Thai alcoholic beverage laws

[chazthai]

Can someone tell me the rationale for the restriction of liquor sales to 11AM-2PM and after 5 PM? I can understand the reason perhaps on election days (to prevent vote buying with a free beer), but to deal with this every other day of the year seems unreasonably restrictive and archaic.

[Victor]

The rationale behind this crazy rule was that, by restricting the time of sale, so they thought, you (we) all cannot get drunk 24/7, because even the drunk should need a rest a couple of hours everyday.
Keep complaining about this and they may take away your right to keep the beer in the fridge!

[chazthai]

Oh...thanks, I get it now! So the idea is to get drunk early in the day and then sleep all afternoon. Sounds good to me...a recipe for real social progress!

[ohm]

by chazthai on Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:45 p08

Can someone tell me the rationale for the restriction of liquor sales to 11AM-2PM and after 5 PM? I can understand the reason perhaps on election days (to prevent vote buying with a free beer), but to deal with this every other day of the year seems unreasonably restrictive and archaic.

Your post is a little confusing to me about the times.

Many shops stop sale of alcohol between 2pm and 5pm and this was put in place to help curb alcohol sales to school kids.

This is the time of the day when schools let out.

[chazthai]

Ohm: This confuses you??? What shopkeeper in his right mind would sell alcohol to a child? Aren't there already laws to prohibit that? If there is any question, doesn't everyone carry an ID card with his birthdate on it? If this happened in the USA, the seller would be hauled off before the judge!

[Victor]

Actually the law is there, but the problem is the enforcer of the law (the police) are not always there to catch those who sell alcohol to minors.
And even when they (the police) were there it doesn't mean that they will enforce the law every time (depending on their mood and/or the amount of money in their pocket, etc).
After a little while here you will learn more about the action (more likely, the inaction) of the Thai police.

[Hypocrisy]

There is a big problem in Bangkok with rival technical college students fighting, sometime guns are used, and this I think was the reason this law was brought about, hopefully to go some way to prevent or reduce the violence, however it only applies in the big super stores! I've never had a problem buying a few Leos down the soi!!!

[Victor]

Students from rival vocational schools have been at war with each other for years and had nothing to do with this alcoholic law. It is advisable therefore to stay away from them and try not to get caught in the middle, especially on the bus that operate around those schools.
This is one example of the incompetency of those official who supposed to be the enforcer of the law.

[ThaimanX10]

The reason is stupid, 1. Ohm says it the prevent the children,students from drinking during the day until school lets out??
First between 2 to 5 the children, students are in school or should be so how do they buy alcohol ? 2. The law says you can not buy a certain amount between these hours, however, if you walk into Tesco-Lotus and put over 15 bottles in your basket they will sell it to you. If you want 2 or 3 they won't sell it to you. You need to really want to get drunk, not just tipsy

[pinto]

First between 2 to 5 the children, students are in school or should be so how do they buy alcohol ? 2.

Believe it or not, some students just skip some classes to get some drink
Don't get me wrong, I agree that the law is stupid and is not rigidly enforced by officials.