US EditionThailand lifts ban on afternoon alcohol sales in time for year-end holiday festivities
Thailand permits alcohol sales from 11 a.m. to midnight in a six-month trial to boost tourism and economic recovery, with officials monitoring its impact amid health concerns.
- On Dec 3, Thailand relaxed a decades-old afternoon alcohol sales ban in a six-month trial allowing purchases from 11:00 to midnight while a committee studies its impact.
- Officials last month reviewed the long-standing 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. sales ban, originally enacted to prevent government employees from drinking during work hours, while the government framed the easing to boost the tourism sector.
- Liquor stores and accredited establishments can now sell beer, wine and spirits from 14:00 to 17:00 during a six-month trial, with Health Minister Pattana Promphat calling it `appropriate to the present situation` in the Royal Gazette, while enforcement had been inconsistent previously.
- The timing arrives just days before Christmas and the New Year holiday, but central Bangkok businesses on Wednesday reported little change as some shoppers at 7-Eleven and Gourmet Wine Cellar chose non-alcoholic drinks.
- Public health experts warned the eased hours could raise accident and drunk-driving risks, with WHO and public health ministry figures showing about 33,000 drink-driving deaths from 2019–2023, while authorities rejected the 4 AM nightlife extension proposal.
58 Articles
58 Articles
Thailand allows afternoon alcohol sales in time for year-end holiday festivities
Thailand has lifted a 53-year-old ban on the afternoon retail sale of alcoholic drinks. The ban originally enacted in 1972 prohibited sales from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The change came into effect Wednesday. Lifting the ban allows sales from…
Thailand eases alcohol ban to attract more tourists
Thailand has temporarily eased a ban on the sale of afternoon alcoholic drinks in a move aimed to attract more tourists.Restaurants, bottle shops and other authorised outlets can now sell beer, wine and spirits from 2pm to 5pm as part of a six-month trial, the BBC reports.Overseas tourists, including Australians, have often been confused by the afternoon prohibition of alcohol sales in Thailand, a top destination for partygoers.READ MORE: 1000 …
More alcohol over the counter is apparently boosting tourism in Thailand. At least on Wednesday the country temporarily lifted a 53-year-old ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages during the afternoon hours...
Thailand has relaxed decades-old restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages, allowing the sale of wine, beer and spirits between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. for a six-month trial period, which had previously been banned.
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