Thailand passed the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act in 2008, which amended some of Thailand`s previous alcohol laws and raised the drinking age from eighteen to twenty years. The law contains specific language that makes it illegal to sell alcohol to persons under the age of twenty. The law also established laws and penalties for certain areas where alcohol cannot be consumed legally. For example, alcohol consumption is illegal in the following places: temples or places of worship; health clinics and pharmacies; public services; Educational institutions; petrol stations or petrol stations; and public parks. There are exceptions for many of these places. For example, if you attend an authorized banquet at an educational institution or public function, or if you are in a temple where alcohol consumption is part of worship, you are legally allowed to drink an alcoholic beverage. The penalty for drinking alcohol and any of the above places without proper permission is up to 6 months in jail and / or not more than a fine of ten thousand baht. Police – The tourist police (tel. 1699 or 1155), with offices in each city, speaks English (and other foreign languages) and is open 24 hours a day.
You should call them in case of emergency and not the regular police as there is no guarantee that the police will speak English. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2008 raised the drinking age in Thailand from 18 to 20 years, private consumption of alcohol is not regulated in private places. I join the tragic stories of Ian and Rex Everything. Even if you have been married to two different Thai women for 20 years, and even after 15-20 trips to Thailand, you still don`t know the culture. You have to live and work there. Many Thais are wonderful and honest, but they are oppressed by corrupt people in their areas. In such a corrupt country, it is often necessary for people to be loyal to themselves, and there are no limits to what some people do or say. Even neutrals will stab anyone in the back for personal gain. Live there, work there, make them jealous, let them lose face, and you will eventually understand what I mean. I strongly recommend never working in a place where there is no judicial security. It`s not really about how you behave, but rather how they behave.
It makes every day a gamble, and Ian and Rex`s sad stories make perfect sense to me. The young teacher dated the wrong girl in a lawless country, and it cost him his life, but there are also many local men like him. Any convicted person receives benefits when they attack someone on behalf of an influential person. The only way to fight back lies in the ex-girlfriend`s potential guilt, but now she probably believes her fathers are lying about the prison robbery. His truth is that his father was right, because the young professor was a villain who let him come anyway. People who lie in court will never say anything, because even if they are safe, their families are not. Also, repentance can be conveniently extinguished by a few days of good deeds in a temple anyway. I know many people, myself included, who have been in trouble in Thailand simply because of jealousy and dented pride. Don`t pay attention to tourists talking about helmets, believe the stories behind those of us who have preserved ourselves, ended up in prison or even died there. This applies not only to Thailand, but to all countries where the judicial system is compromised.
When things go wrong, they go horribly bad, and the more the police can make you look, the more heroes they are. On average, 10,000 fresh adolescent girls from Myanmar, Laos, China, Vietnam and Cambodia are trafficked and accepted into the Thai prostitution industry each year. Many of these girls are refugees from Myanmar`s endless civil wars. Thousands more are trafficked from rural Thailand. They often have to work up to 18 hours a day to serve at least 10 men. 80-90% of all prostituted clients in Thailand are Thai men, and the Royal Thai Police and local authorities are heavily involved in this illegal industry for financial reasons. The one who exploits these poor girls the most is the Thai police. Enough said.
I saw a lot of foreigners on Khaosan Road drinking on the street and it`s much more normal there than anywhere else. However, most Thais frown and have Thai words for this kind of people – bird farang (farang ki nok), which is more a lack of respect for others, oneself and culture than not having money and wearing flip-flops. Tourist bar to drink and a night with Thais will not have much in common except to be consumed alcohol. Thailand is more conservative in many ways, not to say it doesn`t like to have a drink or party. In Khao San Road, all the young backpackers gather en masse to consume an unholy amount of alcohol. When you walk on the Strip, you will immediately appreciate the common interest in excessive alcohol consumption. Honestly, it`s a bit overwhelming if you`re even an introvert. Thais often set up tables in front of a shop, workplace or elsewhere, drinking and eating – but they don`t walk down a street with a bottle of beer unless it`s some sort of festival.
It is not socially acceptable in Thailand to walk down the street while drinking (especially in Bangkok), but on islands and tourist centers it is more accepted. If you sell liquor, you must obtain a licence to sell alcohol from the appropriate excise agency in the jurisdiction where you are located. You can still be expected to sell alcohol, even if there is no separate fee for providing the alcohol. One of the strictest enforcement of Thailand`s cigarette laws certainly concerns the behavior of tourists on the beach. It is now very illegal to smoke on the beach. You could be fined more than $3,000 if you get caught, or worse, a year in jail. In Bangkok and other cities, many Thais have adopted a more Western style of consumption. They visit Western beer bars, go to clubs and like to hang out in wine bars. Wine consumption is not cheap as it is imported and imports are expensive, although Thailand strives to produce its own quality wines.
Nightlife Venues Opening hours If you were a tourist in Thailand before August 2001, you may have experienced the glory days when you could legally order your last alcoholic and boogie drink until dawn. The crackdown on Thai nightlife began in August 2001, led by the then government interior minister. The campaign was revived in 2004 when all bars, clubs, discos and massage parlors closed again at midnight. In Bangkok, the exceptions to this rule were three zones – Silom/Patpong, New Petchaburi Street and Ratchadaphisek Street – where nightclubs and bars were allowed to stay open until 2 a.m.; massage parlors until midnight; and other nightclubs, such as pubs and restaurants with live bands, until 1am. Overall, Thailand can be extremely relaxed on several topics (such as keeping to the legal drinking age), and they can be quite intense on other topics. It is important to always be aware of your surroundings before saying “yes” to another drink. Write the name of your hotel on your hand before venturing into the drunken abyss, otherwise who knows where you might end up? Who buys the drinks and food is difficult because it`s based on who you drink with them. There is an unspoken rule that the senior can pay a larger portion of the bill, but it is not frowned upon if they do not.