BANGKOK: The Pheu Thai-led government has slightly relaxed the long-held ban on the sale of booze on national Buddhist days by allowing alcohol to be served to passengers inside international airports on those five days.
The announcement, signed by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was published in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday (Dec 25) and went into effect on Thursday.
According to the order, no alcohol can be sold on Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asarnha Bucha Day, Buddhist Lent Day, and the end of Buddhist Lent, except restaurants and cafes inside international airports.
This announcement replaces the rule put in place on Feb 5, 2015. The 2015 regulation also banned the sale of alcohol on the same five days, with the exception of tax-free shops inside international airports.
Operators of entertainment venues have been calling on the government for years to lift this ban, arguing that Thailand is not a Buddhist country but a secular state with people of many faiths living together in harmony.
They also say that foreign investors, who do not practice the five precepts that prohibit the consumption of alcoholic beverages, would be inconvenienced by the ban.
However, despite the ban, it is widely known that people can buy booze from small mom-and-pop grocery stores that do not record sales. Some restaurants or late-night khao tom shops also serve booze disguised as tea. - The Nation/ANN
