BANGKOK – Thailand’s Public Health Department has scrapped its decades-old ban on selling alcohol between 2 pm and 5 pm, with the change taking effect nationwide immediately. The new rule was announced in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday and rolled out across the country on Wednesday, marking a major and highly contentious shift in Thailand’s alcohol control policy.
The order, signed by Public Health Minister Pattana Phrompat, removes the three-hour afternoon blackout that puzzled many tourists and annoyed bar owners, hotels, and restaurants. Instead, the government has introduced a 180-day trial period to weigh the economic gains against the social costs, with a sharp focus on public health and traffic safety.
Before the change, alcohol sales were tightly restricted. Shops and venues could sell from 11 am to 2 pm, then had to shut off sales for three hours, and could start again from 5 pm until midnight. The new regulation joins these two windows into one continuous period, allowing alcohol sales from 11 am straight through to midnight at licensed venues and retail outlets.
The rule also brings in a new grace period that has pleased many in the nightlife and entertainment scene. Alcohol sales must still stop at midnight, but customers at licensed premises now have until 1 am to finish their drinks. Venue owners say this extra hour softens the previous abrupt closing time and reduces tension between staff and customers at the last orders.
In a statement released with the amendment, Minister Phrompat said the relaxed rules were needed to bring Thailand’s tourism laws in line with global practice, arguing that the old afternoon ban was out of date. “These recent changes are appropriate for the current situation, particularly in stimulating our vital tourism and hospitality industries,” he said. Many observers see the move as a direct response to long-running pressure from business and tourism groups keen to boost spending in the high season, especially in the run-up to the New Year and Songkran.
A Test Period: Growth, Jobs, and Public Order
The happier mood among business owners has been quickly matched by a strong backlash from health experts and social policy advocates. The 180-day trial, which will end later this year, will be closely tracked by provincial Alcohol Control Committees in every region, including Chiang Rai.
These committees will collect and review data on several key issues: alcohol sales volumes, incidents of disorder, and, above all, the number and severity of road accidents. Their findings will feed directly into the final decision on whether to keep or scrap the relaxed rules.
Opposition groups have already made their stance clear. Road safety campaigners and NGOs that focus on drink-driving prevention say they are deeply worried that longer daytime sales will worsen an already serious road safety crisis.
“Opening up three hours in the afternoon creates an opportunity for consumption during what are typically work and school collection hours,” a spokesperson for a major road safety foundation said. They asked not to be named because of the political sensitivity of the decision. “We fear this trial will lead directly to an uptick in driving under the influence, putting countless lives, especially vulnerable road users like motorcyclists, at risk.”
Thailand’s Deadly Roads
These concerns are rooted in hard numbers, not theory. Thailand has long struggled with high levels of alcohol use and one of the worst road safety records in the world. The country regularly appears near the top of global rankings for road deaths per head of population. Recent World Health Organization (WHO) data confirms that Thailand has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates worldwide.
Figures from the Public Health Ministry covering 2019 to 2023 are bleak. Nearly 33,000 people died in incidents linked to drunk driving during those four years. Alcohol is a major factor in many crashes, alongside speeding, weak enforcement of traffic laws, and poor driving habits. Thailand is also among the top alcohol-consuming countries in Asia on a per capita basis. Critics of the new rule say this combination makes any easing of restrictions especially risky.
In northern provinces such as Chiang Rai, which depend heavily on both local and cross-border tourism, the new regulation creates a finely balanced situation. Restaurant owners, guesthouse operators, bar managers, and trekking companies are pleased to be able to serve guests without an afternoon pause, especially visitors who like to relax or check in mid-day.
At the same time, police, hospitals, and emergency responders are preparing for a possible rise in alcohol-related incidents.
There is a fear that any short-term boost in spending might be overshadowed by higher social and healthcare costs. More drink-driving, more injuries, and more late-night violence could quickly eat into the extra income generated by longer sales hours.
Watching the Numbers
The 180-day trial will be a period of scrutiny and intense policy debate. Officials will pore over data from hospitals, police reports, local councils, and business surveys. Tourism operators are expected to highlight higher sales and happier guests, while health professionals and NGOs will track casualty numbers and pressure the government if those numbers rise.
When the trial ends, the government will have to make a difficult choice. On one side sits the powerful tourism and hospitality sector, which brings in huge revenue and supports millions of jobs. On the other sits the state’s core duty to protect the public from preventable harm, especially on the roads.
For now, the three-hour afternoon “dry” slot is gone, and many venues are raising a glass to the new flexibility. At the same time, campaigners and many families affected by road crashes are bracing themselves and calling for tougher enforcement of drink-driving laws.
The outcome of this trial will shape how Thailand handles alcohol for years to come. As the country enters this looser era of alcohol sales, attention will stay firmly on the statistics, from bar tills to hospital beds and roadside memorials.
