Shocking: Booze ban doesn’t stop youth from drinking, activists seek stricter rules

[akampa]

Am I missing something what is the problem with not selling alcohol to people under the age of, oh I don't no 18 every Thai has a id card so they can just show it and then adults can buy any time ,to easy ?

Edited May 20, 2016 by akampa

[madmitch]

am I missing something what is the problem with not selling alcohol to people under the age of oh I don't no 18 every thai has a id card so they can just show it and then adults can buy any time ,to easy ?

The drinking age is 20 and your suggestion is far too logical.

I used to frequent pubs at 15. Now if you look under 25 in the UK, you are supposed to show ID.

It's simple and, yes, fake IDs are easy to get here but it does take some effort, something many of the youths won't bother with.

Restricted hours and sales points demonstrate that when Thais do think out of the box, they go in totally the wrong direction.

[Jimbo2014]

Perhaps the young lads and lasses are just practicing creative thinking and innovation. I guess the good dr will just have to go back to his fortune tellers and lucky charms and pick another wacky idea.

[toolpush]

The only thing that's shocking is that there are people who actually believed the ban would have any effect.

I hope other posters weigh in with their own knowledge of the ban as I have a couple of friends who have bar / restaurants that could be considered within 300 meters of a school and they have never been approached by any form of officialdom.

That is the same as with that retarded rule that shuts down sales between 2 and 5 PM. That was the guy from Dubai's reactionary attempt to look like he was addressing a problem. And we are still having to deal with it.

[mike324]

Its easy to solve this problem, start giving out heavy fines to sellers, conduct sting operations. All the laws are out there in Thailand, its just that its not enforced.

Police continue to be part of the problem as they get a kickback from bars for allowing them to operate.

Pretty much every problem in this country can be point back to the police, or at least society could greatly improve if police were to do their jobs correctly.

[thhMan]

Schools should educate the children.... No Booze...and No driving/riding without a licence...

Parents, Schools and the Police for letting this all happen in front of them, should be fined and more....

[Emster23]

"..activists seek stricter rules"

Do they really? Milder rules if enforced would help take care of the problem. You can write rules til hell freezes over, but if not enforced, well good luck.

[worgeordie]

Put your hands up, that did not do the same and more when you were a youth?,

you either grew out of it or became an alcoholic ,the more you want to stop people

,especially youths from doing something ,like drinking,drugs,sex,the more they

will want to do it,its a rage against society.

regards worgeordie

[thaiduncankk]

Maybe they should legalize marijuana - it would give people an alternative to booze.

Most Thai students are 'spaced out' enough, giving them access to that shit would not help.

[lostmebike]

"The crackdown on alcohol sales is slowing down. The government needs to be clear where alcohol cannot be sold,"

​'Activists' seem to be missing the point.

The government probably is clear. The problem, as always, is policing. Everyone knows how it goes, first they look busy, high visual presence, shaking people down and appearing to do their jobs then all of a sudden, focus switches to something more 'urgent', normally another government crackdown so it's kind of an excuse, sorry cultural thing that things get left, shall we say, unfinished.

And of course, couple this with offers of tea money or increases in said payments and it's business as usual.

Maybe a better title would read...

Shocking: Booze ban doesn’t stop youth from drinking. Activists seek police to enforce the rules.

[Bangkok Barry]

There is no need for a ban, anywhere. Just ask those buying to SHOW THEIR ID to check their age. Why is that so difficult??? Why? I just don't get it.

[Davedub]

As with many other social / medical issues, I believe the answer lies in educating people about potential harm and risks, not tightening up laws. Leaving the treatment of social / medical issues to the legal system nearly always leads to failure - enforcement is extremely difficult / expensive and regardless, people will find ways to get around the law, often creating a black market which then creates yet more social, medical and legal problems (a good example of this would be the rise of the mafia during the prohibition years in the US).

If an education based approach fails (i.e. an individual KNOWINGLY harms themselves or puts themselves at significant risk), then the underlying cause for their self-destructive behaviour needs to be addressed. Simply "coming down hard" on people by fining them or putting them in prison will (of course!) not help solve underlying issues and could quite conceivably exacerbate them.

Just my two satang's worth...

[Bangkok Barry]

am I missing something what is the problem with not selling alcohol to people under the age of oh I don't no 18 every thai has a id card so they can just show it and then adults can buy any time ,to easy ?

The drinking age is 20 and your suggestion is far too logical.

I used to frequent pubs at 15. Now if you look under 25 in the UK, you are supposed to show ID.

It's simple and, yes, fake IDs are easy to get here but it does take some effort, something many of the youths won't bother with.

Restricted hours and sales points demonstrate that when Thais do think out of the box, they go in totally the wrong direction.

I had to show ID to enter a Hooters in Indianapolis once. I was 45 at the time.

[DLock]

am I missing something what is the problem with not selling alcohol to people under the age of oh I don't no 18 every thai has a id card so they can just show it and then adults can buy any time ,to easy ?

The drinking age is 20 and your suggestion is far too logical.

I used to frequent pubs at 15. Now if you look under 25 in the UK, you are supposed to show ID.

It's simple and, yes, fake IDs are easy to get here but it does take some effort, something many of the youths won't bother with.

Restricted hours and sales points demonstrate that when Thais do think out of the box, they go in totally the wrong direction.

I had to show ID to enter a Hooters in Indianapolis once. I was 45 at the time.

Don't feel flattered.

That's because they have a maximum age limit of 55...and you looked older.

Just messing with you...

[WhizBang]

I'll drink to that, or perhaps not, oh go on then I will. But not within 300 mtrs of a school.

Today is a dry day, you are not allowed to enjoy the beverage of your choice. Aw, screw it. I'm going to have a cold one.

[rwill]

Worse than kids drinking are all the truck drivers I see stopping at small shops/restaurants leaving with bottles of beer sucking it out with straws.

[manhood]

Does a 3oo meter ban "mile" can hold back anybody to consume alcohol???

Does restricted times of buying alcohol keep consumers aways from drinking???

NO not at all!

Everywhere in the world you can see that restrictions dont help: Only deducate the people of and how to use alcohol can help!

But there is no concept existing for that!

So whatever restirctions are set up nothing will change as the society has to change their habists!

[retarius]

The US has pretty much the strictest laws on underage drinking in the world….it stops no underage drinker from obtaining alcohol. All it does is to introduce young people to the criminal justice system.

[malt25]

There is no need for a ban, anywhere. Just ask those buying to SHOW THEIR ID to check their age. Why is that so difficult??? Why? I just don't get it.

Why in Buddha's name would you think common sense or logic would ever be considered in Thai officialdom thinking ???

You are a silly sausage, aren't you !

[alant]

Thailand is the biggest consumer of alcohol, in Asean.

and quite possibly the one with the toughest anti drink laws. Prohibition does wonders for the criminal classes...

[csabo]

I usually send my GF's 12 year old on a rum run when I run out. Which is better? Me driving drunk or a kid buying booze at Family Mart to keep me off the road? Laws...phooey!!!

[cpofc]

I am a big fan of the American award winning docco maker Ken Burns. I have most of his works. When I was growing up what I knew about 'Prohibition' was what I learnt watching Robert Stack in the TV Series 'The Untouchables'.

Watching Burns' dooco - 'Prohibition' really opened my eyes. So many things I did not know. I highly recommend it if you have any interest at all in the subject.

I come from a culture, job and lifestyle that ran on grog. Since I was 15. One's standing was assessed by how much one could drink, and one's ability to 'handle' it. We drank to excess EVERY day, and night, of the week. No exaggeration. They have been trying to break down this culture over the last 20 years. It is still a work in progress.

Don't expect the Thais to find the solution to the problem, no-one else around the world has done it yet. Except to say that more laws equal more criminals. There is no silver bullet. It is a problem that can only be managed, not stopped.

During Taksin's era it was estimated the Thais were the 5th biggest drinkers in the world! Don't know where they rank today.

here is an interview with Ken Burns about the subject of Alcohol and Prohibition.

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Our local ma and pa shop sell booze every day of the year.it dont matter what day it is,you can get wasted any time.Our local eating place is the same,booze every day. Both these establishments are open fro 6 am to 9/10 pm. There are another couple of shops within the same square killometre of our local,and they all do the same.Whiskey,beer,brandy(Regency) loa coaw,(sold by the shot,over the counter).just at the end of the soi in between all these places,is a Wat and next to that is a school that teaches to M5 and close to that, up the road is a Withia school for 4/10 year olds.

Great for the likes of me,but i have never seen any actions by local plod even resembling Prohibition of these establishments.In fact in 3 years now,i have never seen plod in the village at all.

Maybe i'm living in a mystical place surrounded by mountains and mist Like Shangrila and it doesnt exist to outsiders.

i must admit,i dont seem to be getting any older.

[Thaddeus]

The only thing that's shocking is that there are people who actually believed the ban would have any effect.

That's because they bought their jobs and are right all the time.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

If there is a will there is a way. Banning youths from something makes that something the something they want to do more of.

[mikiea]

I'll drink to that, or perhaps not, oh go on then I will. But not within 300 mtrs of a school.

ehhh.....where do these <deleted> yuts get the time and money to get blitzed every day ? i see them every where i go . where is mom and pop ? no school ? imagine 25 years from now , these shxt head yuts will be running the country . ........

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Shocking? If you have ever been young what is so shocking? They should stick their fingers in an electrical outlet... That's Shocking!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Bars and 7-11's galore with several schools in the vicinity by us... all still selling alcofrol.

Same here in my neighborhood of lower Sukhumvit.

I'm not expressing any opinion about whether these kinds of supposed laws are good or bad.

But, in my neighborhood, absolutely nothing has changed despite the supposed laws about public advertising of alcohol beverages, and the more recent law supposedly banning alcohol sales near schools.

My soi has an elementary school that's surrounded by bars, restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages and 7-11s selling the same. None of that has changed since the supposed schools law was passed. And if anything, there's more public alcohol brand advertising now than there was in the past.

As usual, the government is all talk, and nothing else.

[BigBadGeordie]

I'll drink to that, or perhaps not, oh go on then I will. But not within 300 mtrs of a school.

ehhh.....where do these <deleted> yuts get the time and money to get blitzed every day ? i see them every where i go . where is mom and pop ? no school ? imagine 25 years from now , these shxt head yuts will be running the country . ........

Not familiar with the word "yuts", tried google and the OED to no avail.

Please define, thanks in anticipation.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Their good Ole Booze Ban just put more youths on the wagon. Maybe they should ban common sense.