Minimum Age Raised To 25 For Buyers Of Booze

[Old Man River]

Correct me if I'm wrong but raising the age to 21 and more recent enforcing of ID requirements didnt seem to make one iota of difference to the problem so why would 25 have a considerable effect.

Excite, it won't as you know. In addition, not only can those below 25 not be able to drink alcoholic beverages, but for those that can, this government is outlawing all alcoholic beverage related ads as well. Since nobody below the age of 25 will be able to consume alcoholic beverages, the ad ban is directly aimed at the 25 and over crowd. This is really not a nice value judgment about the 25 and over crowd in Thailand as it is assumes they will be very easily influenced to drink more by advertising and are therefore not mature enough to make rationale adult decisions. This in itself is mis-guided since advertising will not normally cause people to start drinking who would not otherwise, but rather is used to get people to change brands. Really, this whole program needs to be better thought out.

[Donz]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

[Old Man River]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

We don't specifically know, but since this minister seems to be rushing to get his name in the books, I don't think we have long to wait.

[chanchao]

Another thing... At how many pubs in Thaiand are a significant part of their clientele under 25? Like places in RCA, etc?

I'd say that more than a few pubs and discos would be in serious trouble without the sub-25 segment.

[Arkady]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

It looks like it is a proposal from the Public Health Ministry following up on something that the Thaksin administration was planning to do. The ministry doesn't have the power to introduce legislation of this type. It would have to be rubber stamped by the new National Legislative Assembly and promulgated by the government as a revolutionary decree, as laws passed under military governments are called (perhaps they will rename these this time around to sound more democracy friendly). If the government and CNS agree with this, it could become law quite quickly, but I expect it would still take 2-3 months or more. My guess is that ministry has cleared this in advance with the new minister, rather than risk being shot down, which would probably mean it will be a shoo in but you never know.

[gbswales]

god i hope that doesnt mean the girls working at the bars, or the girls allowed inside clubs are going to be minimum 25yo!!!!

I wonder if that is their intended target?

In the UK it is a "campaign" aimed to "educate" - it is aimed at 16-24 year olds (though the legal drinking age is 18 though venues are asked to check ID for people who look younger than 21). This is great but can you imagine what would happen if they tried to ban under 25's from drinking!!

The basic point is this - IF you are an adult (18 in UK and 20 in Thailand) you should be free to make your own INFORMED decisions - even if you do decide to slowly (or quickly) kill yourself

[Arkady]

god i hope that doesnt mean the girls working at the bars, or the girls allowed inside clubs are going to be minimum 25yo!!!!

I wonder if that is their intended target?

The current labour laws ban employees under 18 from working in places where alcohol is sold and alcohol licensing laws ban sale of alcohol to people under 20. I don't think there is actually a law banning under 20 year olds from entering these places, or surely 18 and 19 year old employees would not be allowed. I think the ban on patrons under 20 is the police interpretation of the law, on the logical grounds that stopping them going in is the best way to stop them drinking. At present, as far as I know, it is a case of two separate laws and, if there is no change to labour law, 18+ year old employees would still be allowed. Of course, they are not allowed to accept alcoholic drinks from patrons but this is unenforceable. Certainly a revision of the labour laws to prohibit employees under 25 would be a problem and not just to go-go bars and members clubs etc, as less older people with families want to apply for these night time jobs.

[arthsch]

really good idea! dont let the farangs under 25 years (under 45 possible?) drink alkohol! of course dont they let go in dicos or go-go-bars. this is not good for the health of our youth!

and if there will come a slowdown of the tourist industrie, this is the best, what can happen to us, old residents! the girls will love us old men, between 60 and the funeral!

[wilko]

I'd like to see what happens when a group of foreigners...say a rugby team ( - average age 23 - ) on holiday staying a the Dusit or similar in Phuket for a fornight are told that they won't be servred any alcohol.

OR

They are arrested and deported....that'll help the tourist trade!

Oh yes, and what are the travel agents going to say..."it's a lovely country but most of you won't be allowed to drink anything."

[bkkandrew]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

We don't specifically know, but since this minister seems to be rushing to get his name in the books, I don't think we have long to wait.

Just been on Thai TV News. They said 5th December...

[Asian Frog]

I am surprised by the huge number of posts in this thread. It gives a very bad image of the expat population as if we were only interested by acohol.

We should stop to write anything in this thread. In any case with 17 pages, everybody must have expressed his opinion.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Asian Frog

[Donz]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

We don't specifically know, but since this minister seems to be rushing to get his name in the books, I don't think we have long to wait.

Just been on Thai TV News. They said 5th December...

Good she will be back in Syndey by then.

[britmaveric]

Laffable - instead of just under 20 years old, they will have no 6more years of underage drinkers to deal with. Fking brilliant idea!!! Let's increase our problem a 100 fold.

[astral]

A bit drastic! it will just mean loads of teenies drinking out of brown paper bags..

Are you sure it is booze in the brown bags, not glue?????

[chuchok]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

We don't specifically know, but since this minister seems to be rushing to get his name in the books, I don't think we have long to wait.

Just been on Thai TV News. They said 5th December...

Just in time for high season.brilliant!

[gharknes]

Correct me if I'm wrong but raising the age to 21 and more recent enforcing of ID requirements didnt seem to make one iota of difference to the problem so why would 25 have a considerable effect.

if this doesn't work expect it to rise to 30....40......50 ???????????? LMARO

[Donz]

If I was them I would just ban english men of drinking all together

[bkkandrew]

I just would like to know when this new law kicks in? The good thing is im 26 so i dont really care, but I do have a friend who is only 20 who will be there shortly for her holuday

We don't specifically know, but since this minister seems to be rushing to get his name in the books, I don't think we have long to wait.

Just been on Thai TV News. They said 5th December...

Just in time for high season.brilliant!

I know - what a laugh!!

I suppose one has to look at it this way - if you owned a large holiday resort and wanted to fill the post of GM, would you actively invite applications from serving and retired military Generals?

[cooL_guY_corY]

this seems really offside, but.. i cant see it having much of an effect. farang heavy clubs and etc wont be affected ( theres no way the thai owners will just let their business get humilated, ie police will bepaid off or whatever the norm is ) and most stores wont pay attention to it ( independent sellers/mom + pop stores ) i can see 7-11 / family mart / bigc starting to do that though. I am 21 right now have been living in the tropics for 2 years, never been id'd once but i was at big c before buying a case of Sang Som for my house, and i wasnt allowed to buy it because it was under a certain amount of litres, so i had to buy a beer then i could get it lol.. so here i am walking to the bus with 12 26' oz bottles of sangsom and a big beer chang. Anyways i think broader reaching social programs ( awareness) would work better. But thats in a perfect world and if thailand had EVERYTHING that the west / euro land has then it wouldnt be thailand would it.

sangsom 4 life

cory

Edited October 16, 2006 by cooL_guY_corY

[britmaveric]

If I was them I would just ban english men of drinking all together

Better yet Aussies named Donz!!!

[Unknown]

If I was them I would just ban english men of drinking all together

You've got a point here...

[Nemo.]

As gammbling is illegal and we all know how much Thais hate gambling........so I reckon it will work

As the an ex Tourist Minister once said "We see no evidence of prostitution in Pattaya" I am sure a while after the under 25 year old ban comes in it will be announced that underage drinking is falling and we all know how much Thais hate boozing

Then it will all be forgotten.

Anyway I expect tourist places will sell coke and "give away" whiskey. Its only a ban on selling alcohol so they can "give it away". Maybe they can charge you 120 Baht for the glass and give you a free beer. Anyway all farangs look the same anyway

[Virgil]

CRAZY

Exactly,

As I've said before, this is the beginning. You have a coup. You have a puppet government. You have a Muslim General running the show from behind the black curtain. Watch things change. In 2 years, none of us will want to be here. It starts with the easy things like alcohol ... first they restrict the advertising, then change the age limit. Note that there is no curbing of access to cigarettes, despite the health risks. I think we all have had family members die of cancer from cigarettes here in Thailand.

Next will come changes to the red light districts. Then dress codes for women. The puppets will start to bring the audience into line. Some Thai will see the light and head east into other Buddhist countries or head to western lands. The rest will remain, thankful that there are more public holidays as Muslim festivals such as Ramadam are "Nationalised".

As the Muslim faith marches north from Yala the government will rule that the teaching of the Qi'ran will be manditory in school. Imams will be brought in to teach it. Oh, Thai will still be allowed to be Buddhist, but they will be taugh about being Muslim. Those children will grow up and one day accept the governments advice that the official religion of Thailand should be Islam.

Meanwile, I'll be old and grey. Perhaps while fishing from my little boat near Ko Chiang I'll remember the good old days when I could send the kids up the street to buy my beer and watch the hot Singa beer girls in advertisements on TV.

Virgil, Out!

[zeitgeist]

...will thailand end as an 2nd malaysia or even more worse, a police-state like singapore ?

we have already some press and internet censorship, so whats next ? guantanomo-style camps for dissidents?

maybe i should spend my next holiday in cambodia or laos

Edited October 17, 2006 by zeitgeist

[wilko]

CRAZY

Exactly,

As I've said before, this is the beginning. You have a coup. You have a puppet government. You have a Muslim General running the show from behind the black curtain. Watch things change. In 2 years, none of us will want to be here. It starts with the easy things like alcohol ... first they restrict the advertising, then change the age limit. Note that there is no curbing of access to cigarettes, despite the health risks. I think we all have had family members die of cancer from cigarettes here in Thailand.

Next will come changes to the red light districts. Then dress codes for women. The puppets will start to bring the audience into line. Some Thai will see the light and head east into other Buddhist countries or head to western lands. The rest will remain, thankful that there are more public holidays as Muslim festivals such as Ramadam are "Nationalised".

As the Muslim faith marches north from Yala the government will rule that the teaching of the Qi'ran will be manditory in school. Imams will be brought in to teach it. Oh, Thai will still be allowed to be Buddhist, but they will be taugh about being Muslim. Those children will grow up and one day accept the governments advice that the official religion of Thailand should be Islam.

Meanwile, I'll be old and grey. Perhaps while fishing from my little boat near Ko Chiang I'll remember the good old days when I could send the kids up the street to buy my beer and watch the hot Singa beer girls in advertisements on TV.

Virgil, Out!

This legislation was on the books months if not years before the current authorities took over, its the work of one man who's ID I can't remember at the this point in time.

[Insight]

From this Nation article today:

In a bid to reduce Thais' consumption, the Public Health Ministry will also put the Alcoholic Beverage Control Bill before the Cabinet today.

If the bill passes into legislation, the minimum age for people able to purchase alcoholic drinks will rise from 18 to 25 years.

Mongkol yesterday said ads for other products sharing the same trademark as alcoholic drinks would also be banned.

"As part of the bill, vending machines, hawking, discounts and promotional gimmicks cannot be used for the sale of alcoholic beverages while it will also be illegal to serve alcoholic drinks to people who are excessively drunk," Mongkol said.

He said the bill was approved at seven public hearings between June 8 and June 27.

A network of 84 organisations that call for people to abstain from alcohol threw their support behind the Public Health Ministry's move. Nearly 100 people from these groups brought flowers to the ministry to offer moral support. "The advertisements attract new drinkers," network representative Thira Watcharapranee said.

They'll be abdolutely bloody mad to pass this one through. It'll be the single most stupidest post-coup action taken by the authorities.

Problem is, I doubt that fact alone will stop them

[Virgil]

CRAZY

Exactly,

As I've said before, this is the beginning. You have a coup. You have a puppet government. You have a Muslim General running the show from behind the black curtain. Watch things change. In 2 years, none of us will want to be here. It starts with the easy things like alcohol ... first they restrict the advertising, then change the age limit. Note that there is no curbing of access to cigarettes, despite the health risks. I think we all have had family members die of cancer from cigarettes here in Thailand.

Next will come changes to the red light districts. Then dress codes for women. The puppets will start to bring the audience into line. Some Thai will see the light and head east into other Buddhist countries or head to western lands. The rest will remain, thankful that there are more public holidays as Muslim festivals such as Ramadam are "Nationalised".

As the Muslim faith marches north from Yala the government will rule that the teaching of the Qi'ran will be manditory in school. Imams will be brought in to teach it. Oh, Thai will still be allowed to be Buddhist, but they will be taugh about being Muslim. Those children will grow up and one day accept the governments advice that the official religion of Thailand should be Islam.

Meanwile, I'll be old and grey. Perhaps while fishing from my little boat near Ko Chiang I'll remember the good old days when I could send the kids up the street to buy my beer and watch the hot Singa beer girls in advertisements on TV.

Virgil, Out!

This legislation was on the books months if not years before the current authorities took over, its the work of one man who's ID I can't remember at the this point in time.

Well, that's just the point, isn't it! The coup was lead by one man too. Now one man can dictate what bills are moved from "on the books" to "becoming legislation". There are all sorts of policies "on the books". In a democracy there are plenty of civil servants whos job it is to see that these policies remain right where they are ... "on the books". When democracy fails, individuals can pick and choose how the country is run. That is what is happening now. Let's go pull some more strings ....

Virgil, Out!

[wilko]

I am surprised by the huge number of posts in this thread. It gives a very bad image of the expat population as if we were only interested by acohol.

We should stop to write anything in this thread. In any case with 17 pages, everybody must have expressed his opinion.

I think you've missed the point....peole (not just farangs) are berating a piece of proposed legislation that they consider to be ridiculous. It would get the same criticism whatever the subject of the regulation was.

[konangrit]

Alcoholic-Beverage Control Bill Rejected

The Cabinet Tuesday sent back the Alcoholic-Beverage Control Bill for further discussions among relevant authorities.

The bill is designed to impose many restrictions on alcoholic-beverage sales, including a ban on people under 25 years old age to buy the alcoholic drinks.

According to the bill, discounts and promotional gimmicks for the sale of alcoholic beverages will also be banned.

An informed source said the Cabinet extensively debated on how to implement control measures with proper balance. It also raised questions as to how to identify which person is at least 25 years old of age, which will allow them to buy alcoholic drinks legally.

The Cabinet has assigned the Education, Commerce, Industry, Social Development and Human Security ministries to send their representatives for further discussions on the bill.

The Nation"

Edited October 17, 2006 by konangrit

[wilko]

Phew! Common sense prevails.....

So that about puts pay to the "Muslims are coming! Muslims are coming!" brigade for a while too, I guess.