Thailand could allow alcohol sales for two days before new ban is enforced

[Dart12]

29 minutes ago, 2long said:

The Mom & Pop shops are running out, or have already run out.

This two-day window enables them to stock up, and sell beer throughout May, thus everyone saving face... 

Winner winner, chicken dinner.  

This isn't for peoples to restock in massive amounts.  It's for the small shops to restock to supply the determined drinking masses.

YOu can get whatever you want still, but makes it less easy, keeping the big gatherings down.  Plus reasons to collect baht fines

[Catkiwi]

9 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

 

Pretty sure it is true that without alcohol there will be less domestic violence and violence elsewhere too. Then why not ban alcohol forever if that's the goal?

 

This seems to be an exercise (and an experiment) in control by the Government, looking to see if they can get away with it and what the outcomes will be.

Maybe but some of the biggest <deleted> heads I know are high ranking Thai's, military and police. Play golf with a few of them and they drink more than me!! No doubt Prayuth and his band of merry men also get on it so, a permanent prohibition is not something I would put money on.

[Antonymous]

11 minutes ago, johng said:

This whole WuFlu Covid19  seems to be  an exercise in how much control  authorities can impose before the people say enough is enough !

Exactly.

 

Greater control of citizens and fewer freedoms seem sure to follow, all around the world.

[Enzian]

Yes, the ban is for the people who don't plan ahead anything in their lives, who then impulse buy and impulse drink and congregate and jump on their motorbikes and roar off into eternity.

[Thailand]

Les Miserables

[marvin1950]

You don't need alcohol to commit domestic abuse or any other crime.

Thai culture normally has family and friends gather together day or night without alcohol.

So why enforce an alcohol ban?

No jobs and no income for Thai people creates undo distress which leads to domestic violence crime and suicide.

[sweatalot]

54 minutes ago, 2long said:

There IS some sense in it. Read on...

Common sense would suggest that the reason for banning the booze is to prevent Somchais from sitting in groups and drinking, then after killing some brain cells going off to do other inappropriate things which would spread the virus, such as returning to hug and kiss family members.

Without 'generalising' I think it's fair to say that the government mainly target low-income Thai males as the target group to control in this case. From experience, these guys are completely incapable of buying in advance and rationing the booze for even a few days, never mind a month. This is partly because they don't have the money, and mainly because they can't control themselves or trust their buddies not to cheat. They drink all they have until it's gone.

In this sense, the 2-day window and a new ban makes sense, allowing expats and more wealthy to stock up and ration.

You think the Thai government is capable of such an elaborate consideration?

[Catkiwi]

2 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

You think the Thai government is capable of such an elaborate consideration?

Probably not but with a lack of any other plausable explanation from the government, any thing is possible!

[norfolkc]

If they don't help people soon starvation will kill more people in this country than the virus 

[Mattd]

1 hour ago, 2long said:

Without 'generalising' I think it's fair to say that the government mainly target low-income Thai males as the target group to control in this case. From experience, these guys are completely incapable of buying in advance and rationing the booze for even a few days, never mind a month. This is partly because they don't have the money, and mainly because they can't control themselves or trust their buddies not to cheat. They drink all they have until it's gone.

In this sense, the 2-day window and a new ban makes sense, allowing expats and more wealthy to stock up and ration.

Whilst I see your logic, I don't necessarily agree with it, for a couple reasons.

1. Allowing groups of low income people to party for a couple of days makes no sense if the ban on alcohol is to stem Covid-19 spread due to socialising etc. They do this regardless and allowing it for a couple of days just undoes any previous efforts.

2. The government would never think of expats stocking up, wealthy Thais will have their sources for supply anyway.

[Yadon Toploy]

8 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

You think the Thai government is capable of such an elaborate consideration?

Indeed, and that's all that really needs to be said here.

 

Muddled, confused, bumbling and inadequate.

 

The COVID-19 outbreak has given this entirely inept administration carte blanche and a convenient scapegoat for blame.

 

Hopefully, and unfortunately, the ensuing hardships endured by the populus reach a tipping point from which they cannot possibly recover. 

[RickBradford]

A cynic on another forum suggested that the grace period is primarily for the big suppliers like Leo, Chang, Singha and the others to shift their old beer stocks, which have gradually been going off, sitting for 3 weeks in their warehouses.

[Saltire]

1 hour ago, 2long said:

There IS some sense in it. Read on...

Common sense would suggest that the reason for banning the booze is to prevent Somchais from sitting in groups and drinking, then after killing some brain cells going off to do other inappropriate things which would spread the virus, such as returning to hug and kiss family members.

Without 'generalising' I think it's fair to say that the government mainly target low-income Thai males as the target group to control in this case. From experience, these guys are completely incapable of buying in advance and rationing the booze for even a few days, never mind a month. This is partly because they don't have the money, and mainly because they can't control themselves or trust their buddies not to cheat. They drink all they have until it's gone.

In this sense, the 2-day window and a new ban makes sense, allowing expats and more wealthy to stock up and ration.

I think there is a lot of truth in what you say. I see every day farm workers finish around 5 PM, as well as construction workers returning to their homes. The men are paid daily 300 or 400 Baht. One of them buys a bottle, they share it, and so on till they are  all wrecked. Usually the wifes come look for them or they stagger/drive home around 8 PM. The next day, same as yesterday. They are not in a position to buy lots in advance, especially now that even most of the farmwork and just about all of the construction work has dried up. haven't seen a group session in weeks.

 

Only 1 (of about 6) small shops continued to sell but soon ran out and with no deliveries or wholesale. Credit to the Poo Yai he gave everyone a 2 hour grace period to 'stock up' before the ban was imposed, but with no more funds than usual, the 'rush' was soon over.

 

 

 

 

 

[LomSak27]

27 minutes ago, 2long said:

There IS some sense in it. Read on...

Common sense would suggest that the reason for banning the booze is to prevent Somchais from sitting in groups and drinking, then after killing some brain cells going off to do other inappropriate things which would spread the virus, such as returning to hug and kiss family members.

Did you ever see that doc or website ?? forget the name, tracing cluster infections in Thailand? Actually it was 'sobering'. Among places a couple came out ... repeatedly.

 

Boxing matches

Cockfights

Bars - inside bars, cafes, & a couple other drinking venues

 

Pretty obvious when Thais, (and others) drink, it is a social atmosphere, & drunk raucous behavior is just the place to transfer infections and can lead to clusters. The alcohol ban makes sense. BTW drinking per say it NOT the problem, it is how you drink. Right now Thais of course are still drinking and drinking with friends but more subdued atmosphere and smaller groups.

 

Shutting down big venues for alcohol consumption works.

[Misterwhisper]

Have this morning dispatched my maid to camp out in front of the neighborhood store for the next few days to ensure she'll be first in line on May 1. Have also furnished her with a letter explaining that it is essential that she be out during curfew hours, as otherwise her employer will be mightily cranky if she should return empty-handed on May 1. It's a matter of life and death! Let's see how it pans out. 

[jimmjam]

2 days?? I can see the chaos now. 

[JAG]

37 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Not everywhere, many mom & pop shops sold out.

 

I wonder if there is another reason why alcohol has been banned; domestic violence, which is rampant in Thailand and of course many other countries and in many cases the arguments and violence brought on by or flamed by excessive alcohol use.

Frankly I very much doubt that ever crossed their minds - if the little people whose domestic affairs are of no consequence wish to batter themselves so what! 

 

Banning alcohol sales for home consumption was I suspect initially an attempt by the "medium level power wielders" - provincial government - to get in the act and show that they too were players in the game of telling people what to do. Allowing these limited sales windows by government edict is most likely an attempt to release pressure in the  "mob pressure cooker", appease the brewing industry (unlikely to go far) and at the same time avoid upsetting the provincial power wielders by simply cancelling it. I wonder if they will become a regular feature of the "new normal", perhaps a designated day every week when you can purchase? "Les Miserables" will still be able to get their booze, thus reducing the risk from the mob, and those in uniform will still be telling them how to live their lives. It won't have any affect on the spreading of the lurgy, but then I don't really think it was ever about that anyway!

[Yadon Toploy]

4 minutes ago, norfolkc said:

If they don't help people soon starvation will kill more people in this country than the virus 

So much for the nonsense that 'Thai people will never starve' and they 'can live off the land' nonsense that so many of the rose-tinted glasses brigade spout on here.

 

Some of them find it a struggle to make a cup of coffee and fry an egg without supervision or instruction.

[RedPill]

They are really really really good in 'creating' masses of Q's and groupings getting closely together.

 

To defeats the complet purpose of the alcohol ban in itself?

 

Who knows, after so many years, very difficult to get into Thai logic ... in these times especially. 

 

In normal times ok, but now, can't get my head around the logic, at all!

 

 

 

[Yadon Toploy]

3 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

A cynic on another forum suggested that the grace period is primarily for the big suppliers like Leo, Chang, Singha and the others to shift their old beer stocks, which have gradually been going off, sitting for 3 weeks in their warehouses.

That's more likely considering the Singha mob were big coup supporters. 

[jimmyyy]

Here is my concern with a two day allowance.  Logistics!  Will the manufactures be able to meet the demand?  How soon could the Thai Beverage logistics start rolling, i would say you would need 2 days just to bring the booze to the markets per say.   Even Makro may only keep a pallet of blend or sam song in stock, all the local shops are empty.  I am sure many of the local warehouses are empty as well.  They would have to release the logistics 2 days prior or it will be a mad house, and stock will be gone within an hour.  Then you will have people sitting at the shops waiting on deliveries, that is a social distancing nightmare.

[Oldie]

4 minutes ago, jimmjam said:

2 days?? I can see the chaos now. 

Sure. They could allow it only from 10 pm to 4 am to avoid it ????

[Saint Nick]

Nation of children!

[Catkiwi]

5 minutes ago, jimmyyy said:

Here is my concern with a two day allowance.  Logistics!  Will the manufactures be able to meet the demand?  How soon could the Thai Beverage logistics start rolling, i would say you would need 2 days just to bring the booze to the markets per say.   Even Makro may only keep a pallet of blend or sam song in stock, all the local shops are empty.  I am sure many of the local warehouses are empty as well.  They would have to release the logistics 2 days prior or it will be a mad house, and stock will be gone within an hour.  Then you will have people sitting at the shops waiting on deliveries, that is a social distancing nightmare.

Well they better get cracking then with only around 48 hours to go!!????

[Canuck1966]

6 minutes ago, Oldie said:

Sure. They could allow it only from 10 pm to 4 am to avoid it ????

Don't give them any ideas!

[ThailandRyan]

1 hour ago, KhunBENQ said:

Chaos on Fri and Sat if that comes into effect.

Social distancing shoulder to shoulder.

better order on-line for that home delivery me thinks....

[jimmyyy]

1 minute ago, Catkiwi said:

Well they better get cracking then with only around 48 hours to go!!????

That is the problem they didn't think this through, if this indeed is the plan.  Unless the manufactures roll thousands of loaded trucks at midnight, i can already see the carnage, fighting over a case of lao kow, stabbings over 3 leo's.

[scorecard]

13 minutes ago, RedPill said:

They are really really really good in 'creating' masses of Q's and groupings getting closely together.

 

To defeats the complet purpose of the alcohol ban in itself?

 

Who knows, after so many years, very difficult to get into Thai logic ... in these times especially. 

 

In normal times ok, but now, can't get my head around the logic, at all!

 

 

 

First paragraph, just look at BkkPost today, photo of Chuan Lek Pi surrounded closely by many politicians.  

[Geoffggi]

This just highlights how stupid this government is, first they ban alcohol for a half-sensible reason throughout the Songkran period then extend the bad to the end of April for no real reason other than lack of grey matter within their way of thinking as the poorer Thais do not have the money to buy unless it is aimed at the Farang so nobody is happy. This stupid ban does nothing but aggravate the masses, it serves no real reason but pig headedness.

[BobBKK]

Just how dumb can they get???