Afternoon drinking ban..

[uncle tom]

This may be old news, but I'm currently in Chiang Mai for a few days before heading down to HH..

..and there is much angst!

Officials are forcing all the bars to stop serving alcohol between 2pm and 5pm - every day!

Restaurants are not exempt (nor, it appears, hotels) and there's no drinking up time allowed - at 2p.m. sharp, no-one may be seen drinking alcohol..

I gather that this diktat originates from Bangkok..

..so what's happening in HH?

- Not good!

Tom

[Spitfire]

This law has been around for a while, but as with most laws we have the selective enforcement problem.

Must be a periodical knee-jerk drive going on where you are as many places will just still serve the booze to you but in a non see-through plastic cup, as opposed to the original bottle etc, at these times (2-5 pm).

As for buying it, well, the locally owned stores couldn't generally give a toss about it (the law) and will sell you beer or whatever without a second thought, usually it's just the likes of 7-11/Tesco/Malls/Big C etc that actually adhere to the laws.

Must be a local crackdown going on as it must be time for it and could have any number of reasons as to why it has kicked off, doubt it'll be nation wide through. Probably just a PR exercise to show they are attempting to impose the law occasionally.

[lomuamart]

I thought the 2-5pm law was to do with off-sales, not on.
As far as bars are concerned, I've never been refused a beer between 2-5pm except on main Buddha days and Royal birthdays.

[uncle tom]

I thought the 2-5pm law was to do with off-sales, not on.

lomu,

As you quite proficient at understanding Thai law, are you able to check the chapter and verse on that?

You will be the hero of the day up here if you can prove that these goons are exceeding their authority!

Tom

[Spitfire]

All credit to all, but I thought that "technically" it meant all places, off or on. Of course, I could be wrong and Lomuamart could well be right. I too have seldom had problems buying beers in many places at these times, it seems to be just occasionally in certain places or if there is a 'drive' on about it.

I'm sure also that there are regional variations on this sort of stuff too, many cities are run as personal fiefdom of the police colonel and his whims seem to obviously prevail on these matter.

There are so many laws that are simply unenforcible, this being one of them. Consistency is not something you bump into here much regarding stuff like this, regardless of the official score.

What happens somewhere does not mean it happens elsewhere, ambiguity rules/shades of grey, I reckon.

[lomuamart]

I'll do my best to come up with something, UT, but my comments were based on what I've seen reported elsewhere. The - now I think about it - 3-5pm law was introduced for off-sales as kids were coming out of school at that time.
Even a Big C, Tesco or Macro will refuse you alcohol sales during those hours, I believe, unless you're buying by the case as SF has said.
It was introduced a number of years ago, but I'm certain it didn't involve licensed premises for on sales. Their hours are 11am-1am, maybe 2am.
Heck, thinking about it, I saw a newspaper report - BKK Post or Nation - not too long ago saying that the entertainment areas of Pattaya were asking for 24 hour licenses and the plod didn't seem too fussed by it.

[STEVE G]

Yes, I always thought it was just off sales that were covered by that law as well.
Certainly during December I generally had a beer on the beach somewhere during those hours without any bother and if I did that in the small cafe past the temple below the Hilton, there were often a couple of Police drinking there who didn't seem too bothered by practice!

[Lung Per]

A few hours of temperance will not hurt you.
Have a delightful glass of milk !

[Korkenzieher]

Even then, that law is suppose to relate to bulks sales - however that is interpreted - meaning, in theory at least, that you can buy a bottle but not a case.

[Rider]

Chiang Mai's always been a funny bird about the drinking laws. When I was venturing about up there the cops would smugly walk into a bar and order the bottles of whiskey to blatently flaunt their crony-powers.
I was knocking back a sangsom and coke from a glass and it pssed them off that I was in there drinking when it was supposedly 'banned', but there was nothing they could do without making a scene and tasting the drink itself. I left soon after, they'd brought a foul mood in with them and I couldn't be fcked with their bs.

[pharvey]

Never realised the 2-5pm ban included bars and restaurants/hotels etc. and I've certainly never had a problem grabbing a sneaky pint whilst the Long Haired General has been on the afternoon shopping spree.

The one thing that always amazed me in Tesco was that during the 2-5pm period whilst I couldn't buy a bottle of Sang Som or such, or a couple of ''tinnies'' - there was no problem in me buying a case of beer!

Also going out of town on the Pala U road, there's a wholesale booze place which serves throughout the day (single bottles/tinnies also available) - I guess no problem as they're out of town.

[lomuamart]

I'm sure it dosn't apply to on-sales.
However, Chaing Mai seems to be a law unto itself.
BTW, I havn't found any Thai law that clearly states the above mainly because I can't read Thai.
So, UT, get down here and I'll bet you a beer that you can't find an establishment that won't sell you an alcoholic drink - on sales - between 2/3pm-5pm.
The usual excuses of "we're tired, we're out of beer and I just can't be bothered to serve" won't cut it. You have to give a legal reason - he he.
EDIT: I am joking a bit, but the bet still stands.

[pharvey]

A few hours of temperance will not hurt you.
Have a delightful glass of milk !

Ahhh.. Milk

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-make- ... ds-190250/

Milk and Alcohol - sure I know a song about that.........

[HAPPYGOLFER]

A good way of thinking, but only that

[hhfarang]

I've never had a problem anywhere between 2 and 5 other than Tesco and 7/11. That's when I do most of my drinking and buying as I am not much of a night person and all the Thai and Chinese shops will sell you booze, all the bars I've been to in Hua Hin will sell you booze and Villa Market or any of the wholesale liquor stores (like Cathay) don't seem to follow that law. It has only been a problem for me at the two afore mentioned places, Tesco and 7/11s.