New Alcohol Control Bill Submitted To Thai Parliament

The Ministry of Public Health has shared that a new alcohol beverage control bill will be submitted to Parliament in January 2025. The proposed bill is expected to address long-standing alcohol-related incidents such as underage drinking in the country and align Thailand’s alcohol policies with international standards. 

This article will cover the purpose of the alcohol beverage control bill, its proposed changes, and how it differs from Thailand’s current alcohol regulations. 

Proposed Changes Under the New Alcohol Bill in Thailand

One notable aspect of the bill is that it will alter the hours of the day when alcohol can be sold. While the bill does not permit 24-hour alcohol sales, it proposes reviewing the existing afternoon sales ban from 14:00 to 17:00 and then adjusting it to better align with international norms. This will provide a clearer and more consistent guideline for businesses and foreign consumers in Thailand.

Alongside this, the bill will also implement stricter measures to prevent underage access to alcoholic beverages, with the hope of preventing the long-term health risks of underage drinking and minimizing the number of drunk driving cases in Thailand. These measures include the formation of provincial alcohol control committees.

Though more has yet to be shared about the other measures that will be enforced with the proposed bill, the intent to improve public safety in the country remains clear.

To emphasize this, Nipon Chinanonwait, the director of the Ministry of Public Health’s Office of Alcohol Control Committee, has shared that the proposed bill will not be the only alcohol-related bill to be reviewed in the parliamentary readings in January 2025.

Current Alcohol Laws in Thailand

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (2008) strictly regulates all alcohol sales and consumption in Thailand. Below is a brief overview of the act’s key regulations:

• Restricted Alcohol Sale Hours: Alcoholic beverages can only be sold from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 00:00.
• Age Restrictions: The minimum legal drinking age is 20 years old. This applies to both locals and foreigners, regardless of the minimum drinking age in their country.
• Advertising Rules: Alcohol advertisements must not promote consumption or feature alcohol prominently and warning labels are mandatory.
• Alcohol-Free Zones: Alcohol sales and consumption are banned in specific areas, which include schools and temples.

Despite these strict regulations, government enforcement efforts have been inconsistent. Because of this, there are businesses that operate in ways that undermine the law, such as selling alcohol outside permitted hours or near restricted areas, particularly in tourism hotspots.

To change this, the proposed bill aims to strengthen enforcement and implement new measures to improve the sales and consumption of alcohol in Thailand.

Thailand’s Efforts to Curb Alcohol-Related Incidents

Other than proposing the alcohol beverage control bill, the Ministry of Public Health has shared its plans to instruct provincial offices across Thailand to intensify inspections of businesses, prevent alcohol-drinking contests, and hold alcohol vendors and producers accountable for public safety.

The purpose of the inspections is to stop all unauthorized events that promote unsafe drinking behaviors and their consequences such as alcohol poisoning and loss of consciousness, which in turn will also help minimize the number of drunk driving cases in Thailand. As it currently stands, drunk driving continues to make up the majority of traffic violations in Thailand, with there being evidence of drunk driving being the cause of up to 34% of fatal road accidents around 2024’s New Year holiday alone. 

With all these efforts to improve public safety for both residents and visitors in Thailand, the Ministry of Public Health hopes to reduce alcohol-related incidents, curb underage drinking, and minimize the Kingdom’s alarming rates of drunk driving, particularly during peak seasons and major holidays.

However, the largest and most impactful step toward reducing alcohol-related incidents may come with the approval of the new alcohol beverage control bill, alongside other alcohol-related bills set for parliamentary review in January 2025.

Category: Thailand Law