New Booze Laws May Be About To Get Interesting

[phrodan]

The cyclists murderer was tested at .067. I don't know why so many are falling for the sensationalism of this by the media. Maybe decimal places give you a lot of problems. .067 is not legally drunk in any State in the US.

You'd be hard pressed to say it's drunk anywhere, but it's over the legal limit in much of Australia if not all of it now (?) which means that it has been shown to impair driving.

I was with you until that last part....the arbitrary decisions made by a government are not necessarily based upon any type of data/evidence whatsoever.

I like to think that there is a little bit of science behind these decisions. Or is that hope (or blind faith)?

Years ago I worked for Chevrolet, and we had a vehicle that simulated driving impairment. A set of experiments were set up, and drivers reaction times were tested. They were tested again after one unit, two units, three units etc.

The drivers would go round an "obstacle course," of traffic cones etc - and the steering and brakes would be calibrated to their regular reaction time by the onboard computer, that also handed out the commands.

I'd be a liar if I could remember the chart - but I do remember the minimum simulator setting was to slow down reaction time by ten percent. Man, that caused carnage on the obstacle course as the full size vehicle would be set to react at regular reaction sometimes, then -10% at others.

My greatest memory of the experiment was when people hit the cones while under the influence, even just one unit - they laughed it off.

When they drove the car the next day with the -10% variable factor and hit cones, they went nuts. It was always the cars fault - until the saw the reaction data change from the day before - and the video. Then they were asked why it was funny the day before when their reaction time was slower under the influence, but now they were angry.

Almost all took the point - but I'll never forget one highly strung guy going ballistic. In his mind it was the car, you see, because in his mind he would never crash when drunk as he had been driving with a drink in him on and off for years - and had never crashed yet. This video is as close as I could find to what I'm talking about on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jex7Z0rCprQ

[ColdSingha]

I just seen a post from my favorite bar in CM (Roobar), that they had to remove all the booze bottles from the shelves behind the bar. Wonder if that is part of the new laws as well?

For the single expats, who are in Thailand, my advise is "RENT DON'T BUY". That goes for houses, women, everything. Whatever you do, don't get married in Thailand, because that can really limit your future options of moving to other Countries like for example Cambodia or Vietnam.

Booze are much cheaper in those countries and the laws much more relaxed than in the LOS.

Most of my single friends have moved on...first to Cambodia and now they all happily live in Vietnam.

Good luck, getting your Thai wife to move to Cambodia or Vietnam, 555. I could not drag mine there, if I wanted to.

Thailand keeps copying Western Countries, such as European Countries, Canada and the US. What they don't understand is, that most tourist come here, because Thailand is (or was) different from their home Country.

I think, they are starting to realise, that they don't have the monopoly on Asian tourism, so maybe they will smarten up. (Hopefully soon)

As for me, I want to live in a Country, where I can drink cheap, good booze, in peace, without being harassed by lobby groups such as MADD (Morons Against Drunk Drivers). I didn't come to Thailand to live in a cheap imitation of the West.

great advice for those who value cheap booze over family forming

you can always leave your wife if the price of chang gets too high kurt

[Konini]

As for me, I want to live in a Country, where I can drink cheap, good booze, in peace, without being harassed by lobby groups such as MADD (Morons Against Drunk Drivers). I didn't come to Thailand to live in a cheap imitation of the West.

I would not be ashamed to be a member of MADD (Morons Against Drunk Drivers).

[northernjohn]

A friend told me last night that Derm Derm, a popular student bar near CMU, has been told to close. Unlike some bars we could name, Derm Derm is not known for fights, drugs, or prostitutes, it's just a convenient place where university students and other young Thais of legal drinking age like to hang-out. I don't see how closing places like this make Chiang Mai a better city.

Are other parts of Thailand enforcing this vague proposal for a law? If not, why is it being enforced here?

I was under the impression that it was a nation wide ban. If not a set limit who would you suggest to make the choices.That would set off more unrest over the law.

[DiamondKing]

This is Chiang Mai being targeted in Pattaya everything was still going strong at 4am last night no sign of anything like what is happening in CM

[bangmai]

As for me, I want to live in a Country, where I can drink cheap, good booze, in peace, without being harassed by lobby groups such as MADD (Morons Against Drunk Drivers). I didn't come to Thailand to live in a cheap imitation of the West.

I would not be ashamed to be a member of MADD (Morons Against Drunk Drivers).

They have a bad reputation in the US, because they have never offered one penny in victims assistance, and are a thorn in the side of prosecutors, who would rather be prosecuting rapists and murderers than people, who had three drinks at a new years' eve party.

[heybruce]

A friend told me last night that Derm Derm, a popular student bar near CMU, has been told to close. Unlike some bars we could name, Derm Derm is not known for fights, drugs, or prostitutes, it's just a convenient place where university students and other young Thais of legal drinking age like to hang-out. I don't see how closing places like this make Chiang Mai a better city.

Are other parts of Thailand enforcing this vague proposal for a law? If not, why is it being enforced here?

I was under the impression that it was a nation wide ban. If not a set limit who would you suggest to make the choices.That would set off more unrest over the law.

I don't know what your point is. Some bar owners in Chiang Mai have been told the proposal for a 300 meter restriction (it's not the law yet) will be enforced starting tomorrow. From reading other posts in TV Forum I get the impression this is not the case in other parts of Thailand. The following post confirms this.

This is Chiang Mai being targeted in Pattaya everything was still going strong at 4am last night no sign of anything like what is happening in CM

[northernjohn]

This is Chiang Mai being targeted in Pattaya everything was still going strong at 4am last night no sign of anything like what is happening in CM

How are things in Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and other parts of the country? Pattia is not exactly the city to measure Thailand by.

Is there a chance that Chiang Mai is being held back because of it's history as a Shinawarta Red Shirt stronhold? I mean lets face it. More Thaiis are afffected by it than forigners. As I said earlier if it was to be a selective closure who would be doing the selecting?

,

[naboo]

Perhaps the people who are making money here are not the people who "should" be making money here. Perhaps the "lower than elite" have been too successful and the elite have lost their grip on the majority of the money in Chiang Mai. Perhaps there is a plan here to shut down the businesses that are too successful so that the people who "should" be making the money get the opportunity to set up stall. Chiang Mai has grown quickly, perhaps the "better" people missed the boat, so the boat is going to be sunk before the "preferred" boat sets sail.

I don't know. All I know is that a very successful business owner that I know was no fan of Thaksin but enjoyed the ability to build a business here without interference. Now things are difficult again.

[heybruce]

This is Chiang Mai being targeted in Pattaya everything was still going strong at 4am last night no sign of anything like what is happening in CM

How are things in Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and other parts of the country? Pattia is not exactly the city to measure Thailand by.

Is there a chance that Chiang Mai is being held back because of it's history as a Shinawarta Red Shirt stronhold? I mean lets face it. More Thaiis are afffected by it than forigners. As I said earlier if it was to be a selective closure who would be doing the selecting?

Does it matter who is doing the selecting? There is either consistent rule of law or arbitrary enforcement of law. Investors like consistent rule of law, and Thailand needs to reverse the outflow of investment. Arbitrary enforcement of law will ruin many livelihoods and drag Thailand from developing world to third world status. It appears the current leadership either doesn't understand consistent rule of law or likes the power of rule by decree and arbitrary enforcement..

[heybruce]

I heard from a friend, and from a post by mamborobert http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/849676-warning-issued-to-avoid-crowded-places-in-cm/, that there will be a meeting tomorrow with owner/managers affected by the 300 meter rule that isn't yet a law. I don't know if this meeting pertains just to the Loi Kroh and Moon Muang places or all places potentially affected. If it's all the places they better have the meeting at the convention center.

It's tempting to state that there should be more clarity after this meeting, but I won't be surprised if there is more obscurity instead.

[bangmai]

They have always shown a propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, behind those big smiles. This is taking it to a whole new level. Basically, it amounts to the seizure of businesses. The "THD" is closing in on it's January 2014 low. Then Aberdeen stepped in and bought billions worth of stock, but now the global economy is in way worse shape. With a lot of things being equal, where would you invest: Singapore or Thailand? or even Malaysia or Thailand?

[WinnieTheKhwai]

They have always shown a propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, behind those big smiles. This is taking it to a whole new level. Basically, it amounts to the seizure of businesses. The "THD" is closing in on it's January 2014 low. Then Aberdeen stepped in and bought billions worth of stock, but now the global economy is in way worse shape. With a lot of things being equal, where would you invest: Singapore or Thailand? or even Malaysia or Thailand?

Does it matter who is doing the selecting? There is either consistent rule of law or arbitrary enforcement of law. Investors like consistent rule of law, and Thailand needs to reverse the outflow of investment. Arbitrary enforcement of law will ruin many livelihoods and drag Thailand from developing world to third world status. It appears the current leadership either doesn't understand consistent rule of law or likes the power of rule by decree and arbitrary enforcement..

Right, they think that hiring a competent person to be finance minister will solve things.. It won't because they ARE the problem.

BTW, sign of the times: Most lower LK bars did not have any alcohol on display. Stuff of nightmares.

Smoke outside, drink outside.. Thank God they still have hookers.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

So, heard about the meeting today. Police had actually lost a bit of interest and wanted to discuss security, bombs, etc. But when challenged the end result is that nothing is going to change though they recommend not having liquor on display for a while..

I love this country.

[No1]

Smoke outside, drink outside.. Thank God they still have hookers.

Probably you can't make use of them in bar neither.

[Saan]

Some of soi 1 and 2 bars' lip service to the new rules/edicts/laws, whatever they are, is to remove ashtrays and make customers used empty cans to conceal their illicit smoking..

Problem solved, lets get on with life.

[heybruce]

So, heard about the meeting today. Police had actually lost a bit of interest and wanted to discuss security, bombs, etc. But when challenged the end result is that nothing is going to change though they recommend not having liquor on display for a while..

I love this country.

On the one hand it's encouraging that, for the time being, the police are more interested in protecting us from bombs than from bars. On the other hand, I recognize that the police have far more experience harassing bar owners than bombers, so I don't think we're any safer.