As Thai laws go, it’s one of the more confusing ones, as evidenced by the sight of frowning tourists scratching their heads as they stand in front of a 7 Eleven fridge at the wrong time of day. In Thailand, alcoholic drinks can be sold from 11am to 2pm and from 5pm to midnight. If you fancy a couple of take-home beers from the supermarket between the hours of 2pm and 5pm, or you need to buy a bottle of wine for dinner later, you’re all out of luck.
Now, the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association is calling for the ban on afternoon alcohol sales to be lifted, saying doing so could generate up to 10 billion baht in revenue. Former TABBA president, Thanakorn Kuptajit, says the association, along with 15 groups representing retailers, restaurants, bars, and hotels, is asking the CCSA to consider lifting the ban, which was introduced in 1972.
“The service businesses have been…
