Thailand’s alcohol ban means Brit holidaymakers won’t be able to buy any booze ahead of the country’s elections

[sawadee1947]

7 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

No. I do not understand. Banning alcohol for an election to begin with is ridiculous, but to apply it to foreigners who can't vote is just stupid. I've been in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and it was so refreshing to have nightlife there every night until 5am or later, after seeing police shut down Bangkok nightlife at 2-3am night after night recently. Thailand has more going for it than nightlife, but eventually people will have enough of this bullshit and just go somewhere else. It's already happening. My friends were supposed to come for the weekend but changed their destination when they heard about the booze ban. I extended my stay in the Philippines for a week when I heard about last weekend's booze ban. It's not "just one day" as some people here think - it's the primary reason why a great many tourists come to Thailand to begin with - party. Or I suppose Indian and Chinese tourists are better? lol.

Well, I can see that for you and all other addicted people a day without booze seems to be a lost day. However if you are going for partying with a long way to Thailand as a Brit.... why not just take a flight to Temple Bar in Dublin

[dunque]

10 hours ago, bdenner said:

Only the Brits, that's a relief!

Such a shame tat this policy was not adopted in the UK before the Brexit referendum - or before the 2016 US presidential election - explains everything ;-)

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Jeez, how pathetic if you can't manage 24 hours without alcohol....

and what about peoples livelihood? What if when back in your own country, the government told you there were days when you cannot work and therefore will not get paid.

[mike787]

I'm switching to sex and other alternative endorphin stimulants.  Sex is one of best highs, especially in the family friendly Pattaya.  All that sin sot, well I spend on thai pussy.  Cheers mates!!!!

[robblok]

5 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

The 1am closing laws came in around 2001 during Thaksin's first tenure.

 

Hasn't affected tourism in the slightest.

 

Nor will booze bans on election days and Buddha days.

Must be a rare day when the sun and the moon align because I normally never agree with you. But I think your 100% right with your post. 

[bbbbooboo]

hmmm ..... no booze,,,,... what are we going to do ?

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, csmith said:

Agree … pathetic if you cannot manage without alcohol for 24 hours … or be able to plan for it … but do feel sorry for any stag parties that are flying in for the weekend … 

Why do so many posters come on and only talk about people not managing because of alcohol?

There is a lot more to this than just alcohol. Like peoples livelihoods.

[bkkcanuck8]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

The impression I get by the ban is that Thais need to be managed like children. 

 

In what other countries must governments ban alcohol to try to encourage people to vote? 

 

It's so embarrassing for Thais. Adults cannot vote if they have alcohol available to them? Pathetic 

Although I believe most election day laws in North America are a relic of the past...  I do remember sales being banned until the polls closed when I was younger.  It is / was not unique to Thailand.  What seems to be unique to Thailand is that foreigners think they should be exempted from local laws and treated specially.  Note: The alcohol sales tend to be enforced more in Bangkok than other tourist resort areas where hotels and restaurants generally ignored them.

 

If you get really desperate you can do what some alcohol abusers do - abuse listerine ????

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, Seismic said:

Funny, but I have never had a problem buying alcohol during elections or religious days in the last 40 years here.

So what if you want to get it off? Go to a sexy massage parlour or down to Beach Road?

[Jim7777]

I wasn’t planning on drinking this weekend but if I change my mind I’ll just buy it today or just buy it from the mom and pop shop around the corner from my house that will sell it no matter what day it is and no matter what time it is and no matter what the law is they don’t care.  Although if I decide that I want the good imported stuff tomorrow I’ll just buy it today.  Only the big chain stores and SOME of the chain restaurants actually follow the alcohol bans.  

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, Kasset Tak said:

I don't understand all keyboard warriors that feel that this is ban is put in place to ruin their drinking and not for the benefit of the Thai people, the citizens of this country!
This ban came to be as most Thais buy the alcohol that they will drink today... TODAY! So, as they want an orderly election, without people fighting and behaving badly, they have banned alcohol sale before/during the election.
And if you can't handle a day or two without alcohol, then I would really suggest that you contact a rehab or join AA. Because these bans comes ever so often, for example on Buddhist holidays, and every time it happens, I see the same people complain over and over again that the Thai government are interacting with their drinking.

I have yet to see something that mentions the loss of wages for those who work in bars.

All everyone seems to be concerned with is the loss of their alcohol. Such selfishness.

[NoshowJones]

1 hour ago, bje2000 said:

What about the people that work serving alcohol - no work, no pay. Where's the compensation for them? They are on minimal wages to start with and rely on tips and sales.

At last, a sensible post.

[Fex Bluse]

14 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Although I believe most election day laws in North America are a relic of the past...  I do remember sales being banned until the polls closed when I was younger.  It is / was not unique to Thailand.  What seems to be unique to Thailand is that foreigners think they should be exempted from local laws and treated specially.  Note: The alcohol sales tend to be enforced more in Bangkok than other tourist resort areas where hotels and restaurants generally ignored them.

 

If you get really desperate you can do what some alcohol abusers do - abuse listerine ????

If Thais followed/enforced their own laws with any consistency, foreigners would likely be much more respectful. 

 

Thais have NO repect for their own laws, so why should we? 

 

Anyway, this won't impact me. Have about 40 or so wines and spirits. Don't drink much anymore anyway. It's mostly for entertaining. 

[dcnx]

9 hours ago, SweetStickyRice said:

This law should not apply to farangs who don't have rights to vote. That's all farangs.

Considering the Thais know they can get booze from mom and pop shops.

[Psimbo]

Boo farkin hoo. get over it!

[eddysmit]

7 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Jeez, how pathetic if you can't manage 24 hours without alcohol....

I would have thought it was just being humorous, you know, sense of humour, Jeez, we need all we can get.

[Jadam]

8 hours ago, leeneeds said:

A ban on selling?

does this include all mini bars in hotels being emptied?

 

No ban on drinking, only on selling.

Boo-hoo, that's one Saturday night that you can't go out to the bar but you can still have a drink at home.  Cry me a river.

I'm really tired of all the moaning.  If you don't like it, go home.

[marquis22]

7 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

or can't plan ahead if you cannot manage 24 hours without alcohol...

Or do not know of a little Ma and Pa store down the soi a tad.

[raccos21]

How about this one they ban too!

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, dunque said:

Such a shame tat this policy was not adopted in the UK before the Brexit referendum - or before the 2016 US presidential election - explains everything ;-)

think for the US election it was something much stronger than booze that was being used ????

[tlandtday]

Hide the rubbing alcohol!!!!

[orang37]

9 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

Bloody idiots,  if they think we are done for.

We will alway find a way,  we will never give up.

 

Pixels were injured and harmed in the making of this reproduction, however the rainforest was not encroached on

 

Hail Beertania !

 

~o:37;

[terryofcrete]

8 hours ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

or can't plan ahead if you cannot manage 24 hours without alcohol...

Last weekend I was amused by the tourists wondering why all the bars were closed and the Soi's empty and dark. I was amused because the powers that be should know that any Thai who wanted to drink would be drinking and any tourist encountering this situation would be saying " never again" , or at least considering a different destination next time . The authorities are footless... the feet have long been amputated from all the shooting oneself in the foot that goes on in the LOS . I do not drink so I couldn't care less ... oh... wait ... the bars are closed ... no sports bars ... and my team is playing ... what the hell am I gonna do... .. Nanny State. ... except it's not ... 

[natway09]

At 5pm until 12pm  today go to any supermarket & purchase as much beer, whisky or wine as you wish.

It is called planning. Enjoy your election day

[sambum]

Why only the Brits? - Surely the ban applies to everyone, or is this a "subtle" way of getting some kind of message across?

[sambum]

10 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

No. I do not understand. Banning alcohol for an election to begin with is ridiculous, but to apply it to foreigners who can't vote is just stupid. I've been in the Philippines for a couple of weeks and it was so refreshing to have nightlife there every night until 5am or later, after seeing police shut down Bangkok nightlife at 2-3am night after night recently. Thailand has more going for it than nightlife, but eventually people will have enough of this bullshit and just go somewhere else. It's already happening. My friends were supposed to come for the weekend but changed their destination when they heard about the booze ban. I extended my stay in the Philippines for a week when I heard about last weekend's booze ban. It's not "just one day" as some people here think - it's the primary reason why a great many tourists come to Thailand to begin with - party. Or I suppose Indian and Chinese tourists are better? lol.

"Or I suppose Indian and Chinese tourists are better?"

 

As far as TAT figures are concerned - yes, because they don't care if they buy all their booze at 711, or ask for a glass with 6 straws!

 

And regarding your other points, Westerners in Thailand  are well on the decline now - from a 2018 survey:-

 

"On top of that when asked ‘Have you considered leaving Thailand over the last 12 months?’ 66% in 2016 said yes and this was the largely the voice of the working expats. Well they have come good on their promises and finally left the country. Today only 23% of our sample is working expats compared to 42% two years ago"

 

And that is just working expats - I do not have figures at hand for tourists or retirees, but I am not going to look for TAT figures!

 

Once the ball starts rolling ..................?

[When you know]

2 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

 Have about 40 or so wines and spirits. Don't drink much anymore anyway. It's mostly for entertaining. 

"It's mostly for entertaining" - just like I used to read Penthouse for the highly edifying in-depth journalism.

[terryofcrete]

11 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Jeez, how pathetic if you can't manage 24 hours without alcohol....

Much more to it than that... I haven't drank in 20 years but I love watching sport in a bar ... including the sport of mongering ... all I saw last Saturday night were dark empty streets.. Soi's without any life going on and people who sell food on the Soi making no income .. girls without customers, and Farang with money and no where to spend it .. I missed seeing the 6 nations rugby matches and the premiership games ... nothing to do with alcohol for me but a major let down on a Saturday night in Pattaya ... 

[rkidlad]

I’ll be out of country for a few days. Hope there’s still one when I’m back. 

[RichardL]

1 hour ago, terryofcrete said:

Much more to it than that... I haven't drank in 20 years but I love watching sport in a bar ... including the sport of mongering ... all I saw last Saturday night were dark empty streets.. Soi's without any life going on and people who sell food on the Soi making no income .. girls without customers, and Farang with money and no where to spend it .. I missed seeing the 6 nations rugby matches and the premiership games ... nothing to do with alcohol for me but a major let down on a Saturday night in Pattaya ... 

Yeah. I was there last week and going without beer wasn't really the problem. The bigger issue was that nearly every bar was shut, so finding somewhere to go was a problem. I don't want to spend the evening in my hotel watching a rolling news channel, as it's the only one in English.

 

In Bangkok, some places that served food stayed open, but they were either rammed with people watching sport, or very subdued.

 

I really can't see why foreigners couldn't be allowed to have beer. It's not like a buddha day, where it would be disrespectful.

 

I also noticed all the bars in Nana Plaza were shut. That seemed strange, as it's not as if anyone goes there for the beer.