Possible Songkran Alcohol Ban

[jadeite]

We're getting a bit OT, but come to think of it I noticed a lot of open smoking in KC3 in Bangkok as well recently. Obsessions on the other hand it is not allowed. I was there when a farang girl tried to light up and she was quite irked when they insisted she take it outside before she even had a chance to light up. So yes, definitely some cracks in the smoking ban. But overall I find 2nd hand smoke in Thailand is night and day compared to 5 years ago and that's not just Bangkok but everywhere.

[swaraj]

I couldn't agree more with Stogie's opening comments in #6. The ideal tourist would land at that excuse of an airport, spend a few weeks holiday cash in the duty free and fuck off back. As for T.A.T. when i moved back to Bangers a few years ago i had a some dealings with them regarding tours of Khmer Temples in Thailand, bringing punters and cash into Issan, a region they say they try to promote, not a fucking clue. As for any threat of an alchohol ban, well folk will just stock up beforhand.

[Ivor Biggun]

7/11s in Phuket follow the after midnite and 2-5pm no alcohol; sales, Family Mart don't- I wonder who the big name behind each of them is!! with them scattered every 35-100m along nanai road it's hardly effective. As stated above the mom and pops do their own thing anyway- it's a complete farce. The other thing is that YOU CAN buy alcohol in the supermarkets and MAKRO during the restrictd times so long as its OVER 20 litres- go figure

[aaron76]

(Snick @ Mar. 12 2009,13:07) Total WTF

They have no clue.

At. All. Maybe a better description would be : Completely retarded and backward thinking. Even that doesn't do the government justice.

[Snick]

This is fucking hysterical, read the paragraph in bold.
--
Plans to ban the sale of alcohol during the Songkran festival have sparked a bitter row between the Tourism and Sports and the Public Health ministries.

Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa Tuesday opposed the Public Health Ministry's plan to ban the sales, saying it would harm the already crippled tourism industry.

But Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbode insisted a survey conducted by his ministry had found that most tourists do not consider drinking to be the main purpose of their visit. They prefer to enjoy the culture and visit tourist destinations.

The Public Health Ministry has proposed two options on the ban.

One calls for a halt to alcohol sales altogether from midnight April 11 to midnight April 14. The other softer option is to allow licensed restaurants and entertainment venues to serve alcohol from 6pm to midnight during the three-day period.

The National Committee on Alcohol Policy will choose which, if any, of the two options to adopt.

Mr Chumpol said the government should delay the ban on alcohol sales during Songkran until at least next year.

He said the government needed additional tourism revenues to substitute the sharp drop in earnings from exports and investment.

The minister said the tourism industry had the capacity to recover from the economic crisis much faster than other sectors and could serve as the driving force to support the overall economy.