Thailand Set To Ban Alcohol Sales At Roadside Stalls

[webfact]

SELLING OF ALCOHOL

Alcohol sales set to be banned at roadside stalls

POUNGCHOMPOO PRASERT

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Starting from the New Year holiday period, roadside food stalls will be banned from selling alcoholic drinks, while all sales of alcoholic beverages will be limited to 11am-2pm and 5pm-midnight, Public Health Minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said yesterday.

Violators will face up to six months in jail and/or up to Bt10,000 in fines.

Pradit said a meeting of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee yesterday approved three PM's Office regulations.

The ban on roadside alcohol sales, except on personal property, was imposed on grounds that consumption of alcohol causes traffic accidents, he said.

The time limit on alcohol sales covers all sellers, except at international airports' duty-free zones and service establishments.

The third measure bans alcohol sales and consumption in state-run parks, he added.

'A GIFT TO THAIS'

The three regulations would be submitted for approval to the National Alcohol Beverage Policy Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi, before the |premier signs their implementation. He said he expected the regulations to take effect during the New Year period as a gift to Thais.

Dr Saman Futrakul, director of the Disease Control Department's Office of Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco Consumption Control Committee, affirmed the first regulation banned alcohol sales on all parts of roads, hence owners of food stalls with seating areas on footpaths would face punishment if they sold alcoholic drinks.

He explained that the second regulation eradicated a loophole in the previous regulation, which punished sellers with retail licences with two years in jail and/or a Bt4,000 in fine, while unlicensed establishments that sold alcohol outside the allowed time got away with paying a Bt500 fine. The second regulation will see a reduced jail term but a heavier fine, he said.

The third regulation only covered park areas. Hence Bangkok's Suan Rod Fai, which also had a market section, wouldn't be covered by this new rule, he said.

-- The Nation 2012-12-13

[nisakiman]

Ban, ban, ban. Ban this, ban that, ban the other. It's a global epidemic. Won't be too long before they run out of stuff to ban, and nobody will be able to do anything, anytime, anywhere.

What is it with these people?

[JakeBKK]

It's kinda overkill - you can't drink inside vehicles anymore, anyway.

[edwinchester]

What is it with these people?

The annual carnage that is Thai New Year on the roads when upto a thousand people will die is almost upon us. These clowns have no idea how to get the figures down, that is why you have ridiculous nonsense like this.

It never occurs to those in power to simply enforce existing laws for some reason.

[WhizBang]

Alcohol sales set to be banned at roadside stalls

They should make this ban permenant, not just for the holidays.

Not that anyone will really enforce it anyway. Just extra tea money for the pride of Thailand, the BIB.

[jaltsc]

This will have absolutely not effect at all. They buy the alcohol at the corner stand near their house. By the time they are on the road, they are too drunk to even notice the cars in in front of them, let alone that if there is a stand on the side of the road. That is, if they haven't crashed already.

Of course, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee can't figure out that enforcing the law as it is written might have some effect on reaching their goal. Here's a suggestion...At your next meeting, serve water instead of Leo.

[technologybytes]

Hold on a moment, this must be untrue because 90% of the bars and restaurants that I go to are next to a road.. surely they can't ban alcohol in all of them.

[lujanit]

Ban, ban, ban. Ban this, ban that, ban the other. It's a global epidemic. Won't be too long before they run out of stuff to ban, and nobody will be able to do anything, anytime, anywhere.

What is it with these people?

Don't worry, soon they will ban the bans.

[angsta]

This has to be a joke, right?? Roadside? What bar isn't next to a road? Those accessible by boat and/or air only???

What is going on with all this banning shit.

These are laws for Bangkok, they won't work anywhere outside of that city.

It's like being in London or somewhere, awful.

[londonthai]

at the roadside eateries the majority of consumers are not motorists, but local people, so the law won't change much drink driving.

[Soi Sauce]

Does this mean a goodbye to the bars that appear on Sukhumvit at midnite? That'll go down well.

[notime]

Oh, it's okie, it's just another "baan". Didn't they ban smoking in air-con, public places before? Or was it in all rooms open to public? Didn't they ban using mobile phones while driving? And what happened? NOTHING

[sirchai]

"The third measure bans alcohol sales and corruption in state-run parks, police departments and schools, he added.".

[MESmith]

MAKRO will be quiet in the mornings.

[Yvon]

This has to be a joke, right?? Roadside? What bar isn't next to a road? Those accessible by boat and/or air only???

What is going on with all this banning shit.

These are laws for Bangkok, they won't work anywhere outside of that city.

It's like being in London or somewhere, awful.

A bar is considered a service establishment and therefore not included in the ban (yet............).

As to enforcing this new law; does that also mean that the Police themselves don't buy (and drink) in the banned periods?????? Don't think that will go down well with the forces.

Just find out where they buy and go there for your booze.

[MaxLee]

Thailand, the hub of Law enforcement, … oh btw what happened to the banana fritter buyers, who are supposed to get a 500 Baht fine???

[Yvon]

MAKRO will be quiet in the mornings.

As long as you buy 10 lt. or more there is no restriction in alcohol selling time, so just buy 2 boxes of beer instead of 1.

[dsprtliving]

Have always wondered at the "logic" behind banning the sale of alcohol between 2-5 PM. What is the justification behind this law? If it is to discourage students from drinking after school, then surely it would make more sense to enforce a legal drinking age, as opposed to a blanket ban for everyone.

[TheGhostWithin]

By roadside bars, they mean the bars which do bot operate within the confines of a fixed building.

The new ruling means you pay before midnight, and drink until your money runs out or you go hone, and are hopefully sober enough to ask for whatever is left of the money you handed over. This is bound to cause obvious issues, and is similar to laws I've seen upcountry.

This law is easily worked around, and considering police extort the bars along sukhumvit road, I am sure they will continue to be operated by locals, extorted by police, frequented by drunks and used by mafias as a place to swindle a drunk visitor.

This is the place where the Police and the Mafias of Africa shake hands every night without even realising.

[sjjmmi]

So all the jails will be full as well as the pockets of the BIB this new year

[MESmith]

MAKRO will be quiet in the mornings.

As long as you buy 10 lt. or more there is no restriction in alcohol selling time, so just buy 2 boxes of beer instead of 1.

At the moment. Hope it stays that way. But it says ALL SELLERS in the OP

[konfuzed]

I hope this doesn't mean the eradication of cheap Charlie's on Soi 11. What a place that is. (I've only been once but once was enough. )

[timewilltell]

Thailand need some people with sense making the laws. New laws are certainly needed and the existing ones need a thorough overhaul as they are woefully outdated. Certain laws need scrapping as they are anti-justice or just plain Anal. Other laws need strengthening and they all are so so so desperately in need of enforcing. Not only that Thailand desperately needs a police force its people and guests can rely on to work to uphold the law. The corruption is so complete many police, lawyers and judges are all in the corruption together - like a big team of bloodsuckers. So the legal protocols need changing as well to stop this half day (meaning 1hr) a hearing then adjourn nonsense which makes justice unavailable to all but the rich. There is a sort of legal aid system but again it is woefully inadequate, biased and racist

[animatic]

There is no chance that discos and clubs will no longer serve between midnight and 2 am,

anymore than there are no longer large establishments that serve between 2 am and 5 am.

or that there will no longer be sidewalk bars with food on Sukhumvit after midnight.

The only ones that will truly be effected are the hotels and restaurants in visible area.

And they will now start screaming bloddy murder.

This will be a short harassment period, with higher fines, and some high profile example cases,

and then a a slow down to a steady feeder of teamoney up the police chain to the bosses.

Because as a few above noted, the changing of the law means nothing when the enforcement can be bribed off.

This is one reason Thaksin has had the police behind him for many years, he knows how the

'Police Control and Pension Mechanism' works, and makes laws regularly to feed it to his best advantage.

This is yet another installment of Thaksin feeds the police more tea money and keeps his power.

Edited December 13, 2012 by animatic

[schondie]

Nothing will change IMO, the sellers will just keep the beers out of sight but when asked they will proving refreshing beverages to their customers.

[robblok]

What is wrong with just having many alcohol checks on drivers and really punishing them. There are enough laws already but they are just not enforced enough.

Real alcohol checks with real concequence maybe manndatory jailtime would fix it and not bother the people who drink and not drive.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Thaivisa Connect App

[bikkalad]

Nanny State in the making ??? . Come on Burma .

[chrisrazz]

Have always wondered at the "logic" behind banning the sale of alcohol between 2-5 PM. What is the justification behind this law? If it is to discourage students from drinking after school, then surely it would make more sense to enforce a legal drinking age, as opposed to a blanket ban for everyone.

That law was introduced by the post coup administration in paternal manner to prevent middle class school kids drinking, kids from poor families are unlikely to be able to afford beer. It originally applied to all outlets, yet was amended later to only businesses with foreign ownership, meaning that foreign owned bars were restricted whilst a Thai owned bar next door was not. Therefore macro, lotus, big c, 711 were unable to sell a alcohol during those times. Better to police age limits, encourage responsible alcohol consumption and actual driving rules.

Many years ago, an uncle of my wife, the only car in the village, offered to drive us some 400km to visit another branch of the family. Every half hour or so he stopped, my belief was a weak bladder, after 3 or 4 stops I told my wife he was either blind or blind drunk and to stop the car and tell him either I was driving or we were going no further. This was at 7.00 am. I drove. It is a common situation and these new alcohol measures will make little difference where village stores sell Lao kao by the shot.

[LennyW]

'The ban on roadside alcohol sales, except on personal property'

What does this mean.... if the shopkeeper owns the property as opposed to renting it then alcohol sales will be okay??

[happysanook]

Alcohol sales set to be banned at roadside stalls

They should make this ban permenant, not just for the holidays.

Not that anyone will really enforce it anyway. Just extra tea money for the pride of Thailand, the BIB.

yea, i can't believe i'm seeing some of the initial replies...i'm all for freedom, but stopping on the way home from the bar for several more shots of whiskey, before hopping back in the pickup and heading on my way isn't one of them.

Edited December 13, 2012 by happysanook