Overzealous enforcement of Thailand's alcohol purchase hours

[tonika]

IMO: This is an absurd and daft law created at some point as a knee jerk reaction to students getting drunk....

In the UK we had an equally absurd and daft law preventing the sale of Alcohol in a pub after 11pm - this law has now been abolished and licensing hours are subject to individual licence and licensee discretion.

Thinking that the staff enforcement is overzealous is perhaps little extreme, I'd suggest its simply poor timing keeping and nothing more too it. On many occasions staff have attempted to run through a bottle or cans of alcohol not realising the time.

This is not a negative or Machiavellian nature present in the staff, its simply absentmindedness at a frequency we as Westerners are not used to.

Richard, obviously you're not from Scotland. The law (courtesy of the SNP) there says you can only purchase alcohol in shops, supermarkets etc., from 10.00 am til 10.00 pm, 7 days a week. And in Pub's 11.00 am til 11.00 pm, Monday til Saturday. Sunday from 12.30 pm til 10.00 pm. Unless a special licence is granted by the Local Authority. They also stopped promotions by supermarkets, like 3 bottles of wine for £ 10.00 etc. What sane person would vote for this lot ?.

[josephbloggs]

It's Thailand's answer to stopping school kids buying alcohol when they are supposed to be at school. Of course there is no similar ban on tobacco sales for some reason.

What is grossly more aggravating is when you are half way through a meal and are told - sorry it's past 2pm and you are sitting there with your wife trying to enjoy a leisurely lunch and having consumed one drink already.

Then lots if things don't make much sense in Thailand so it's sort of par for the course really

Where are you eating this meal ?

7/11 - Tescos - Big C ?

All restaurants and bars sell alcohol between these times

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

No they don't - you are utterly wrong. In Bangkok at least I'd say the majority of restaurants don't serve you after 2pm. Some do, but many many don't. Of course small local restaurants tend to turn a blind eye. Even the House of Beers (Thonglor) - which is clearly a bar but could also come under the restaurant banner - has been told by the police they can't serve alcohol between 2pm and 5pm and they now don't. Which is shit if you want to have a nice leisurely Sunday afternoon beer as I used to enjoy.

[BillyBobThai]

Had a manager at a 7/11 upcountry out in the country, who knew me, sell me some SangSom and put the money in the till but did not ring it up. Must have rung it up later. From then on I when to a mom and pop market where they sell any time they are open.

[Torrens54]

I don't have any argument with the Law itself but I do have a problem with that kind of attitude from "Check-out Chicks."

Like at Rimping near the Airport. Been shopping there for years but of late, some of the Check-out staff have shown a decided lack of Training or respect for Customer purchases. Example: Cakes or Pies get chucked into the bottom of a bag and then they'll dump Bottled or Canned Produce on top. Even when you ASK Politely before they start filling the bags, they ignore your request. Just not as good as it used to be.

[chrisinth]

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This law really winds me up sometimes. I have lost count of the times I have had to leave a pack of larger behind the till in a certain supermarket, because its a few minutes past 2, or its some holiday I knew nothing about. The last time this happened was last week, it was 10.45pm and I had a crate of 24 cans, and they would not let me have them. I thought it would not be a problem as it was well before 2pm and a crate counted as wholesale.

You buy lager by the CRATE? WHOLESALE?

Maybe the exact timing of the purchase isn't your biggest problem.

It happens sometimes when people find out that lager isn't necessarily for breakfast alone..................

[Chuckles78]

Sounds like a honest mistake to me. The lady obviously was acting according to regulations. According to her watch she was 10min early. Can happen.

[DisparateDan]

Haven't read all the posts, so probably repeating, the mom and pop shops do not observe any restrictions, although I doubt if they have much of a wine selection

[cgphuket]

Maybe they did it because you speak like a self-important prat? Just a possible explanation...

[gomangosteen]

Haven't read all the posts, so probably repeating, the mom and pop shops do not observe any restrictions, although I doubt if they have much of a wine selection

The most recent Buddhist day with an alcohol sales ban the police visited every store in our town that sells alcohol, taped up an advisory sign on each one reminding of the alcohol ban and fines for both seller and purchaser.

And they were 'doing the rounds' during the day to check.

[Daffy D]

I get the to check out at about 13:45 and the checkout girl looks askance at me and snickers a little to her mate who is assisting with bagging my groceries and she says, "You'll have to wait until 17:00 to purchase alcohol." "Jing Jing", I exclaim. "Why is that pray tell, it's only 13:45?" Quickly glancing at her over-sized Garfield watch she say's hesitantly and I must say, somewhat , dissappointedly, "Oh, Kortod, yes, you still have 10 minutes" "Actually I have 15 minutes." I reply. To which she says nothing but does smile profusely.

She was hitting on you

A missed opportunity

[ivan96822]

Family Marts in the Sukhumvit area don't observe this ridiculousness...

[cockneyrebel]

It's Thailand's answer to stopping school kids buying alcohol when they are supposed to be at school. Of course there is no similar ban on tobacco sales for some reason.

What is grossly more aggravating is when you are half way through a meal and are told - sorry it's past 2pm and you are sitting there with your wife trying to enjoy a leisurely lunch and having consumed one drink already.

Then lots if things don't make much sense in Thailand so it's sort of par for the course really

Where are you eating this meal ?

7/11 - Tescos - Big C ?

All restaurants and bars sell alcohol between these times

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I could not get a drink when i ordered a meal in a restaurant at suvarnabhumi Airport

A few months back while waiting for a friend to arrive

[jacky54]

People here just don't seem to understand that it has NEVER been a law, it was merely a govt request. This is why nobody has EVER been prosecuted for selling at any time.

[Eddy B]

I remember about 5 yrs ago I was in the Lotus store shopping for the weekly groceries and just loaded up what I wanted not realising the time. I went to check out and then they noticed the case of beer I had and said I could not buy it because of the time. I simply thought "Bugger", in the next breath she said if I bought another case I can buy it, so of I shot and grabbed another one and they let me buy. I was a little confused but I guess if someone is buying bulk they let it go as businesses related and not personal. Plus also I often drive buy a liquor warehouse and they are always busy recieving and delivering alcohol all times of the day.

[Gonsalviz]

it's not an actual law, if it were Villa Market would not be selling all hours. Foodland used to but stopped. Had a similar thing the other day at max value cashier said it was five minutes to 11 and gave beer to the security man to put back on the shelf. I took it off him, she said 3 minutes, I went round and looked at the time on the till and it was 11!, idiots.

If it were a real law all shops would be required to abide by it but mom and pop shops never do. Where I live in Isan, there are no rules, even for holidays.

I was at a 7-11 on Soi Buakow and they sell 24-7.

[Gonsalviz]

It's Thailand's answer to stopping school kids buying alcohol when they are supposed to be at school. Of course there is no similar ban on tobacco sales for some reason.

What is grossly more aggravating is when you are half way through a meal and are told - sorry it's past 2pm and you are sitting there with your wife trying to enjoy a leisurely lunch and having consumed one drink already.

Then lots if things don't make much sense in Thailand so it's sort of par for the course really

Where are you eating this meal ?

7/11 - Tescos - Big C ?

All restaurants and bars sell alcohol between these times

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I could not get a drink when i ordered a meal in a restaurant at suvarnabhumi Airport

A few months back while waiting for a friend to arrive

Been refused on some holdays but never for timings. I think the last time wasthe Queen's Birthday.

[SanSaiExPat]

IMO: This is an absurd and daft law created at some point as a knee jerk reaction to students getting drunk....

In the UK we had an equally absurd and daft law preventing the sale of Alcohol in a pub after 11pm - this law has now been abolished and licensing hours are subject to individual licence and licensee discretion.

Thinking that the staff enforcement is overzealous is perhaps little extreme, I'd suggest its simply poor timing keeping and nothing more too it. On many occasions staff have attempted to run through a bottle or cans of alcohol not realising the time.

This is not a negative or Machiavellian nature present in the staff, its simply absentmindedness at a frequency we as Westerners are not used to.

Richard, obviously you're not from Scotland. The law (courtesy of the SNP) there says you can only purchase alcohol in shops, supermarkets etc., from 10.00 am til 10.00 pm, 7 days a week. And in Pub's 11.00 am til 11.00 pm, Monday til Saturday. Sunday from 12.30 pm til 10.00 pm. Unless a special licence is granted by the Local Authority. They also stopped promotions by supermarkets, like 3 bottles of wine for £ 10.00 etc. What sane person would vote for this lot ?.

Another Good reason for Scotland to vote for independence! "Go Braveheart!!!!!"

[jacky54]

Can't find it online but about 5 years ago Andrew Biggs did an article on this in the Sunday Bangkok Post. His piece was backed up by a Thai lawyer and it was about how these 'rules' were never actually passed as law but was merely a govt request. I have also been served booze in a 7/11 out of the normal time in Samut Prakan, like many other things in Thailand it's all rather ridiculous and badly thought out and the more shops that ignore it the better.

[Globeman]

you mean why do people follow the law? ya its odd...

His question is why people follow that particular law so zealously... as if it is a pleasure for them to deny alcohol sales to a customer.

And as far as your remark goes, yeah it is odd to see people following the law in Thailand.

[maoro2013]

No N47HAN

All restaurants do not sell alcohol beteeen these hours.

Try MK they certainly do not sell at these times.

[scorecard]

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It's Thailand's answer to stopping school kids buying alcohol when they are supposed to be at school. Of course there is no similar ban on tobacco sales for some reason.

What is grossly more aggravating is when you are half way through a meal and are told - sorry it's past 2pm and you are sitting there with your wife trying to enjoy a leisurely lunch and having consumed one drink already.

Then lots if things don't make much sense in Thailand so it's sort of par for the course really

Where are you eating this meal ?
7/11 - Tescos - Big C ?

All restaurants and bars sell alcohol between these times

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Actually no.

You can both situations:

1. - Some restaurants will sell at any hour as long as it's being consumed at the table and they believe this is according to the law.

2. - Other restaurants which are convinced that you cannot consume in the restaurant before 12 noon and after 2:00 pm and then not until 5:00pm.

In one big mall I visit regularly (in Bkk) there is a Japanese place (1. above), next door a Thai chain (2.) above, next door another Thai chain (1. above) and then a Korean (2. above).

[ikbenhet]

I have been told that the scanner at all 7/11s is set to not accept alcohol purchases outside the legal hours - not a matter of staff discretion at all - they are simply unable to sell it unless they took cash and rung up the amount after 5pm, and that won't happen - loss of job.

Is a little forward planning so difficult, these laws have been in place for how many years now?

Standard procedure here on Koh Samui. Most 7-11's have a book on the counter where they write in all alcohol purchases during the prohibited hours.

After 17:00 they key them all in.

Most Family Markets i have visited have no problem selling alcohol during the prohibited hours. The only exceptions are Buddha days and the King's birthday.

Then they are real strict in the FM.

[mango66]

the law !

it would be black on white on the receipt, if they sell alc

at vorbidden time !

very simple !

[jmccarty]

The purchasing hours law did bother me to some extent until I decided it was better to stockpile beer, wine and several bottles that I don't drink but to have it on hand for guests. Now I have many many times more alcohol in my house than I ever need. One way around the silly law!

[positiveaction]

as some have said it's not the law and whether it is or isn't, it is another typical knee jerk reaction with no proper thought process - sxxxxxp in phuket - all of the m that i know sell any time and some buddha days.

Recently it was reported that on the Queen's birthday(on which it is NOT prohibited to sell alcohol) the police went around all the bars telling them they should shut or get a big fine...(tip) so all Soi Bangla was shut and everywhere else. It turned out the local police chief just thought it would be a good idea so decided to do the above....

[John1thru10]

It's always amazing here, the way people will freak out about any infraction of any rule when it doesn't apply to themselves, and then 'hate' Thailand the moment they find themselves inconvenienced.

[sprq]

It's Thailand's answer to stopping school kids buying alcohol when they are supposed to be at school. Of course there is no similar ban on tobacco sales for some reason.

What is grossly more aggravating is when you are half way through a meal and are told - sorry it's past 2pm and you are sitting there with your wife trying to enjoy a leisurely lunch and having consumed one drink already.

Then lots if things don't make much sense in Thailand so it's sort of par for the course really

you have been refused at a restaurant?? o . O

Often and at many - just last week at Fuji and many times before. The local restaurants don't seem to care so much but even those not exclusively

Yes, Fuji enforces this law everywhere. More fool them.

[vitp4145]

I have often wondered about this one myself. As a prudent fellow, I would ask:

"Where can I get a list of Budhha Days, Royal Birthdays and any other day where alcohol might not be for sale to cover 2014/15?"

Then I can make sure I do a double run the day before.

[wwest5829]

Hope I did not miss this point by reading the entries too quickly. I had been caught between proper times but now, I found the way around the time restraints. I know it will not help many but.... If you purchase 10 liters or more, you are allowed to purchase. Yeah, I know, but it works for me. I just stock up.

[macca46]

It is really a pity that the Ma & Pa shops have not got into the act and started selling wine and spirits the do not care what day or time it is and they would probably sell it a more favorable price better for us all 555+