Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew will request the government’s alcoholic beverage control committee to review a proposal by the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association (TABBA) to lift the rule prohibiting alcohol sales between 2pm and 5pm, reports Bangkok Post.
Under current laws, the permitted hours for selling alcohol in Thailand are restricted to 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 12am. Violating the three-hour ban on alcohol sales in the afternoon may result in penalties for shop and bar owners, including a maximum sentence of six months in jail and/or a fine of B10,000.
In the most recent effort to change the rules, TABBA submitted a petition asking for the repeal of the 2pm–5pm alcohol sale ban to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin, and Dr Cholnan, the Public Health Minister.
“The committee will need to decide what steps to take if it agrees that the 2pm–5pm alcohol sale ban should be removed in support of the government’s tourism promotion policy," Bangkok Post quotes the Public Health Minister as saying.
A committee source indicated that a decision is anticipated at the next meeting on Feb 15.
Should the government’s alcohol beverage control panel endorse TABBA’s request, the committee will refer the decision to the National Alcoholic Beverage Policy Committee for final approval, the source added. This committee is typically chaired by the prime minister or a deputy.
If the national committee confirms the cancellation, a new announcement by the Ministry of Public Health will be issued, allowing the sale of alcoholic beverages between 2pm and 5pm.
The source mentioned that while TABBA’s proposal aligns with the government’s tourism promotion policy, more stringent measures would be required to safeguard the public, particularly minors, from potential risks associated with lifting the ban. TABBA members acknowledge this concern.
The revocation might be expedited to enact the new rule by early April, in time for the annual Songkran festival, the Bangkok Post reports, citing the unnamed source.
Last Thursday (Feb 1), TABBA adviser Thanakorn Kuptajit stated that a recent regulation by the Ministry of Interior allowing entertainment businesses in Bangkok, Phuket, and Chon Buri to extend opening hours until 4am, effective Dec 15, had not fully benefited these businesses due to the afternoon ban. The government needs to address this to fully support its tourism promotion efforts, Mr Thanakorn emphasized.
"Regulations that hinder tourism or are unnecessary should be adjusted to align with the government’s tourism promotion. This alcohol sale ban is one of those regulations," he said.
In addition to advocating for the end of the 2pm–5pm alcohol sale ban, TABBA is urging the government to enhance enforcement of legal measures to prevent alcohol-related road accidents and illegal alcohol sales to individuals under 20 years old, he added.