass forgets that it is election day , glory be, he can keep drinking.

[slipperylobster]

Because it's the law.

(Note purchase of more than 10 litres of alcoholic beverage is allowed at any time if the shop has a wholesale licence.)

Yes, but why do they only enforce this one law?

[Halion]

Well that didn't take long to descend into (yet another) Thaksin bash by the usual suspects, eh?

Do you chaps have TV configured so it sends you an SMS or email alert whenever the word Thaksin appears in a new post?

If you really want to occupy the moral high ground,then you are going to have to try and pick your battles with more thought and care. Only idiots and fools try to defend the indefensible . It was indeed during Thaksin's tenure that this nonsensical law was put in place, the logic of which if indeed there was any logic in it's conception will be lost in history. Not Thaksin bashing ,merely a statement of fact.

[BlueSkyCowboy]

Well, next time you are in a 7 11 during these hours, pop in to the next Family Mart, because they don't have this rule :-)

Who buys gas at a seven 11??? A dummkopf

Edited January 7, 2014 by BlueSkyCowboy

[Spoonman]

Well, next time you are in a 7 11 during these hours, pop in to the next Family Mart, because they don't have this rule :-)

Every family mart I have been in most certainly has this rule and is noted as such on the beer fridge with a sticker in both Thai and English.

I have never seen them enforce the rule though.

[RtotheC]

It's also enforced at BIg C and Tesco. I will never understood why it's enforced at the 711's on Kho San rd or Soi 11 though when you can just go out and buy them on the street at all hours of day and night.

[DrTuner]

It's there to bring additional business to the Mom&Pop shop next door. Government policy for supporting private entrepreneurship.

[pizzaman]

To impose restrictions on drugs and related, I think is because the government wants to appear _ magnificent regards the surrounding world. It introduces a lot of prohibitions and exclaims: LOOK HERE WHAT GOOD WE ARE IN THAILAND. WE ARE NOT permissive with ALCOHOL AND DRUGS: HOORAY FOR U.S.:

As I know the government has introduced:

1. Restrictions on the sale of alcohol.

2. Restrictions on the sale of tobacco. (display ban)

3. Prohibition to sell medicines containing codeine. Not even on medical advice.

Another thing is that the bans do not mean all that much ban. Eg can you buy alcohol in the smaller shops at any time. And what I can see on my 7-11 they are not so accuracy with closing the lid to cigarettes.

I also have a pharmacist who sells codeine tablets under the counter ...

Everything is just a show ...

If you think my text is weird, it has been translated from Swedish by Google ... hmmm

[Showbags]

It is a great and sensible law...should be more just like them in this great and sensible country.

[hellodolly]

Because it's the law.

(Note purchase of more than 10 litres of alcoholic beverage is allowed at any time if the shop has a wholesale licence.)

Yes indeed it is the law. No other reason for the sign.

The OP is new and if he really wants to know should consult a legal expert. It is more than likely the same as many law's the world over one that has out lived it's purpose but not been changed.

Police will enforce it because it offers some of them tea money.

[hellodolly]

The law was introduced during the Thaksin regime. Same for early closing hours for bars/night clubs.

I think the laws are progressive and have greatly reduced alcohol abuse. (roll eyes) Same for the innovative method of reducing traffic accidents by appeasing evil spirits- or maybe it was kicking them out

Alcohol abuse down, traffic accidents eliminated, why can't the dear readers here be a little more positive

well said satire at it's finest

On a serious side the Thaksin regime that introduced it also tried to trade chickens to Sweden for fighter planes.

[CMKiwi]

In Thailand, common sense isnt...

[prog]

It is to allow the motorbike taxis to get (somewhat) sober for the evening rush hour

[Gonki]

So that supermarkets could staff more cash registers at specific hours?

[Suradit69]

Because it's the law.

(Note purchase of more than 10 litres of alcoholic beverage is allowed at any time if the shop has a wholesale licence.)

no shyt sherlock just wanted to know the logic behind it.

Well then why did you reference only 7-Eleven? The law applies to all liquor sellers, not just 7-Eleven, although it is ignored by many sellers even if they do post the sign to inform customers.

As someone else said, it's meant to curb workers from extending the lunch time break to an afternoon of non-productive inebriation. It's probably not that effective, but then attempts to limit or prohibit liquor sales even in places like the US and UK were pretty much failures as well.

In Thailand, common sense isnt...

Yes, if only we could have a highly effective, sensible legislative body like in the US.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Suradit69

[DrTuner]

It is a great and sensible law...should be more just like them in this great and sensible country.

Ah but there are. Let me get you a real pearl from the Immigration Act:

Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following :

4. If the alien travels to any province and will stay there longer than twenty – four hours , such alien must notify the police official of the police station for that area within forty – eight hours from the time of arrival.

Sure, sure, all tourists do that ... not. It's packaged together with the wonderful 90 day reports. One is enforced, one not. If all laws of Thailand would be strictly enforced it would be quite a grim country.

[Alwyn]

It was explained to me at the start of the 'law' being implemented. If you recall it only applied to the big stores such as Tesco and Big C. You could still buy alcohol in 7-11. It was expleined to me that K Thaksin had implemented this law to help his franchise (apparently he owned over half the 7-11s at the time) People couldn't buy in Rasco etc so bought from 7-11 (pretty genius really) The nonsense about making it less available to the kids is obviously nonsense as the kids are in school at 11 in the morning, they might get out at lunch (when the booze could be bought) and back in school from 2 til 5 and could buy beer as soon as the schools were out by 5 again.

I'm not saying it's true as I was told this by another person, not by Thaksin. What a great idea though! Of course when he was gone the law included the 7-11s (the one that weren't contributing the tea money nyway!)

[Showbags]

It is a great and sensible law...should be more just like them in this great and sensible country.

Ah but there are. Let me get you a real pearl from the Immigration Act:

Section 37 : An alien having received a temporary entry permit into the Kingdom must comply with the following :

4. If the alien travels to any province and will stay there longer than twenty – four hours , such alien must notify the police official of the police station for that area within forty – eight hours from the time of arrival.

Sure, sure, all tourists do that ... not. It's packaged together with the wonderful 90 day reports. One is enforced, one not. If all laws of Thailand would be strictly enforced it would be quite a grim country.

I usually move on around the 68 hour mark, so should then be exempt from the rule as no longer in the province.

[starkey_rich]

Because it's the law.

(Note purchase of more than 10 litres of alcoholic beverage is allowed at any time if the shop has a wholesale licence.)

Don't you mean Because it is a totally stupid law.

I have a restaurant and sometimes I need to buy one bottle of spirits,not ten (you can buy beer from any mom and pop store No Problem) so I have wait until until 5.00

[phuketjock]

Because it's the law.

(Note purchase of more than 10 litres of alcoholic beverage is allowed at any time if the shop has a wholesale licence.)

Don't you mean Because it is a totally stupid law.

I have a restaurant and sometimes I need to buy one bottle of spirits,not ten (you can buy beer from any mom and pop store No Problem) so I have wait until until 5.00

If you run a restaurant and you 1.run out of a spirit and 2.don't know where you can get a bottle

at any time of the day or night then you are not very good at running a restaurant imho.

[tinom]

And the "after midnight ban"?

To make bitter expats even more bitter?