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Thailand’s Alcohol Control Board Rejects 4am Bar Closing Times
Thailand’s Alcohol Control Board has rejected a proposal to keep entertainment venues open until 4 a.m. so that alcoholic beverages can be sold for 11 hours straight beginning at 5 p.m.
They cited the findings of a study that found that extending the open hours of nightclubs could increase road accidents by 27% and result in 10-20 casualties due to drunk driving every day.
They also noted that, despite police checkpoints and strict enforcement of the law, only about half of drunk drivers were apprehended.
The Alcohol Control Committee met on Friday, chaired by Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, and was attended by representatives from various agencies.
At the moment, bars and nightclubs close at 2 a.m.
Alcoholic beverage sales are permitted in Thailand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to midnight, according to a Prime Minister’s Office directive in effect since 2015 and a legacy of a 1972 order by coup-makers.
Alcoholic beverage sales are permitted in Thailand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to midnight, according to a Prime Minister’s Office directive in effect since 2015 and a legacy of a 1972 order by coup-makers.
According to Dr. Opas, the panel also endorsed proposed measures to control alcoholic drinks during the upcoming New Year holidays as part of the “Driving without drinking, drinking without driving” campaign in an effort to promote safe driving and reduce road accidents.
He stated that the campaign would be implemented in three stages: before the New Year, during the long holiday season, and afterward.
In the first stage, the public and shops will be instructed to observe the alcohol sale time and the prohibition on selling alcohol to people under the age of 20.
During the New Year’s holiday, police will set up checkpoints to check the alcohol content of suspicious motorists, and the drunk driving law will be strictly enforced.
In the final stage, convicted drunk drivers will be placed on probation and treated.
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