Possible Songkran Alcohol Ban

[rxpharm]

An update on the possible Songkran alcohol ban from Bangkok Post

Songkran booze ban 'useless'
By: Bangkokpost.com
Published: 4/03/2009 at 10:33 PM Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been asked to consider three options on the ban of sales of alcoholic drinks during next month's Songkran festival.

Business operators question the practicality of such action with one saying it would be of no benefit in cutting the road toll.

The Public Health Ministry and relevant agencies Wednesday held talks with suppliers and hoteliers on ways to control alcohol sales during Songkran and other long holidays.

Delegates said excessive drinking was the main cause of a sharp rise in road accidents during those periods.

Mr Abhisit, as chairman of the government's alcohol control committee, will be asked to decide whether to ban alcohol sales throughout the entire Songkran holiday period, for five days or for just three days.

Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi told a press conference Wednesday the ban should not apply to the start or the end of the holiday festival because road accidents usually peak between April 12 and 14, the middle of the Songkran festival.

Mr Manit said apart from limiting the hours alcohol could be sold during long holidays, his ministry also planned to limit the places where alcohol sales could take place.

Boon Rawd Brewery marketing manager Chutchai Wiratyosin said after the meeting that any restrictions on the hours and places alcohol could be sold would be useless.

He said consumers could still go to shops where alcohol was sold and stock up before the start of the ban.

Good intentions, but wrong method, another fine example of TIT, . If this passes another good reason for punters to avoid visiting during Songkran.

[Stogie]

The best way to reduce road accidents is to close the roads.

As that won't happen the next best thing would be to find a way of enforcing the existing laws that relate to drink driving.

As that won't happen then introduce a raft of new laws which will be equally ignored and unenforced...

...and that's where we are now... In the land of stupid!

[katoeylover]

(Stogie @ Mar. 04 2009,18:29) The best way to reduce road accidents is to close the roads.

As that won't happen the next best thing would be to find a way of enforcing the existing laws that relate to drink driving.

As that won't happen then introduce a raft of new laws which will be equally ignored and unenforced...

...and that's where we are now... In the land of stupid!    

And as that wont happen another 500+ people will die needlessly

[Snick]

(Stogie @ Mar. 05 2009,00:29) As that won't happen the next best thing would be to find a way of enforcing the existing laws that relate to drink driving.

Thats the real answer,they do not need any new laws.
They just need to enforce existing laws.

Thailand has horrible drivers, because no one ever gets fined for breaking the law.
No Helmet, 100 Baht bribe
Illegal turn, 200 Baht bribe
Speeding, 200 Baht
Driving without a license, 500 Baht
3+ people on a bike with no helmets, smile from the cop
Driving thru a red light, pedestrian crosswalk, etc.. , nada

Traffic accident, cop decides who pays who but rarely is anyone found negligent and penalized.

[Snick]

Two articles in today's Nation newspaper

The Public Health Ministry yesterday issued two options for alcohol consumption during the Songkran Festival from April 12 to 14.

Deputy public health minister Manit Nopamornbodi said the ministerial executives had come up with two ideas: ban all sale of alcohol during the entire period; or ban sale at stores but allow restaurants, pubs and hotels with an Excise Department permit to serve booze from 6pm to midnight.

The ministry will soon submit a report to the National Committee for Alcohol Consumption Control Policy for a final say, he added.

Disease Control Department chief Somchai Chakrabhand said the ministry came up with these options after listening to all sides, including anti-alcohol groups, academics, manufacturers and business operators. The idea was to control the impact of drinking rather than prohibit it altogether, he said, though allowing booze to be sold at convenience stores or supermarkets will only encourage drunk driving, he added.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai, who presided over the meeting, said the ministry wanted to save lives and reduce road accidents during the festival, and that it was not siding with manufacturers, traders or the anti-alcohol groups.

Stop Drink Network coordinator Khamron Chudecha said it was unacceptable for the Public Health Ministry to leave such loopholes in its guidelines, because the ministry's first duty is to protect the public, not favour businesses. He said the network would rally next week to call on Deputy PM Sanan Kachornprasart, chairman of the National Committee for Alcohol Consumption Control Policy, to clarify the issue.

And

Thailand leads in Asia-Pacific tourism decline


Tourist arrivals in the Asia-Pacific fell 2.8 per cent year on year in last year's fourth quarter, with Thailand leading the plunge with a 28-percent decline, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) revealed Wednesday.

PATA compiles travel statistics for 37 destinations in Asia, the Pacific islands and the Americas.

The association noted a "dramatic downturn" in fourth-quarter arrivals in Japan, Thailand and Sri Lanka, reflecting "both the worsening global economic climate and regional/national issues".

For the fourth quarter, international tourist arrivals fell 28 per cent in Thailand, 15.6 per cent in Sri Lanka, 15.5 per cent in Hawaii and Tahiti and 12.2 per cent in Japan, PATA said. - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Now the question is, do you think anybody in Government will be smart enough to add 2 and 2, and come up with 4 ?

Alas, I doubt it and I plan on stocking up on booze before the holiday, and bringing a bottle of vodka to pattaya w/ me just in case.

[Stogie]

Thailanders have never wanted us here in the first place. They allowed us dirty foreigners here because we spent money but now that we are demanding clean towels and toilets and Western style comforts they'd just as soon we didn't come back.

The massive 28% fall in tourist arrivals doesn't affect 98% of Thai people one iota and most will be quite happy to know that we won't be coming.

If the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the government were serious about their tourism industry they wouldn't spit in our faces every chance they got.

2 + 2 doesn't make 4 here... Not even close.

[Snick]

(Stogie @ Mar. 12 2009,10:18) Thailanders have never wanted us here in the first place. They allowed us dirty foreigners here because we spent money but now that we are demanding clean towels and toilets and Western style comforts they'd just as soon we didn't come back.

The massive 28% fall in tourist arrivals doesn't affect 98% of Thai people one iota and most will be quite happy to know that we won't be coming.

You know that's not correct.
Yes they don't like us just our money.
But they really do like our money, and it affects way more than 2% of them.

Officially Tourism is 6% of the economy, now add in how much money we spend on the non-official economy (i.e. sex), and how much we spend on remittances (i.e. guy in Europe sending money to Teelak) and you have got to be over 10% of the economy.
PLUS Tourism is manually intensive AND sending money to Teelak can trickle down to support an entire village in Issan.

That 28% drop in Tourism will affect a LOT of people.

[Guest]

The latest options on Alcohal ban in Bangkok Post:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news....-choose

I was really looking forward to my 2nd songkran holiday this one in BKK. The way I read this, the ban speaks only of BKK dates, so I'm looking at going elsewhere to celebrate.

Another blow to the tourist economy, no reasons to come back for future songkrans under this climate and mentality.

[Stogie]

(Snick @ Mar. 12 2009,11:26) That 28% drop in Tourism will affect a LOT of people...

Maybe it will get so bad that the ladyboys will complain that they haven't had a customer for ages and things are 'very quiet in bar!'

Seriously though... 'sending money to your teerak' isn't tourism. Although it's always gratifying to hear that people care enough about their one true love that they met in a bar to help sustain the maintenance repairs on her real boyfriends motorcycle!

Thais aren't too much affected by tourism. Sure it's significant wedge for business owners and hotels but 98% of Thais are gonna be living from day to day regardless of how many Japanese and Russians maraud through the foreign hot spots of Pattaya and Phuket.

It's NOT significantly high up on the political agenda. If it was then the capture of the airport late last year would have been over before it had even begun.

[jadeite]

The higher decline in tourists relative to other countries is surely due to the airport closure which is expected to continue to greatly dent tourism through most of this year.

Some bans have actually worked fairly well. I have been surprised how the smoking ban is enforced even in Thai areas. But the alcohol ban has been a disaster. It is enforced in places that aren't the problem meanwhile unenforced in the places it is most needed. For instance, high end wine shops in shopping malls strictly do not sell alcohol in the afternoon per the rules. That makes no sense. Little ma and pa shops by the road are selling rice whiskey and chang to people driving vehicles at all times. Unbelievable.

The thing that is going to tick me off is they are in the process of making a law to put grotesque images on every single bottle and can of alcohol like they do for cigarettes. Alcohol is not a trans-fat where there is no safe quantity. Alcohol has safe quantities that have health benefits, but the consumer is not allowed to enjoy a drink and receive a balanced view, but will rather be blitzed with BS that doesn't concern them.

[Guest]

It it always amazes me the different standards that exist. The alcohal bans during set times, while they sell homemade whiskey on the streets is a classic example.
I first saw cigarettes blurred out on Thai television, then later that night young people were selling them on the streets. The same cigs that 7/11 had to keep covered with aluminum shield so kids wouldn't see them?

I'm still unclear about this proposed alcohal ban. Is it regional or national? Will bars be open in daytime and then close at 6 if that proposal is used? Will they reopen at midnight? WTF.

[Snick]

Total WTF

They have no clue.

[Stogie]

I have been surprised how the smoking ban is enforced even in Thai areas...

Not any more. ALL the ladyboy bars in Pattaya now allow smoking INSIDE EXCEPT Obsessions/Kittens.

[kahuna]

Not true...Can't smoke inside at Pook Swan either...

[Stogie]

Oops... thanks for that. I had forgotten about that one on soi Buakhaw.