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This would close a lot of bars in central Pattaya ....


MrWorldwide

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Most will know where I got this, and most of the regulars are familiar with the raid that he refers to - the interesting part is the assertion re 'No alcohol between 2pm and 5pm' They have a padlocked chain on the fridge in the Family Mart near Nana Hotel in BKK, but all I've seen in Pattaya convenience stores is a few signs which seem to be ignored. I'm guessing that too much tea money changes hands for this to be enforced in Pattaya, but quite a few bars here seem to do much better during the day than they do at night - telling your customers that the best they can hope for is a coke from 2 till 5 would see most of them heading for the door. I rarely drink before sundown, but its good to know that you have the option of having a beer with a late lunch. I can only assume that you have the option of paying for different hours when you apply for a liquor license and our friend didnt bother getting the appropriate license.

Hopefully this was simply a case of the authorities (I seem to recall the Army were also involved in the recent raids) making an example of this bar owner rather than something they would be silly enough to enforce in a town struggling through a particularly tough high season. Its not hard to find bars which have been completely abandoned - contrary to what some might believe, it's not an improvement when the staff leave an open air bar to the elements and rats the size of cats.

The cops must have really wanted to make a point at M Club because in what was a first - I have NEVER heard of this happening before - the owner, who was held in police custody for more than 24 hours, was also given grief over the sale of alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM. It was my understanding that the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM only applied to retail outlets like supermarkets and convenience stores. The licensing authorities say otherwise. If the sale of alcohol really is not allowed for 3 hours each afternoon it could cause mayhem for bars open at that time.

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the interesting part is the assertion re 'No alcohol between 2pm and 5pm' // but all I've seen in Pattaya convenience stores is a few signs which seem to be ignored. I'm guessing that too much tea money changes hands for this to be enforced in Pattaya

What are you talking about?? Delirium? wink.png

Most of these places, like 7/11 or Family Mart, have this hour range register in their system and the machine just refuses an alcohol drink in the wrong period. I already saw the staff saying to some customer that he would have to wait X minutes to buy his beers... wink.png . Same things happen in bigger shops (Tops, Lotus, BigC ...) . This law certainly is *not* ignored.

It was my understanding that the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM only applied to retail outlets like supermarkets and convenience stores.

Here you are right. Bars are not concerned, but the problem for many of them is that their license authorises alcohol sell from 6pm only and that they open earlier in the afternoon...

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the interesting part is the assertion re 'No alcohol between 2pm and 5pm' // but all I've seen in Pattaya convenience stores is a few signs which seem to be ignored. I'm guessing that too much tea money changes hands for this to be enforced in Pattaya

What are you talking about?? Delirium? wink.png

Most of these places, like 7/11 or Family Mart, have this hour range register in their system and the machine just refuses an alcohol drink in the wrong period. I already saw the staff saying to some customer that he would have to wait X minutes to buy his beers... wink.png . Same things happen in bigger shops (Tops, Lotus, BigC ...) . This law certainly is *not* ignored.

It was my understanding that the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM only applied to retail outlets like supermarkets and convenience stores.

Here you are right. Bars are not concerned, but the problem for many of them is that their license authorises alcohol sell from 6pm only and that they open earlier in the afternoon...

OK - i'm not an authority on the convenience stores but I'm sure I've seen people buying alcohol from the Big C on Klang in the afternoons. Personally, they could ban it from 10am till 8pm in convenience stores and it wouldnt bother me - I rarely drink at home - but I just dont see how anyone could be expected to run a restaurant in this town with that crazy restriction in place. Do they have to renew their licenses every year ?

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the interesting part is the assertion re 'No alcohol between 2pm and 5pm' // but all I've seen in Pattaya convenience stores is a few signs which seem to be ignored. I'm guessing that too much tea money changes hands for this to be enforced in Pattaya

What are you talking about?? Delirium? wink.png

Most of these places, like 7/11 or Family Mart, have this hour range register in their system and the machine just refuses an alcohol drink in the wrong period. I already saw the staff saying to some customer that he would have to wait X minutes to buy his beers... wink.png . Same things happen in bigger shops (Tops, Lotus, BigC ...) . This law certainly is *not* ignored.

It was my understanding that the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM only applied to retail outlets like supermarkets and convenience stores.

Here you are right. Bars are not concerned, but the problem for many of them is that their license authorises alcohol sell from 6pm only and that they open earlier in the afternoon...

OK - i'm not an authority on the convenience stores but I'm sure I've seen people buying alcohol from the Big C on Klang in the afternoons. Personally, they could ban it from 10am till 8pm in convenience stores and it wouldnt bother me - I rarely drink at home - but I just dont see how anyone could be expected to run a restaurant in this town with that crazy restriction in place. Do they have to renew their licenses every year ?

I was at the Big C mentioned 2 days ago and witnessed customers trying to buy liquor but were refused. The clerk simply set those items to one side and rang up the other items. The big retailers play by the rules but I am sure a few mom and pop shops bend the rules. In America, both the retailer AND the sales clerk would be subject to fines.

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I am usually in town around 07.30 and that's the time I went to buy beer. The car park was already pretty full. Since this regulation was enforced I would say that the car park is 60 % emptier than before. 50 metres further on there is a small store that sells Chang beer for the same price. Now THERE, it is very difficult to find a parking space. So instead of buying to boxes of beer at a time I now but 10 boxes, which probably doesn't do anything to reduce my consuption.

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i am assure you this is happening in pattaya . i was speaking with a canadian bar owner in pattaya city police station two weeks ago that had just been arrested for selling alcohol

in his bar between 2pm and 5pm . he was wearing handcuffs at the time so it was being taken seriously . he was trying to get released on bail.

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the interesting part is the assertion re 'No alcohol between 2pm and 5pm' // but all I've seen in Pattaya convenience stores is a few signs which seem to be ignored. I'm guessing that too much tea money changes hands for this to be enforced in Pattaya

What are you talking about?? Delirium? wink.png

Most of these places, like 7/11 or Family Mart, have this hour range register in their system and the machine just refuses an alcohol drink in the wrong period. I already saw the staff saying to some customer that he would have to wait X minutes to buy his beers... wink.png . Same things happen in bigger shops (Tops, Lotus, BigC ...) . This law certainly is *not* ignored.

It was my understanding that the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol between 2 PM and 5 PM only applied to retail outlets like supermarkets and convenience stores.

Here you are right. Bars are not concerned, but the problem for many of them is that their license authorises alcohol sell from 6pm only and that they open earlier in the afternoon...

OK - i'm not an authority on the convenience stores but I'm sure I've seen people buying alcohol from the Big C on Klang in the afternoons.

I confirm this as i saw it too. Also at Foodland and many convenience stores.

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OK - i'm not an authority on the convenience stores but I'm sure I've seen people buying alcohol from the Big C on Klang in the afternoons.

Don't know the exact words of the law, but I think only retail sell is forbidden in these afternoon hours.

It is still possible to buy alcohol (even in 7/11 or BigC) if in quantity enough (in bulk).

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OK - i'm not an authority on the convenience stores but I'm sure I've seen people buying alcohol from the Big C on Klang in the afternoons.

Don't know the exact words of the law, but I think only retail sell is forbidden in these afternoon hours.

It is still possible to buy alcohol (even in 7/11 or BigC) if in quantity enough (in bulk).

Thanks - that was the blogger's assumption too and as he indicated he was very surprised that the bar owner was nailed for something which anyone walking down Suk Soi 4 (the main focus of his lens over the last two decades) in the afternoon would assume doesnt apply to bars and restaurants. I didnt know about the bulk ruling in supermarkets, but for me its not something I'm willing to lug back from Big C. If I do become that keen on alcohol I'll just move to Cambo and be done with it :D

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Wine Connection are now locked during those hours & Villa won't sell you booze either.

There are no loopholes for the responsibly run businesses.

I understand the law was first introduced to stop students buying booze straight after school but that's now stopped me buying a cheeky pinot for dinner later in the evening.

I always thought this was the reason until speaking to an official from Excise dept. The law was introduced through the Ministry of Health on concerns of alcoholism. Similar to to UK hours 20 years ago. no schools at weekends but the 2-5 is still applicable

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I have been in Thailand since mid January 2014 and the 2 to 5 rule has been in effect since the day I stepped off the plane ... so I am bit confused by the posts here... I have noticed that side Soi Thai 'Mom and Pop' shops have ignored the law for the most part -- but for 15 months going now the big players Big C., Tesco, 7-11 and the like have been enforcing this rule for - again - 15 months already.... So - What are you guys talking about? ... Has the entire area of Pattaya and other resort areas been ignoring the law and now it has been reinforced by the Government?

I am talking about retail stores and big wholesale outfits such as Makro... not sure what Bars have been doing...

Quite frankly - reading these post makes me feel like I am in a time warp as 15 months of experience tells me this is not news for retail stores.

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OK - i'm not an authority on the convenience stores but I'm sure I've seen people buying alcohol from the Big C on Klang in the afternoons.

Don't know the exact words of the law, but I think only retail sell is forbidden in these afternoon hours.

It is still possible to buy alcohol (even in 7/11 or BigC) if in quantity enough (in bulk).

To me it seems that this simple "buy in bulk" is now over (from studying signs at Makro).

In the past buying more than 10 liters, was enough for one to be assumed as beeing a "reseller" (kind of a legal loophole).

This seems to be over.

Now one has to show his alcohol selling license (Thai shop owners, bar operators) to buy "off hours".

Last week at our Makro: small queue waiting for the clock to move to 5 pm.

At my mom&pop: no prob whistling.gif

Signs: at Lotus there are signs with a long text in Thai (I did not try to read) and very short in English (... 11h to 14h and 17h to 24h).

Guess the Thai text tells more detail (for resellers).

Edited by KhunBENQ
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I have been in Thailand since mid January 2014 and the 2 to 5 rule has been in effect since the day I stepped off the plane ... so I am bit confused by the posts here... I have noticed that side Soi Thai 'Mom and Pop' shops have ignored the law for the most part -- but for 15 months going now the big players Big C., Tesco, 7-11 and the like have been enforcing this rule for - again - 15 months already.... So - What are you guys talking about? ... Has the entire area of Pattaya and other resort areas been ignoring the law and now it has been reinforced by the Government?

I am talking about retail stores and big wholesale outfits such as Makro... not sure what Bars have been doing...

Quite frankly - reading these post makes me feel like I am in a time warp as 15 months of experience tells me this is not news for retail stores.

Ok - breathe - I admitted earlier that I got it wrong re my 7-11 and Big C : simply seeing Farang with alcohol doesnt mean they were successful in purchasing it. My mistake, and I apologise to those who do obey the law here. We did get sidetracked for a while, but let's focus for a moment.

The focus of this thread was always supposed to be the bars - let me elucidate:

- if you go down to Maxx Central / M Club, the bar gentlemen's club mentioned in my OP is a stone's throw from several Thai karaoke joints out on Third Road which operate with impunity from dusk till dawn and beyond. Absolutely no attempt to turn down the PA at any stage of the night, Thais out on the footpath drinking - it's clear they have no fear of being visited by the local police

- if you go to Buakhow next Visaya Bucha Day, I'm guessing you'll see many of the same Farang I saw seated there the last time every other bar in Pattaya closed for one of the holiest days on the Buddhist calendar - the bars might be dark, but they serve alcohol. Again, no fear of being visited by the people who are supposed to enforce the law. When I mentioned this to a Thai bar owner on Made in Thailand the following night, her response was simply 'They have to pay big money to Police' : right from the horse's mouth.

For both of the above to operate so blatantly outside the law, I'm guessing that any crackdown ordered by the junta and enforced by the BiB is going to be, at best, a PR exercise. Again, nothing new here - its just a discussion around the fact that whatever the General's intentions, he will always be up against it when he has to work with a culture this heavily invested in corrupt practices. There was a news item here a month or so back where the new chief of Pattaya Police urged his men to stop taking money - it was met with derision by many here and a few who felt we were being cynical old buggers : I would put it to those folk that they are well-meaning but naive. Life goes on, and I expect that this blip on the radar will mean nothing to anyone operating a bar or restaurant legally - or whatever passes for legally - at least on this side of Sukhumvit. Closing bars for (possible) licensing infringements would mean shooting themselves in the foot - I just dont see it happening but I guess time will tell.

I'm off to Pussy Bar in 20 minutes - see you there.

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Sadly M Club was raided again today and 20 foreigners were hauled to soi 9 for photographing and visa checks.

Thanks for the heads up on this - I've usually got my passport with me but I'll make sure I have it tonight. Slim chance of being asked for it, but I'm guessing most of the 20 you mention felt the same way.

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I have been in Thailand since mid January 2014 and the 2 to 5 rule has been in effect since the day I stepped off the plane ... so I am bit confused by the posts here... I have noticed that side Soi Thai 'Mom and Pop' shops have ignored the law for the most part -- but for 15 months going now the big players Big C., Tesco, 7-11 and the like have been enforcing this rule for - again - 15 months already.... So - What are you guys talking about? ... Has the entire area of Pattaya and other resort areas been ignoring the law and now it has been reinforced by the Government?

I am talking about retail stores and big wholesale outfits such as Makro... not sure what Bars have been doing...

Quite frankly - reading these post makes me feel like I am in a time warp as 15 months of experience tells me this is not news for retail stores.

You are correct for all the main retail outlets - and it has been a lot longer than 15 months. I am (and have been) often in BIG C Extra in the afternoon and looking to see if they have any wine offers on and regularly see people being pointed to relevant times or simply told before the signs went up - often the lighting is dimmed or off as well. The wholesale exclusion was fairly recently changed and there were some posts about that and as khunBENQ says you need to show a licence to now to get that concession.

The issue has always been with bar licencing and most people just "assumed" that they "must" be ok and nobody ever posted definitively. It would be useful to have a bar owners take on it - one who understands the small print of the licencing laws.....thumbsup.gif

Edit - just seen OPs recent posts.

Edited by topt
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Sadly M Club was raided again today and 20 foreigners were hauled to soi 9 for photographing and visa checks.

The big question: will we have any official report this time ?

A bit curious that absolutely no media talked about the previous raid

when you see that a few days later another club (Club 4) got several newspaper articles + TV ...

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Sadly M Club was raided again today and 20 foreigners were hauled to soi 9 for photographing and visa checks.

The big question: will we have any official report this time ?

A bit curious that absolutely no media talked about the previous raid

when you see that a few days later another club (Club 4) got several newspaper articles + TV ...

If you carry your ID, you are fine but you still get a free ride down to the station. It sucks for people who are just innocently enjoying an afternoon cold drink or having a swim in the pool.

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yes it was those despicable alcoholic farang who were the problem, that is why the junta stepped in and overthrew the elected government. now all those despicable farang are paying the price. good to see. should be more of it.

oh and those laos bar girls too, they were the ones doing the bombing and killing of the children. glad they put a stop to those terrorists crossing the border. there is also convincing evidence that they were also involved in spreading radical islam in the south. despicable.

Edited by koo wallety tourist
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Wine Connection are now locked during those hours & Villa won't sell you booze either.

There are no loopholes for the responsibly run businesses.

I understand the law was first introduced to stop students buying booze straight after school but that's now stopped me buying a cheeky pinot for dinner later in the evening.

I always thought this was the reason until speaking to an official from Excise dept. The law was introduced through the Ministry of Health on concerns of alcoholism. Similar to to UK hours 20 years ago. no schools at weekends but the 2-5 is still applicable

I thought that was a hangover from munitions workers and the war, some 70 years ago.

An afternoon cold beer by the sea, in a tourist area, at 35+ DegC should be available, but it need not come from a 7-11.

That wouldn't make anyone an alcoholic, just hot and thirsty.

Edited by jacko45k
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