Alcohol ban slapped on next two weekends
I’m in a state of disbelief about this. The next two weekends will see a nationwide alcohol ban enforced. Whether you’re a local, an expat or a tourist, you won’t be able to buy booze at bars, clubs, stores or anywhere else (expect, apparently, large hotels). There was talk of this on a few forums recently, but until today – the day before the ban will take effect – there was no official source. Thai Visa was the first to confirm the rumours.
The first dry days will be 14, 15 and 16 December, pre-election days for a few million Thais who registered to vote early.
Thaivisa has been informed that no alcohol is allowed to be served nationwide between Friday 14th at 6pm until Sunday 16th at midnight.
Elections on the 23rd will mean no alcohol will be sold from 6pm on the 22nd till midnight on the 23rd of December.
Practically this means two or three dry days in the two weekends ahead, although some tourist areas tend to be lenient once it's past 7pm on election day.
Absolute madness. The fact that it’s been so poorly publicized makes it even worse. It kicks in tomorrow and until today, there’s been mass confusion as to what is going on. I understand the importance of the election, but in a country where campaigners give out Viagra to sway votes, would alcohol really make things any worse?
This disastrous regulation has meant that club owners and promoters in Bangkok have been forced to reschedule high-profile events and change the dates that international acts were set to fly into Thailand. I thought nothing could surpass the Flag Bill, but this a whole new level of craziness.
December 13th, 2007 at 5:44 am
Matt, you seem surprised. It is all understandable in the light that the Government doesn't trust its own people not to get pissed and create bedlam over the election period. probably killing great numbers of themselves (which some may argue would be an unintended bonus).
Also, bear in mind that there will be a lot of people on the roads and the government doesn't trust its own people not to get pissed and then bump into things, as they always do on major holidays.
The government is right on both counts, clearly it knows its own people better than we do (or at least, as well as some of us do).
As to the communication of all this, the government is doing the promulgation thing the same way it always does things. Without thought, without structure, and without class. And unburdened by an unseemly competence.
So what's the problemo dude?
Beddie the Wyr
December 13th, 2007 at 5:57 am
Election weekend everyone knew about — but this extra pre-election weekend was sprung on us all.
I wanted to go out this weekend.
December 13th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Well its a sad thing when we need booze that much to forget about our problems or have a good time. I am as guilty as the rest however and although I could use a weekend off drinking just like when I was a kid I am sure we will find some way to get some booze. Hahaha
And we can t really get mad, we are guests here and its their rules. It could be much worse we could not drink alcohol ever which if follow buddism correctly is not good for your body and if true follower of buddha you do not do things to your body that harm it.
Anyways its all good for a great laugh about this place and they are smart not to tell everyone days ion advance otherwise we would have time to create an uprising or clear out all the stores of alcohol and bootleg it anyway. Which is a damn great idea!! Hahaha. Enjoy all and Merry Boring Christmas Season
December 13th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
I agree with what some of the other guys have said – basically, its their country and they can make any silly laws they like and as a guest in that country, you can either accept it gracefully or go somewhere else. In view of the thousands of people who die on the roads in Thailand over long weekends, it makes perfect sense to ban alcohol sales. So you go without for a few days and people get to live a bit longer – not a bad deal i would say. Why don't you just buy your booze before hand and stockpile it for the weekend – you could even sell it to some other desperados like yourself and make enough cash to pay for your holiday. You may also get free accommodation in Bangkok courtesy of the Thai government.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
Some people eventually get it. Hooray!
As a person who does not drink alcohol, I think this is the best news I have heard so far. It would be better if they stop producing it altogether.
December 14th, 2007 at 1:07 am
I don't really agree with what everybody is saying. What about the businesses that will be affected? Most of them only found out about this rule the day before — if they even know about it now. Major events have been scuppered and people will lose a lot of money because they weren't told in advance about this.
"Its their country and they can make any silly laws they like and as a guest in that country, you can either accept it gracefully or go somewhere else."
^This is exactly the sort of idea that drives me crazy. What about in Germany when the holocaust took place? Their country, right? They can do what they want with it. And Burma? It's their country so they can kill as many people as they like, right? How about Cambodia? It was their country so the genocide that took place is OK. This is madness.
December 14th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Was there an alcohol ban in Germany during the Holocaust? That's tragic
December 14th, 2007 at 3:59 am
Hahaha. Quite possibly. My point is that just because it's not your country, you can still have an opinion on what goes on there, even if, god forbid, that opinion is in conflict with something occurring in the country. Obviously I'm not saying all Cambodian people are in favor of genocide or all Germans in favor of the holocaust.
December 15th, 2007 at 5:11 am
Just got to Bangkok last nite for some pre- arranged brithday celebrations. Staying at a large hotel…I can assure you the hotels are not exempt from this law. We have flown in from Jakarta, and are meeting people coming in from some other asian countries for a big brithday bash tonite……….OR NOT!!!
I realize that the hotel has no power here, but I think it would have been wise as to inform there guests before arrival to give them a chance to make other arrangements. What wrong with this government, I don't by this shit of "like it or lump it" I am not a guest in this country….I am a tourist spending my hard earned money here for a special celebration. The crap that this has caused myself and the other people in this party… not to mention the $$$$$ will make us think twice before making plans in the future here.
December 15th, 2007 at 5:51 am
Actually the Holocaust was scattered through Europe conquered by Nazi Germany…
And mostly occured in Poland.
Nonetheless, the executioners were German. But other nationalities sadly gave a hand…
December 15th, 2007 at 6:05 am
A predictable if not credible call to like it as it is or go somewhere else. Supported by the hugely credible Sooksiam.
Whatever happened to changing from within? Anyone with more than 2 brain cells to bump together knows that Thai culture is doomed. It will be replaced either by a western culture or (more likely) by Chinese culture which is probably more compatible. Thais are dinosaurs. Evolve r die is the way of nature and it is only lazy people who want to maintain the status quo. As well as those parasites who live handsomely off the profits of keeping the majority of Thais poor whilst brainwashing them to believe it is good for them and that the Government and others really love them like parents love rather dim children.
Still, worth pointing out that I don't actually live in Thailand but I do have good friends there and visit regularly so my perspectives are consistent with Thailand today. Perhaps I just care enough about my Thai brethren to want to help them as they grow up.
Condescending? Perhaps? Insulting? Not unless observation of facts is inherently insulting. Helpful? I hope so, but with a recalcitrant and conceited population like Thais, it is sensible to go about ones business with a certain… amusement.
Of course we could always get on the the quality of westerners in LOIG, and it would be equally amusing. As a German college owner of my acquaintance said, "Thailand is full of the dregs of humanity". To which I would merely add… "because it chooses to be".
Bedwyr
December 15th, 2007 at 7:59 am
What's happening to this country??????
I have been coming here for last 10 yrs for about 6 months
The fact is that every year we come I sense more & more that Thai don't like us.
The new dictatorship… is screwing its people BIG!!!!!
I bought some beer last nite from a road side food stall & took it back to my hotel, as they were not serving it. Today I walked passed the food stall and the lady who runs it came running out to see if I needed more beer.
She needs to make a living, why does this government not see that such stupidity hurts there people?????
Its know wonder Thailand's growth is the worst in South East Asia
Screw the tourists, screw the business's, screw the people………. and while we are at it lets fuck up our country so no one whats to come here any more
December 15th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
I could buy it for you, if you like but personally I don't drink it. I have still seen some of my friends getting totally drunk. They seem to have no problem with obtaining booze. They do not seem to take any notice of the ban. I haven't noticed anything different from last weekend.
December 15th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I am frankly curious Sooksiam. What was it that happened when you last got drunk ythat made you forswear the evil liquor? Was it very terrible?
ps. Do you know how French women hold their liquor?
December 16th, 2007 at 8:49 am
[...] The Lost Boy is as emotional about it as the not always sober The Farang Speaks 2 Much. [...]
December 16th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Survey from Thursday to Sunday night from notorious Pattaya! Most of foreign owned well established Restaurants obeyed and sure enough, lost customers and money. Royal Garden Plaza in the middle of Beach Road, alcohol sale out- and inside! Who are those owners? Saturday night big Police party in Naklua. They didn't cancel and enjoyed…off course with alcohol! Was anybody left to enforce the countrywide ban? Sattahip local authorities didn't gave out any ban for the weekend, so happy drinking over there…Some go-go bars faced a closure, even though they didn't sell alcohol, others were left open, surprised? An official statement said, 10.000 B fine and some years in prison. Pattaya's officials threatened with a 60 days closure of establishments.
Guys and girls, this isn't about drinking or not, because all Thais who like that, had their parties anyway! But what happened again, is giving out an order and only and sadly most of the foreigners and tourists, not able to vote anyway, got hit.
It's about some officials, having a good idea in general, but then again no idea about the consequences for the economy and status of this country in the face of the whole world. I live and work here for many years already and pray to my god, that the elections will bring up the right person to integrate this country and people into our global community and face the challenges as a future fair partner to anybody playing fair as well.
December 17th, 2007 at 6:45 am
oreillys in silom was serving alchohol on Saturday night, allbeit in paper cups… as was pretty much every bar in patpong..
December 20th, 2007 at 7:58 am
Lolz, wow I didn't know the Thailand government would go that far. Anyways great post. I'm Sunny by the way, the previous owner of DesiNotes.com.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Hi,
The alcohol ban is not new, it had occured whenever there's an election for years … So this is not linked to the power that be (At least we can't charge the for that).
However I agree that the ban on 14, 15 and 16 related to advance voting operations sounds new to me and wasn't advertised enough.
basically, I'm not fond of these bans as it looks a little bit paternalistic but maybe it was deemed necessary because of the low turn-out ? Since this ban was implemented, has the turn-out increased?
December 21st, 2007 at 3:30 am
"Royal Garden Plaza in the middle of Beach Road, alcohol sale out- and inside! Who are those owners? Saturday night big Police party in Naklua". . ."oreillys in silom was serving alchohol on Saturday night, allbeit in paper cups… as was pretty much every bar in patpong.."
Witches in Thonglor was selling booze, but on the second floor only. Different police district, different rules. Typically for this country the law is not being enforced with any sort of uniformity. If I were a publican in this country whose main business is foreign tourists (not "guests" in Thailand, paying customers!) I would be mightily pissed off at losing two weekends of trade during the high season. Services, especially tourism, are still the primary generator of revenue in this country, so one might expect the Thai authorities to give a bit more consideration to tourists and to the people who work hard to serve them here. That would be a bit too sensible, of course.
In the Philippines, where drinking is also banned during elections, the ban does not extend to foreigners, who can't vote anyway. A rare case in which the PI seems more sensible than Thailand. (A preemptive "up yours" to those who might write with a "then go to the PI").
As to the locals voting and drinking, it's probably a good idea to stop them getting drunk and having delusional notions that their votes will affect the power structure in this country one iota. Basically it's a choice between none-too-clever old guard elitists pillaging the country for their own gain and the new guard doing the same, only in a slightly smarter, more Machiavellian/populist manner; you'd have to be drunk or smoking ya baa to think that will change.
Thanks for the opportunity to vent, albeit pointlessly.
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I am sorry, but what right does a foreigner have to say that the Thai government does everything without thought and without structure? Are you all new to Thailand? FYI, they have been banning alcohol on election weekend for the past 10 years. If you don't like it, why don't you kiss their asses? I think your complaints are ridiculous. Yes, this ban is a slight, brief inconvenience. Are you so spoiled that you can't handle it for one lousy weekend? Apparently you think the government is here to put smiles on people's faces. To assume that there is no reason behind this policy is absurd and unfair. Get over yourselves, ignorant fucks.
December 23rd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
By the way, can somebody tell me why some idiot always comes out with a holocaust comparison. This is not Nazi Germany just because we can't purchase alcohol for fucking 4 out of 365 days of the year. WOW, I'm amazed.
December 23rd, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Hi Sarah. Are you new in Thailand? How much thought went into an alcohol ban that saw the people who sell alcohol for a living only told about it the day before? Obviously quite well planned out there. Makes sense that a postal vote should mean a ban on alcohol for three days. Of course! How right you are.
You obviously aren't clued up on Thai affairs, because you seem completely unaware that this is high season, meaning that businesses who rely on alcohol sales and promoting events will lose out considerably. Did you ever think that those people have families to feed? Obviously not. What if it were your business and you could, for one moment, step down from your perch and see the real world. Oops.
Nobody is comparing Thailand to Nazi Germany. You obviously missed the point that was being made and then the comment after it about nobody comparing Thailand to Nazi Germany. Good job, once again.
You seem like a nice lady, albeit slightly troubled. Please let us know if there is any way we can help.
January 1st, 2008 at 5:45 pm
No sir, I am not new to Thailand. I am Thai and have been here my whole life. My point is, foreigners on this forum are judging the values of another country's government based on the values of their own. I am fully aware that Thailand relies heavily on tourism revenue. I would not have spoken out about my frustration towards your complaints had I not known anything. If you read my comment, you'll see that I say nothing about the Thai government being perfect. However, it sickens me to see people like you attack the Thai government for the wrong reasons– because your sorry ass couldn't drink for 4 days. All of a sudden you care about the Thai economy. So many tourists come to this country with some sense of entitlement, and ignorantly treat it and its people with little respect. Thailand already caters highly to tourists every single day of the year. Now the tourists have to spend their money on something else for a couple of days, and people become so outraged to go as far as saying that the Thai government makes all decisions without thought or structure. Perhaps you should march on Bangkok and protest this inhumane abuse to the people… a 2 weekend alcohol ban! God help us.
January 1st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
And please… two can play the sarcasm game. Oops! You didn't know I was Thai… that I need no education about the effect of this ban on Thai businesses during high season. Try me.
January 1st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Sorry for the multiple posts, I am forgetting things along the way. I have to mention that if you talk to just a handful of bartenders in Bangkok they most likely tell you that they were able to sell alcohol after a certain hour each of those days depending on the police district that they were in. I went to a few restaurants over the weekend and was able to buy drinks in the evening, because the police– for those who don't know– make deals with business owners on a regular basis and even let what's supposed to be the 2am curfew slide.
January 2nd, 2008 at 2:35 am
OK great. But I don't live in Bangkok. I do, however, have friends who lost hundreds of thousands of baht because they were told to close their bars THE DAY BEFORE. It was a poorly organized affair for the PRE ELECTION WEEKEND because nobody was told about it. That's a plain fact.
You are talking nonsense. The government and local officials down here have all said how much Phuket (and this aplpies to Bangkok) relies on tourism. It is a primary source of income for your country that feeds your people. why would you want to do something to jeopardise that? I know exactly what the police do, Sarah, but you obviously didn't see all the large bars closed that I saw. And you didn't hear about the large number of events that were canceled.
Every bar owners and promoter I interviewed (and some of these are Thais) said that the ban was a shambles and that it should not have affected the whole country and been applied to tourists. That's what the Thai people were saying.
So, what about all of my Thai friends who think the same as me? Would you slate their opinions too? I work for a newspaper, Sarah. I'm looking at this from all sides. Clearly, you are not. And I could actually drink on every one of those days of the bans, but that's not my point.
January 2nd, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I feel for your friends. However, this ban is about a decade old… so ill-preparedness contributes to their loss as well. I'm frustrated that we are going in circles, because your response suggests that I agree with the ban. I have not said that once yet. What I don't agree with is when people, foreigners in particular, GENERALLY tearing down the Thai government based on ONE issue when there are several other more severe issues to be addressed.
Aside from what I was really trying to say and how you were horribly misinterpreting it, your Thai friends can think the same as you, I have my own opinion, and though you may believe that I am outnumbered, it does not reduce my right to express my frustration with the manner in which people discuss this issue. My family is not rich, we struggled too, through hard, honest work. I understand what it means to have a financial setback totally out of one's control. That doesn't mean that foreigners should complain for the wrong reasons, and then try to excuse it with "I've got lots of Thai friends who agree!". THAT is what I am getting at. I have a feeling, however, that I will be accused of "nonsense" again by some know-it-all smack talker on this forum.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:06 am
My original post wasn't tearing down the government. It was tearing down the alcohol ban. We're addressing one issue in this discussion. If you want to broaden the debate we could bring in stuff like the Youtube fiasco or the fiasco surrounding the former head of the country's tourism organization.
Anyway, we're going round in circles. The real issue is that you don't take kindly to foreigners criticizing your government.
January 5th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I am not trying to step in here, but I find this Farang's comment rather interesting:
(Farangs often complain about the lack of law enforcement here, but some would go stark raving mad if the cops enforced the law about illegal prostitution)
Just how many foreigners, Westerners in particular, were up-in-arms last weekend bemoaning their heads off at the rigid law enforcement concerning the restricted sales of alcohol? Sure, I can empathize with those wanna-be tanked-up tourists who had been patiently looking forward to their annual rendezvous in The Land of Smiles and Singha beer, but I certainly don’t side with any expatriate critic who on other occasions, complains incessantly about the general lack of law enforcement. You can call it vested interests.
Visit any bar or Farang Internet forum anytime of the year and you can be assured that you will soon be finding Westerners, who do nothing but waffle on about how much corruption there is and how lousy the Thai police are. Yet though, it is often these kind of people who can be found at resort towns on election days, sat in some unlit bar, sipping an alcoholic beverage served in a coffee cup. By Jove, they know that the bar they are attending is quite obviously breaking the law, but this time around they just couldn’t care less. That is however, until a couple of mean looking cops on their bikes park outside and demand the bar be shut that very instant. Out on the street beer-less, they can next be heard groaning out loud about the tough law enforcement and the injustice of it all. Isn’t it quite ironic!?
Thailand has a pretty bad name for corruption and a lot of foreigners here are quick to mention it, but then again, it is often they themselves who will bend the law at every other opportunity they feel it appropriate. Ok, I certainly may not agree with some of the visa issues in Thailand, but they are law right? So how come, foreigners and their developed Western concept of anti-corruption, can be witnessed calling up some back-alley law firm asking them for assistance on bypassing the legal documentation needed for “getting a good visaâ€.
Just admit it, supposedly incorruptible foreigners are often nothing of the sort and just love participating in wretchedly corrupt practice. Go upcountry or to the sea-side and enjoy the sight of all those intelligent Westerners doing it Thai-style, riding a motorbike with no helmet while in possession of some dodgy driver’s license they either bought off some geezer they met in a pub, or got off some corrupt lawyer who acquired it from a reputable governmental source of his. I have certainly lost count now, the amount of times I have heard foreigners advise each other on the correct action to take when being pulled over by a traffic cop. Typical expat advise goes like this “All right mate, what ya do like, is do as the locals do and sneakily hand the geezer a hundred baht noteâ€. Or how about this, for another piece of expert expatriate advice when facing a similar situation, “Whatever ya do, don’t speak Thai, just babble on in English and there’s a sound chance he’ll just let ya goâ€.
Now, some Thais may think that Farang are a bit dumb when it comes to anything Thai-style, but I can promise you that there are times when they are as smart as the locals. Take Mr John Smith, your average expatriate, he isn’t too thick not too realize that having a few ‘big noodles’ (connections) can often be very advantageous indeed. How can I find out about this? You may ask. Well, again, pop down your local Farang booze house and you may hear John proudly explaining about all the ‘highly connected’ name-cards he has managed too acquire. “Really handy things these are. If I ever get stopped by some cop, I just get out my wallet, pull a card out and shove it in the bloke’s face. I mean like, you gotta show these police officers the kinda people ya associate with, know what I mean?â€
You have to admit it, there are plenty of Westerners who come to Thailand believing they can get away with any kind of quite obnoxious behaviour. And, as a matter of fact, they probably can, as there is a general police attitude of ignoring a Farang’s ‘weird’ sense of decency. At many a tourist destination, the good-hearted lawmen simply turn a blind-eye to some of the worst unruly social disorder east of a London football match; caused more often than not, by a few too many jars of the old amber brew. I hasten to add, that if a Thai guy tried to follow in the steps of some of these hoodlums, he would be swiftly arrested and incarcerated for the night.
On the subject of incarceration, I seriously disagree with the type of living conditions inmates are subjected too, but foul-minded Westerner criminals ought to have realized what they were like before embarking on a series of crooked activities. After release, half of them decide to inform the world in the form of a book about the atrocious state of Thailand’s prisons. Personally though, in my opinion, most of these guys ought to have read up on the standards of imprisonment in Thailand beforehand. That said, they wouldn’t go on to bicker and complain so much.
What’s another huge complaint we hear from Farangs concerning Thai folk? Well, there is certainly the one to do with ‘trying’ to over-charge. I hate to tell you Farang people the truth, but most Thais will disagree with a lot of your views on this matter. They may say it’s the Farangs own fault for showing off his wealth in the first place; trying to make himself to be all important; with one of them attitudes along the lines of “I come from a developed country and you a third world oneâ€. A good example of this is in tourist nightlife venues, some Farang goes in there, gets served and pampered by a female in a skimpy skirt and on leaving, hands her a five hundred-baht tip. This is striking contrast to the next place he goes, a flashy restaurant. Here, after getting served by a hard-working waiter who got his order just slightly wrong, he angrily tosses him a huge tip of 10 baht. I am certain you have seen it, the Farang can throw wads of cash in the direction of some local un-known woman he fancies, but when the accordion-playing blind musician walks past begging for a few coins, he simply looks away as if he didn’t exist.
Therefore, before us Westerners can bicker on about over-charging, we have to realize that sometimes it is actually caused by the actions of other white folk who have been here before us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s right, but there are times when we ought to take a look in the mirror. Take the two-teired price system for instance. Geez, now how many complaints have we heard about that? Before suddenly lambasting the Thais though, do understand that they too are often the victim of such practice when they go to Farangland. And ironically, the most infamous place for the two-teired price system in many a developed country, is in an educational institution.
And back to the subject of visas again, don’t you go thinking too that Thais empathize too much with all our winging complaints about ‘their’ regulations. As for the Thais, when ‘they’ want to visit Farangland, they have to tolerate a ‘developed’ system which dictates a wait of a couple of months before they even get an interview. And when they do, it’s facilitated by a patronizing embassy official who makes a Thai immigration officer look as kind as The Dalai Lama.
And finally, I read online all the time about Westerners in Thailand complaining about discrimination against them. So, for all those Farang ‘folk’ who feel they are constantly victimized, may I ask you today, for just a few moments, to contemplate the kind of discrimination Thais face when they go to your wonderful country.
Taken from
http://www.thai-blogs.com/index.php?blog=8&title=us_farangs_need_to_take_a_look_in_the_mi&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
January 8th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Finally some perspective. I have something to add to this. Vanalli, you say you are a journalist, so you are seeing this issue from all sides. I think you have missed something quite significant. One of the major reasons behind this alcohol ban has to do with campaign corruption. Most candidates take advantage of the high population of Thais lacking education. These candidates literally go anywhere and everywhere outside of Bangkok to campaign to large groups of uneducated people… by throwing huge elaborate parties and getting everybody drunk! These candidates become very friendly with these poor, uninformed people, and use this as their major strategy to gain votes rather than thoroughly educating people about the issues. I do not make this up. Needless to say, in the village where my family comes from in the province of Roi-et, they did this. This is widespread, not just an instance here or there. You think the alcohol ban is political corruption? Preying on the uneducated via alcohol is pretty damn corrupt.
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:08 am
oh well…will just get really stoned instead…2 the nut who said alcohol should be banned…well the tourism trade in thailand would be boomin then.