Government to implement zoning regulations around educational institutes

BANGKOK, 18 August 2015, (NNT) - The government is in the process of developing an outline of the zoning regulation that bans restaurants from offering alcohol in areas around educational institutes. The code is expected to produce results within six months.

Director of the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee MD Saman Futrakul has informed the media that the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) 22nd order of 2015 that prohibits the sale of alcohol within the vicinity of any educational institutes still has shortcomings in terms of exact areas that are affected by the regulation. However the order is organic and can be specified to better suit the context of an individual institute. The nature of the order also indirectly implies a lack of clarity and continuity of the regulation.

He said the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee would, for now, follow the code issued earlier by the national alcohol policy committee by imposing an alcoholic beverage sale ban within at least a 300 meter radius of an educational institute.

The National Council for Peace and Order is coordinating with related units to conduct inspections in affected areas near schools and universities nationwide. The NCPO is expecting tangible results within six months, saying it would request a weekly report from related agencies, in order to evaluate and adjust the regulation effectively. The council aims to establish the order as a national law.


-- NNT 2015-08-18

The order is "organic?" Organic? As in, how much money do you need to pay to get put on the organic list?

Director of the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee MD Saman Futrakul has informed the media that the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) 22nd order of 2015 that prohibits the sale of alcohol within the vicinity of any educational institutes still has shortcomings in terms of exact areas that are affected by the regulation. However the order is organic and can be specified to better suit the context of an individual institute. The nature of the order also indirectly implies a lack of clarity and continuity of the regulation.

Can anyone translate that?

Never mind. It probably means that there is lots of room for brown envelopes to set the standard of enforcement.

Director of the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee MD Saman Futrakul has informed the media that the National Council for Peace and Order's (NCPO) 22nd order of 2015 that prohibits the sale of alcohol within the vicinity of any educational institutes still has shortcomings in terms of exact areas that are affected by the regulation. However the order is organic and can be specified to better suit the context of an individual institute. The nature of the order also indirectly implies a lack of clarity and continuity of the regulation.

Can anyone translate that?

Never mind. It probably means that there is lots of room for brown envelopes to set the standard of enforcement.

Let me try.

Normally laws are passed by the Legislature and referred to as Orangic laws. But in this case the Junta is bypassing its appointed legislature and issuing an Order which has legal standing as an Organic law under Article 44 of the Junta's Interim Charter.

He said the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee would, for now, follow the code issued earlier by the national alcohol policy committee by imposing an alcoholic beverage sale ban within at least a 300 meter radius of an educational institute.

I've got a public grade school in my neighborhood with a popular farang-oriented restaurant-bar located directly opposite on the same soi. Thus far through all this political posturing, the restaurant-bar has continued its operation unchanged, including selling beer and such throughout the day.

So I'd kind of like to know, just what alcoholic beverage sale ban does this govt guy think is actually being enforced?

The order is "organic?" Organic? As in, how much money do you need to pay to get put on the organic list?

Yes.

"However the order is organic and can be specified to better suit the context of an individual institute."

People with good connections or who can pay good bribes will be able to arrange a context that suits their business. If they've got enough pull they will be able to see to it that their competitor's context is unsuitable for operation.

Welcome to the much vaunted reforms, Article 44 style.

"He said the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee would, for now, follow the code issued earlier by the national alcohol policy committee by imposing an alcoholic beverage sale ban within at least a 300 meter radius of an educational institute."

This could shut down a very large fraction of the bars and convenience stores in Thailand, especially in urban areas. However it is certain to be enforced in a selective manner, meaning the police and government officials will have another way to extort money from business owners.

"He said the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee would, for now, follow the code issued earlier by the national alcohol policy committee by imposing an alcoholic beverage sale ban within at least a 300 meter radius of an educational institute."

This could shut down a very large fraction of the bars and convenience stores in Thailand, especially in urban areas. However it is certain to be enforced in a selective manner, meaning the police and government officials will have another way to extort money from business owners.

"However it is certain to be enforced in a selective manner"

You mean that we really need to cleanup the police force and decimate the government bureaucrats involved? Good idea, I like reforms.

"He said the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee would, for now, follow the code issued earlier by the national alcohol policy committee by imposing an alcoholic beverage sale ban within at least a 300 meter radius of an educational institute."

This could shut down a very large fraction of the bars and convenience stores in Thailand, especially in urban areas. However it is certain to be enforced in a selective manner, meaning the police and government officials will have another way to extort money from business owners.

The inmates are running the lunatic asylum again.