BANGKOK, Nov 8 — Thailand is cracking down on afternoon drinking, with new laws now in force that could see anyone caught with an alcoholic beverage in hand during banned hours fined at least 10,000 baht (RM 1,290).
Under the amended Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, drinking or being served alcohol between 2pm and 5pm in most retail outlets and supermarkets is now a personal liability, Bangkok Post reported today.
According to the Thai daily, these restrictions have been in place since 1972, but the changes shift responsibility squarely onto consumers.
Exceptions remain for licensed hotels, entertainment venues, certified tourist-area establishments, and airports serving international flights.
Advertising rules have also been tightened. Promotions must now be purely factual, and any use of celebrities, influencers or public figures for marketing is strictly banned.
“The new regulations will have an adverse effect on restaurants because it is the customer that is now ‘restricted’ by the stipulated sale hours,” Chanon Koetcharoen, president of the Thai Restaurant Association was quoted as saying.
“If an establishment sells a bottle of beer to a customer at 1.59pm, for example, but they sit and drink on the premises until 2.05pm, that will constitute a violation of the law under Section 32, and that person could be fined. This will impede the growth of the restaurant industry,” he added.
There are concerns the stricter laws could allow officials to target customers or restaurants for personal gain.
“The amended law aims to serve the purpose of those opposing alcohol,” Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a Thai brewer and an Opposition MP was quoted as saying.
He added that foreign tourists may also be confused if they order a drink before prohibited hours but consume it afterward.
Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand and many practitioners and monks follow the Five Precepts, which include abstaining from alcohol to promote mindfulness and avoid heedlessness.
