Thread: Plan to ban alcohol on Thai New Year

No alcoholic beverages will be sold on April 13, the traditional Thai New Year, if the Alcohol Control Committee’s (ACC) proposal is approved.

The ACC passed a resolution to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks on the national holiday, but it will have to get the green light from the Alcohol Policy Committee before it takes effect.


“We will present it to the Alcohol Policy Committee next month,” said ACC deputy chair Dr Sukhum Karnchanapimai, who is also the permanent secretary for Public Health, after the meeting.


He said the ACC passed a resolution because statistics show road casualties are highest on this day every year.


April 13 marks the traditional Thai New Year and is a part of long Songkran holidays when millions of people hit the roads for home-province visits or vacations. Revellers often celebrated Songkran with alcohol.



In Thailand, drunk driving is a major cause of road accidents.


“Records show between 50 and 60 per cent of adults get behind the wheel even after drinking. The percentage is even higher among those aged younger than 20 years,” Sukhum said.


He said the ACC had pushed for the alcohol-sale ban to prevent people from the danger of drunk driving.


“Even if we don’t drink drive, there is risk of accidents if others drink drive,” he said.


He said the ban on the sale of alcohol during five important religious holidays proves effective in reducing road accidents. These days are Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asharnha Bucha Day, the Buddhist Lent Day, and the End of Buddhist Lent Day.


“The latest resolution … applies to April 13, 2019 only. But if evaluation shows good results, we will propose the ban on alcoholic sale on April 13 of every year,” Sukhum said.





Plan to ban alcohol on Thai New Year

Ban sales every day between 2pm and 5 pm to curb the road toll problem.
Ban sales for one particular day to curb the road toll problem.
No consideration that everyone can stock up every day in the morning from 11 am. No consideration that everyone can and will stock up on April 12. No consideration that every mom and pop store will ignore the ban.
No consideration to educate the public. No consideration to get very very hard on lazy cops who do sweet FA.
The only consideration is "I look important by making inconvenient rules. I'm doing my very important job."

Originally Posted by misskit

“The latest resolution … applies to April 13, 2019 only. But if evaluation shows good results, we will propose the ban on alcoholic sale on April 13 of every year,” Sukhum said.

I wonder if next year, after statistics show zero change in road deaths on April 13, he will rescind the rule and admit it was stupid.

Oh sure - this new project will work, as it does every year during Songkran.

Why do they bother promoting their puritanical ways.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Why do they bother promoting their puritanical ways.

Must be inibriated, stoned, or just talkin shit to leave impression of caring.

It's just the small end of the wedge, only a day for now, next year it will be a whole week.

Why stock up when it’s common knowledge one can buy alcohol anywhere but the big chain stores? Even some of those run a register set at a different time so they can ring up off hour sales. The local police must know but do nothing.

Brings back memories of their short-lived ban on the selling of fuel between (something like) 01:00 and 06:00 some time ago, as this would cut fuel imports. Of course, everyone just made sure they had full tanks before 01:00. Logic and forward thinking simply do not exist here.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Why do they bother promoting their puritanical ways.

Faux religious piety.

It's generally more low key in Buddhism, but definitely there.

Ban driving - that will solve the problem

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Ban sales every day between 2pm and 5 pm to curb the road toll problem.

I thought that was something to do with school kids, not road toll.

No alc sales within 500m from any school, that's to protect school kids. Not implemented, of course - too many schools...

Originally Posted by Fondles

I thought that was something to do with school kids, not road toll.

Yup..

Originally Posted by stroller

No alc sales within 500m from any school, that's to protect school kids. Not implemented, of course - too many schools...

My local Tops has complied with it as of 2 weeks ago. One big aisle of alcohol gone. The 7-11 and Tesco next door haven't.

Originally Posted by Fondles

I thought that was something to do with school kids, not road toll.

Yeah, could be. I read differently, but as you know, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, nor everything some expat tells you. You're probably right. Sort of makes more sense in a Thai sort of way.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Yeah, could be. I read differently, but as you know, you can't believe everything you read on the internet, nor everything some expat tells you. You're probably right. Sort of makes more sense in a Thai sort of way.

It was done with the sole intent of stopping high school kids buying alcohol after school.

(Thai logic: They are not going to get an adult to buy it for them or buy it themselves at another time).

You cannot buy alcohol in Thailand between the hours of 2pm and 5pm on any day of the week. While this might seem a little odd to westerners, and particularly to Europeans who are used to being able to buy alcohol whenever they want to, in Thailand it is simply not allowed.

This is because the Thai government does not want children (read “high school students”) to be able to buy it, so the purchase of alcohol is banned between 2 and 5pm. The rationale for this is that 2pm is the earliest time the schools let out and, by 5pm, kids should be home with their parents.

https://tastythailand.com/when-can-y...s-daily-photo/

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Thai logic: They are not going to get an adult to buy it for them

According to the law, adults can not buy it either during that time, you silly moron.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

or buy it themselves at another time

Yeah, but not on their way back home from school, you foking idiot.

Originally Posted by stroller

According to the law, adults can not buy it either during that time, you silly moron.


Yeah, but not on their way back home from school, you foking idiot.

I didn't say adults would buy it from 2-5, I said kids will get adults to buy it for them or just buy it at another time and drink it when they fucking like.

I think you've gone native you fucking tit.

You're pitiful whinging is about as useful as this legislation.

Originally Posted by stroller

According to the law, adults can not buy it either during that time, you silly moron.

worked then didn't it.

Originally Posted by misskit

Why stock up when it’s common knowledge one can buy alcohol anywhere but the big chain stores? Even some of those run a register set at a different time so they can ring up off hour sales. The local police must know but do nothing.

That's because they prefer to imbibe themselves - so, nothing is enforced or attention brought to the matter.
Always been understood that during these "official dry periods", one can easily find what they need at the local village Mom & Pop shops.....the norm, as most [almost all] don't comply with the draconian silliness.

Why stock up when it’s common knowledge one can buy alcohol anywhere but the big chain stores?

Isn't it the same hypocrisy like no problem in a park when drinking a beer wrapped in a paper bag?