Thailand is known for its beaches, delicious street food, vibrant nightlife, and enjoyable culture. But recently, the country has begun to impose stricter alcohol laws. On Saturday, the laws changed, with the country imposing hefty fines on individuals who serve or drink alcohol during restricted hours or in restricted places. Here’s everything you must know about the newer, stricter laws.
Thailand has updated its Alcohol Beverage Control Act and has come up with many new, stricter laws. The recent one imposes hefty fines starting from 10,000 baht, which is INR 27,500 or $300 USD for violating the already existing alcohol laws. So if you are caught drinking during a restricted time or at a prohibited place, get your wallets out to pay the fine!
This new law, which talks about imposing hefty fines, is built on the long-standing ban on selling alcohol. According to it, since 1972, most retail outlets and supermarkets cannot sell alcohol between 2 pm to 5 pm.
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Exceptions remain for some hotels, licensed entertainment venues, international airports, and certified tourist establishments. Under the amended act, even if someone is consuming alcohol past the restricted time, that will still be considered a violation. For example, if the establishment stops selling alcohol at 2 pm sharp and someone bought alcohol at 1:59 pm and is enjoying it on the premises till 2:10, they will be considered guilty.
Under this new amendment, there are some restrictions even on the advertising standards. According to it, only factual content will be allowed. Also, the use of influencers, celebrities, or public figures for alcohol promotion is banned.
Because of the fact that the risk of paying the fine has shifted from the sellers to consumers, there is a huge possibility that sales might fall by half.
The sales might potentially drop during the afternoon from 2 pm to 5 pm. There are many places that operate as hybrid bar-restaurants, and they might fear losing their afternoon customers. The new rules and potential for hefty fines for consumers are surely going to hold back consumers from drinking alcohol during the restricted time. This might lead to a projected decline in sales by half during the restricted time.
Also Read: How Quitting Alcohol Gave Bobby Deol, Ajay Devgn, And Others A Second Innings In Bollywood And Life
The alcohol market has seen previous fluctuations, like ThaiBev's liquor earnings dropped in Q1 2025, while beer sales increased. But the new drop might be because of the shift of the risk.
Some people also claim that the newly imposed laws might end up confusing the tourists. So, if you are visiting Thailand anytime, make sure you go through all their new laws and regulations to save yourself from any unwanted trouble!
