Alcohol ban in Thailand over New Year

[wombat 5]

.Alcohol ban in Thailand over New Year

 

 

 

It will be a dry New Year. Stock up your champagne and drinks before New Year!

 

 

Govt moves to curb New Year cheer

 

Restricted alcohol sales at food shops and restaurants

between 11am and 2pm, and 5pm to midnight, between December 29 and January 4.

 

BANGKOK: If you want to drink the year away, plan well. An unprecedented clampdown on liquor sales during the New Year is looming, and revellers had better stockpile booze and check the new alcohol sale times to prepare for parties, police advised yesterday.

 

The government says it wants to reduce accidents over the festive period. Last year 562 people were killed and about 32,000 injured, mainly on the country's roads.

 

The sale of alcohol will be restricted at most food shops and restaurants - from 11am to 2pm, and 5pm to midnight, between December 29 and January 4.

 

"Entertainment venues" will be exempt from the clampdown, police said.

 

Shop or restaurant owners caught violating the rules face up to two years in prison or a Bt4,000 fine, police said.

 

Convenience stores, notorious for breaching liquor bans, will be closely watched.

 

"If people want longer hours of fun, they can either go to entertainment places, which will open until 2am or they can simply celebrate at home and drink as much as they want," Thong Lor police station chief Col Somchai Into said.

 

Police have been told to invoke a 1972 law introduced by coup-makers to enforce the liquor sale rules, he said.

 

"We received instructions from the national police commission to launch strict surveillance of alcohol sales during the New Year period," Lat Phrao police station chief Col Somporn Tumsawat said.

 

People found drinking in public places, such as in parks or by the road, between 1am to 5pm will be dispersed and told to go home, said Somporn. Those who resist could be charged with creating a public disturbance.

 

"It's not that the government wants to be a kill-joy," said Somchai. "We just want to make sure alcohol is not sold in a chaotic way. Drunk people should stay at home, and not drive around looking to buy more booze."

 

Convenience store owners said the measures were easier said than done, particularly over the New Year.

 

"People celebrate all day and all night long," said one shop owner in Bang Na, who requested anonymity. "You just can't tell them when to start and when to stop. How many policemen do we need to enforce these rules?"

 

--The Nation 2003-12-17

[kjvegas 2]

No beer ? [smiley=banghead.gif] [smiley=banghead.gif]

Fuck that.   ;D

cheers

kj

[mister_handy 124]

Entertainment venues exempt?

 

Aren't people MORE apt to get smashed at a bar than at a restaurant?

[VoxVader 1]

Seems like this is not oriented towards foreigners at all.  The ban is mostly going to effect package liquor sales.  Most Thais are not going to be drinking in some bar, it's too expensive.  Seems like an effort to stop a lot of car crashes and other problems by making people get their booze early and stay home with it.

 

Hell, I live in a state in the U.S. where liquor sales are banned outside of entertainment establishments EVERY SUNDAY.

 

-Vox

[GoodMorning 0]

It was somewhat the same last year. When I came in on December 31st, I tried to buy some beers on the way to Pattaya. But no gass stations were allowed to sell anything for the new year period.

 

 

Tor

[Shit_Happens 31]

The government says it wants to reduce accidents over the festive period. Last year 562 people were killed and about 32,000 injured, mainly on the country's roads.  

If they really want to reduce the road toll they should pay their Police a decent wage to take some of the incentive away for taking bribes, plus get very tough on the ones that still do.

Then they might start fining and or arresting drink drivers instead of the usual 100 to 200 baht in the hand.

Anyway, thats my opinion. >