Image for representation only
Credit: DH file photo
Thailand has temporarily hit pause on one of its most puzzling rules for tourists - the decades-old ban on buying alcohol during the afternoon. While the country has now relaxed the restriction for six months to boost tourism, many are asking: why did the rule exist in the first place?
The ban dates back to 1972, when Thailand barred alcohol sales between 2 pm and 5 pm. At the time, the rule wasn’t aimed at tourists or nightlife at all, instead it was aimed at government employees.
Officials feared that workers would slip out during office hours for mid-day drinking sessions, affecting productivity. The easiest fix was to shut down legal sales during the most tempting hours - a policy that lingered for over 50 years.
While the rule made sense in the ‘70s, it became a head-scratcher for the millions of tourists pouring into the country every year. Thailand, famous for its beaches, nightlife and party hotspots, also had one of the strictest daytime alcohol windows in Asia. Travellers routinely found themselves confused at bars, shops and restaurants that suddenly stopped serving booze mid-afternoon.
Those who ignored the rule faced fines of up to 10,000 baht - a penalty many visitors only learned about the hard way.
With tourism still recovering and high season around Christmas and New Year approaching, the Thai government has temporarily eased the rule. For the next 180 days, alcohol sales will be allowed from 11 am to midnight, while a committee studies the impact of the change.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who took charge in September, has been pushing to revive tourism as part of his broader economic restart. Officials now say that the workplace concerns of the ‘70s simply don’t apply in the same way today.
“In the past, the fear was that state employees would sneak out to drink. Times have changed,” Deputy PM Sophon Saram said recently.