Confirmed: Alcohol ban near Thai schools, universities starts TODAY

[wabothai]

At 200m they buy 1 beer.

At 305m they buy 2 beers, one for the road.

[Kasset Tak]

We have a restaurant renting the space in the end of the college where I teach, I guess that they have to close now as they are operating on the college ground...

[outsider]

Tawandaeng German Brewery, on the corner of Narathiwas and Rama 3 roads, is located IMMEDIATELY next to a school, if I'm not mistaken. Let's see them close THAT one. Then there's the Tesco a stone's throw away. And 7-11 opposite the school. Might as well just completely shut down alcohol sales in Thailand. What brainless nitwits are running this country.

[Borzandy]

OK, I'll check today in Hua Hin, as most of the bars are located close to the school.

[wombat]

it will be interesting to see what happens to bars on second road Pattaya that are opposite the school.

[brewsterbudgen]

I would imagine the only places likely to be affected are those popular with students. I seriously doubt it will be applied to tourist places.

[ronrat]

BEST NEWS THIS YEAR !

Congratulations to a Responsible, sane Government for introducing this law to rid us of the drunken oafs who have no idea of self control.

May the drunken louts and those idiots who support them, use this opportunity to sober-up...they may live longer and at the same time cause less carnage on our roads.

Apparently those who drink only buy near schools.

[Baerboxer]

A bad law is worse than no law at all and this one's a disgrace leaving ' near ' not defined and interpretation in the hands of people who don't enjoy the public's trust.

I can imagine the BIB will be very busy visiting various establishments to advise they've been deemed ' near ' a school / university and now then what we do next ?

Let the financial games begin.

Just another vague law left to interpretation and judgement when and when not to apply by individual officers.

All who pay or have the right connections won't be inconvenienced.

A ThB 7 million "reward" is peanuts compared to this "interesting" law. Let the games begin indeed!

[klauskunkel]

It's not their fault, they are unaware how funny they are. Having experienced the same comedy from previous governments, I must now conclude that it is a involuntary reflex from the burden of governing the country. It's not by design, it just happens, albeit a lot, here...

Again, don't blame, they are, mmmh, 'special people' with 'special needs' who are coping as best they can in their imaginary world.

[NCC1701A]

I was going to buy a condo and start a business in Thailand, and employ some Thais. But I will not be doing that now. Too many unknowns.

Also something wrong with the internet. Not sure what.

[a99az]

Wow! talk about stupid. It would be easier to think of schools that are not near to a place that sells booze. But again that depends on what you would term near. So restaurants, hotels, 7/11's, wholesale outlets, Macro, and a host of other companies including your favourite watering holes are going to be under scrutiny and subject to closure or at the very least will be as some have said open to being pressured to pay to play from the BIB.

[JAG]

Tawandaeng German Brewery, on the corner of Narathiwas and Rama 3 roads, is located IMMEDIATELY next to a school, if I'm not mistaken. Let's see them close THAT one. Then there's the Tesco a stone's throw away. And 7-11 opposite the school. Might as well just completely shut down alcohol sales in Thailand. What brainless nitwits are running this country.

I'm sure that 7/11 won't be affected, they are owned by one of the "untouchable families". I suspect that the same will be true of Tesco and the brewery.

This will screw the little people. As everyone else (just about) has already said, "tea money" extortion nothing more nothing less.

The military have little love for the police, but there are rather a lot of them (coppers), and I suppose that they have to keep them sweet. Unless of course the military are to take a lead in enforcing this one - it may well be deemed to be a matter of national security...

[ukrules]

Aren't all the schools on holidays at the moment anyway ?Also

Also, the last time they went through this whole alcohol on sale near the schools thing we were informed that a new law comes into force 30 days after it's published in the gazette.

Edited October 23, 2015 by ukrules

[Shaunduhpostman]

Not this one again.

No really! This time really there is a ban!

[Just1Voice]

This will make for a Happy Tea Money Christmas for the BIB. Mia Noi are gearing up for the malls as we speak.

[balo]

I think with near they mean next door? Or do we have a distance ?

[phoenixdoglover]

Just a few "places of interest"

1) Silom Road, Patpong 1 & 2, within 150 meters of "Christian University"

2) Khaosan Road, western end within 350m of "The Military News School", and eastern end within 250m of "King Mongkut University"

3) Nana Plaza, no obvious school within 500m

4) Soi Cowboy, no obvious school within 500m

5) Sukhumvit Soi 7 to Soi 13, within 300m of Wannawit School

6) My favorite mom & pop restaurant in Khon Kaen, serving Leo with ice, within 300 m of Voc. Tech School.

Break out the dictionaries, the definition of "near" (in Thai) will be hotly debated.

[connda]

BEST NEWS THIS YEAR !

Congratulations to a Responsible, sane Government for introducing this law to rid us of the drunken oafs who have no idea of self control.

May the drunken louts and those idiots who support them, use this opportunity to sober-up...they may live longer and at the same time cause less carnage on our roads.

Signed,

"One day at a time" Bill (angry that he can't partake anymore, boo hoo)

Alcoholic Zealots Anonymous

(caveat: I don't drink either, but I don't give a tinker's da*m what other people choose to do. That's their lives and their business, not mine.)

Next up - No food stalls on any streets. May the over-weight, obese idiots (like alcoholics who have given up the drink and turned to food) use this opportunity to get skinney...they may live longer and at the same time cause less clog-ups in the sewer systems.

Edited October 23, 2015 by connda

[connda]

I'm assuming that all the Hi-so and military watering holes are well outside the 300m limit. Or will this be a case of 'close', like horse-shoes and hand-granades. "Well, Club Hi-so isn't that close." I wonder how many schools on military bases are within the 300 meter range of an Officer's Club. Or perhaps they don't have schools on base. But if they did, I'm assuming they'd have to tear down the school. Maybe?

[connda]

We had the people who are policing this around to our bar. They had a hi-tech piece of kit and that showed that were were precisely 310 metres awy from the school. Will be expecting another visit in the near future.

The Midnight closing is another scam, enforced here because we are on the main road, the places around the corner can stay open and off the main road can stay open, nonsensical!

Pray that no 'slip-fault' earthquakes take you 10.25 meters closer. Lol

[connda]

This is pure genius. Studies demonstrate that no Thai person can walk more than 300 meters outside of a mall.

My own plan is to rent an empty space in Sukhumvit and extract Tea money from local bars not to turn it into a school for young impressionable Thai students.

Are you accepting Venture Capital. Like your idea!

[Notowork]

Laughable law with no set limit,..plenty of room for more corruption!! 5555

[puukao]

But I came to Thailand to drink my life away!!!!!

I live in 2000 baht guesthouse, only 299 meters from school, and i have beers all over my place.......should i report myself?

i sell beer to myself, then buy it back cheap.........

this is not paradise anymore!!!!!!

Edited October 23, 2015 by puukao

[sawadee1947]

I can see already some extra money in the pockets of many police men.

Well done PM, excellent brain! I think he was wearing a helmet for too many years or got a sunstroke even?

[BlindMagician]

Keyword "sell"... So give it away for free, with every 2baht chewy sweet purchased for x baht. Oh, plus the usual tea money contribution to the brown clothed gang.

[lee b]

No problem, even if they kept the 300m away rule, were ok, my mates bar is 301m away ! And he is precise, he even told me that the footlongs at subway are not a foot lol.

[TheCruncher]

I always say to my friends I live near Pattaya, but in fact are 15 km away, has "near" the same meaning in the law just declared?

[bbbbooboo]

Stupid IS what stupid DOES ?

[dbrenn]

Where are all the junta apologists now?

[Najinsky]

Where are all the junta apologists now?

Well I'm not a Junta apologist but I can reply like one for this thread.

To my mind it's a lot more sensible to have this vague definition rather than a fixed (potentially inflexible) xxx meters.

To my mind it's fine to not want the kids coming in and out of a school entrance passing a bunch of guys sat around drinking. "When you're older and have finished school, you will be sat around drinking too because there's no work for you" - It's not a great role model for them.

But a bar/cafe on a street behind a school with no visibility or access could easily be caught by an xxx meter rule when in reality it's no more significant than a cafe 1 mile away.

The flexibility in law gives it the potential to be used sensibly (lol, lol, etc).

Of course, TIT, and it could also be used "creatively" by those motivated to do so. But there already have an abundance of ammunition in this area anyway, so it doesn't really change anything in that respect.