2 Bars Closed Down Under Junta's Sweeping Booze Ban

[JAG]

This is complete nonsense, in Hua Hin "they" tried to ban Kitesurfing. It lasted 0 days. The lounges and massages on the beach were moved to one location, then to another, and soon everything will be back as usual. The only regulation left was a sensible "not more than 40 chairs per outfit"

These are rules made by overzealous sycophants to try to impress their boss.

It happens every time a new government is in power: the more you forbid, the easier for the cops to shake you down.

But its the boss who is sycophant ......

" Autosycophancy" !

Thailand is the hub of undiscovered syndromes!

[johncat1]

What about the local family shops that sell without a license ?...What will they lose apart from a fine ?

[MESmith]

What about the local family shops that sell without a license ?...What will they lose apart from a fine ?

Their middle fingers

[teko]

I guess that by now students have worked out that they can buy alcohol 301 metres from their place of learning.

Exactly........what a mindless law and those bar owners sitting outside the prohibited zone are rubbing their hands together.

[mattyc1957]

Does this apply to restaurants as well as bars?

[Dap]

What is happening in Thailand? Words are being turned into actions.

As much as I feel this is the wrong approach and that education to change attitudes towards drinking is the way to go this is certainly impressive.

Police officers transferred to inactive posts and bars actually being closed down.

Give it 6 months and we will see if the drive towards this policy continues.

Much the same as tuk tuk, taxi and jetski mafia "crack downs"

[tukkytuktuk]

Enforce wearing a motorcycle helmet when riding a motorcycle and you'll save thousands of lives each year. Bhudda doesn't drink and if he were about today he'd wear a helmet on his head as the head is precious and needs protecting when you fall off a motorcycle and impact the asphalt.

[chrisinth]

You have to wonder if their is going to be any relativity in this. Should a large entertainment area be forced to close because there is a small private school hundreds of meters away? If so, what sort of pressure is going to be applied to the school owners? Will schools be allowed to open in an area where much more business activity will be forced to cease trading?

As an expansion on that thought-line, will there in future be another amendment through section 44 that it will be illegal to open a school within 300 meters of an established licensed premises?

Fairs fair here, eh?...............................

[rubl]

You probably don't know how this all started. Well about here 2005-11-17 with a few periods per day able to sell alcohol, restrictions on locations, etc., etc. And time enough to prepare "Such policy will be effective from 1st January 2006 onwards."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/51117-midnight-ban-on-alcohol-now-in-effect/

I think there is a big difference between telling businesses they have to stop selling at midnight and telling businesses they have to close.

Click on the link and read a bit more.

I read the entire OP. I'm not going to read all 11 pages of posted comments. The pertinent parts were in the first few lines:

"All stores as well as venues serving drinks across the country have to stop selling alcohol at midnight, instead of 2am, effective as of yesterday, the Excise Department said.

The two daily periods when alcohol for personal consumption can be sold are 11am-2pm and 5pm-midnight, director-general Utid Tamwatin said. These hours do not apply to transactions in wholesale quantities.

The sale of liquor would also be banned starting next year at specified places including mini-marts at 10,000 gas stations nationwide, stores in school campuses and places of religious worship, he said.

The restrictions would go into effect on January 1 and stores in the listed locations would lose their licences when they expire on December 31."

Closing times at midnight. Alcohol sales in stores from 11 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to midnight. Liquor sales banned at gas stations, on school campuses, and places of religious worship, but these businesses were notified in November 2005 that they'd have to stop selling on January 1 2007, so they had time to prepare. The rest of your link dealt with cigarette placement and promotion in stores.

I don't agree with the nationwide midnight closing or restrictions on times of store sales, but the rest makes sense to me. I still maintain that Prayut's order is far worse. The 2005 restrictions were a nuisance for businesses, the 2015 order is a disaster.

"The restrictions would go into effect on January 1 and stores in the listed locations would lose their licences when they expire on December 31."

When restrictions go into effect on the 1st of January it doesn't really matter if the license to sell alcohol is lost on December 31 the day before or on December 31 at the end of the same year as that January 1 is in.

Anyway, very obviously the current government's order is worst since it not from a democratic government like the one which started all this in 2005, but by a junta appointed government. Never mind the government in 2012 came with

"The government has announced a ban on alcohol consumption on public buses.

The ban, issued under the 2008 Alcohol Consumption Control, went into effect yesterday. The order was signed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on July 23."

and

"The sale of alcohol in public places will be restricted under a Health Ministry draft regulation. Likely to take effect on Jan 1, 2013, it prohibits the sale of alcoholic drinks on footpaths, in public parks, and in public areas nationwide."

All nice, acceptable because a democratic elected government involved.

BTW "For proof, just ask any "thirsty" teen whether he would be put off by having to travel an extra few hundred metres for a drink."

PS a ban issuied under 2008 Alcohol Consumption Control would that 2008 have a PM Samak or a PM Somchai government.

[petedk]

Does this apply to restaurants as well as bars?

YES

BANGKOK: All sales of alcohol near schools nationwide, without exemption or exception, were banned yesterday under a vaguely worded order from the military government.

Supermarkets, shops 7/11... everyone

[The Deerhunter]

If they don't want alcohol being sold near schools and unis then fair enough but if you are going to make this law then u need give businesses fair warning and where possible time to relocate etc.

It's unreasonable and unfair to suddenly declare a law of this kind on a Thursday and then start arresting people for breaking the law just a day later.

Why not give a 3 or 6 month grace period for business owners to make the necessary changes in order to comply with the law then get tough on people for anyone in breach of the new requirements thereafter?

Yes, this is one hook in article 44 that probably none of us were expecting. A morality push that closes businesses overnight, without prior warning that were legal and compliant the day before. Surely the fishing regulations were the obvious guideline. Allow 6 months for businesses to comply, settle old leases, find new ones and move chattels & staff gracefully. Morality & haste always seem uncomfortable bedfellows. to coin a phrase. Give time before interfering with peoples livelihoods, landlords, bar owners & staff.

[jacky54]

There are Schools within the perimeter for banning near nana plaza and SC but they will not be touched, money talks, so the 'ban' is just more corrupt Thai BS

[Charlie Croker]

First of all, if that law will be enforced nationwide, how many people will lose their job? Estimate + 1.000.000

So, why don't strikt enforce the existing laws.

1. No sale on alcohol under age 20.

2. No sale of smokes under age of ....

3. No driving kids on motorbikes.

Just enforce the existing law. Before somebody get to upset an mister P. mind lose his life.

I can't dispute the seeming incongruity of this is issue.

However the country has to start somewhere. Right now littering laws are less than effective. Is it likely there will be this many TV protests when they eventually get around to tightening these up.

I fail to see where extending a ban to sell alcohol around schools to 300mtrs, leads to 1 million unemployed?

That's 1 in 67? What strange logic is that number based on?

Does it seem likely that 1/67 of the country are employed in positions dependant on alcohol sales within 300mtrs of schools?

Why not 10mill? Its just as valid a guess as 1 mill.

[Dap]

More absurdity on the part of the Thai government, not just this government but all of them, just like the alcohol purchasing laws, i.e. the 11-2 and 5-12 nonsense. One quick way to make yourself unpopular is to start telling imposing your morality on others; it is almost as though university students are being treated like children who need to be protected and have no rational ability to do so themselves!

99% do act like kids and have little rational ability, just like 99% of the rest of the population, especially the idiots running this place.

I think you're being a bit harsh on the stats

[dukebowling]

They should flip the script…shut down all the schools within 300 meters of a bar...

[kareona]

I did a quick calculation, all approximately mind you, and the premise that schools are distributed evenly.

There must be a thousand schools Bangkok. If alcohol can not be sold in a radius of 300 meter around a school, than alcohol can not be sold in an area of 40 square kilometers. That must be half of Khrungthep Mahanakhorn!

[DM07]

What is happening in Thailand? Words are being turned into actions.

As much as I feel this is the wrong approach and that education to change attitudes towards drinking is the way to go this is certainly impressive.

Police officers transferred to inactive posts and bars actually being closed down.

Give it 6 months and we will see if the drive towards this policy continues.

yes great! spreading your form of 'happiness' where people lose jobs, people cannot choose to drink and ad-hoc laws are made up as they go along

you don't think these people will go somewhere else and drink? who are they harming??? What is happening in Thailand? it is ruled by a Military Junta you fool

Personally I blame the government which started all this in 2005.

BTW the whole idea is that 'these' people go drink elsewhere, that is those people who are old enough to be able to legally drink alcohol in a public establishment. The "who are they harming" I'll ignore. You can find enough about that in your country of birth I'd say.

Of course you do!

And because that other government was the downfall of Thailand, the current "government" has to take their stupid rules and make them even more stupid!

Hooray, the glorious happyhappy PM!

[Dap]

This is really an erosion of peoples rights and if people want to study and drink they should be able to do this. but closing bars robs hard working people their income....Will the Government replace this with government money???? dont think so.

I may be wrong, but I think that a government or issuing government department can withdraw at any time a license to operate an establishment which sells alcohol. Of course, I assume all places closed were operating legally, pay staff officially, have a clear administration, etc., etc.

"If" there were only a supported "Rule of Law"

[brewsterbudgen]

There are Schools within the perimeter for banning near nana plaza and SC but they will not be touched, money talks, so the 'ban' is just more corrupt Thai BS

The law is aimed at stopping Thai students from drinking alcohol. I doubt it will have any effect on the farang orientated drinking areas, no matter where they are located.

[Larry001]

If they don't want alcohol being sold near schools and unis then fair enough but if you are going to make this law then u need give businesses fair warning and where possible time to relocate etc.

It's unreasonable and unfair to suddenly declare a law of this kind on a Thursday and then start arresting people for breaking the law just a day later.

Why not give a 3 or 6 month grace period for business owners to make the necessary changes in order to comply with the law then get tough on people for anyone in breach of the new requirements thereafter?

Very good question and answer. However, please remember it takes intelligence to come up with that thought / plan.

[rubl]

What is happening in Thailand? Words are being turned into actions.

As much as I feel this is the wrong approach and that education to change attitudes towards drinking is the way to go this is certainly impressive.

Police officers transferred to inactive posts and bars actually being closed down.

Give it 6 months and we will see if the drive towards this policy continues.

yes great! spreading your form of 'happiness' where people lose jobs, people cannot choose to drink and ad-hoc laws are made up as they go along

you don't think these people will go somewhere else and drink? who are they harming??? What is happening in Thailand? it is ruled by a Military Junta you fool

Personally I blame the government which started all this in 2005.

BTW the whole idea is that 'these' people go drink elsewhere, that is those people who are old enough to be able to legally drink alcohol in a public establishment. The "who are they harming" I'll ignore. You can find enough about that in your country of birth I'd say.

Of course you do!

And because that other government was the downfall of Thailand, the current "government" has to take their stupid rules and make them even more stupid!

Hooray, the glorious happyhappy PM!

The culmination of ten year Thai government policy. Only coincidence that we have an appointed government at the moment. The trend would almost force any government to continue to 'improve'.

Of course if you think that this appointed government should have put a halt to a trend supported by seven previous governments, all but one elected, just because you don't like this

[Neeranam]

I'd love to see the stats of which bars that are closed down are owned or operated by the police or red shirt supporters. Seen it all before when the police got into power but the other way around. Taksin's war on drugs etc Power Power Power is what it's all about - weaken your competitors so they can't topple you.

[little mary sunshine]

I am always amazed at how critical people can

Be when an attempt to help kids from drinking.

You would think anything that even "might" help

A kid from doing stupid things like drinking or

Other drugs would be applauded, It seems to

Me, the drunks that ran out on their families in

Their home countries, are still throwing their

Lives away with Booz are always the loudest

Critics of anything helpful....They must feel that

Misery loves company.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Perhaps this most ill thought out piece of legislation will last a week before being clarified.

Don't hold your breath... It's an article 44 law.. It will be enforced unfairly.

[rubl]

"2 Bars Closed Down Under Junta's Sweeping Booze Ban"

Did they get tired after such sweeping, or weren't there more bars ?

[Neeranam]

If alcohol were discovered today, it would be on the class A drugs list and banned. My life would also be completely different.

Alcohol is much safer than pure heroin and causes many more accidents and crime. Also much safer to come off a heroin addiction than an alcohol one. But lets say booze is socially acceptable as are prozac and valium but throw those smoking a joint in jail for 25 years - pathetic ignorance and double standards.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

So I just had a quick look at google maps and it seems that the British Club in Bangkok is about 100 meters away from something called Siam Commercial College

I wonder if this or any of the other membership based clubs are going to stop serving alcohol due to this new regulation ?

The Mandarin Oriental hotel is just a stones throw away from Assumption College, this too ?

As the law reads hotels and designated entertainment venues are exempt.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

In as far as the general has a mandate, surely this kind of policy making goes beyond it. Supposedly the ncpo are in power to facilitate a transition to competent civilian government, not to force through their own legislation unrelated to this goal.

Hate to be the one to inform you but elections have been cancelled indefinitely. This is what authoritarian rule looks like.

[arrowsdawdle]

Perhaps this most ill thought out piece of legislation will last a week before being clarified.

Thai logic Thainess suggests that the liquor lobby will convince 44yut to order the schools to relocate farther away.

[arrowsdawdle]

If alcohol were discovered today, it would be on the class A drugs list and banned. My life would also be completely different.

Alcohol is much safer than pure heroin and causes many more accidents and crime. Also much safer to come off a heroin addiction than an alcohol one. But lets say booze is socially acceptable as are prozac and valium but throw those smoking a joint in jail for 25 years - pathetic ignorance and double standards.

How oxymoronic that alcohol is much safer than heroin and causes more accidents and crime.