BANGKOK, May 10th, 2025 — Thailand has introduced a limited relaxation of its decades-long ban on alcohol sales during five major Buddhist holidays, effective from May 10, 2025, as part of its “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025” campaign, as we reported HERE yesterday.
However, People’s Party (Government Opposition Party) MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn has cautioned that the new rules do not fully lift the prohibition and apply only to specific venues, urging businesses to tread carefully to avoid legal repercussions.
The updated regulation, announced in the Royal Gazette, permits alcohol sales on Magha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Dharma Day, Buddhist Lent Day, and the End of Buddhist Lent Day at select locations, including international airport terminals, licensed hotels, bars, and designated tourist areas hosting international events. This marks a massive shift from Thailand’s strict alcohol sales bans, which have historically extended to religious holidays and election days to uphold cultural and public order.
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub said at a press conference that the change aims to help increase tourism, a critical sector for Thailand’s economy, which has faced challenges from weak consumer spending and rising costs. Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong, who chairs the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, confirmed that sales would be allowed in approved venues starting with Visakha Bucha Day on May 11, 2025. Popular tourist hubs like Thonglor and Patpong are expected to benefit, with venues required to screen customers, adhere to safety standards, and restrict sales to those of legal drinking age.
However, Taopiphop, a vocal advocate for liberalizing Thailand’s alcohol industry, warned that the exemptions are narrow. “Shops, local restaurants, convenience stores, and malls are still prohibited from selling alcohol on these holidays,” He clarified in a statement. Only properly licensed pubs and bars in designated tourist zones—covering select provinces—qualify, and unlicensed venues risk penalties if they misinterpret the rules.
The People’s Party MP, a former craft brewer with a history of challenging restrictive alcohol laws, urged business owners to verify their eligibility with local authorities to avoid fines or closures. He also renewed his call for a complete repeal of the holiday alcohol ban, arguing that the partial exemptions create confusion and fail to address the broader economic barriers faced by small-scale producers and vendors. “These rules still cause problems for businesses and limit Thailand’s potential as a global tourism hub,” Taopiphop said.
There were also concerns about alleged corruption from officials or law enforcement possibly allowing some venues to open, but not others, angering business owners and causing unrest.
The decision to ease the ban follows years of advocacy from tourism operators and entertainment venues, who argue that Thailand’s strict alcohol regulations—rooted in Buddhist precepts prohibiting intoxication—disadvantage the country compared to secular tourist destinations. Critics, including Taopiphop, contend that the bans inconvenience foreign visitors and stifle economic growth, particularly for small businesses unable to meet the high capital and production requirements of Thailand’s alcohol industry.
However, the move has sparked debate. While some Pattaya nightlife business owners celebrated the change as seen here, others expressed concern that the limited scope of the exemptions could lead to uneven enforcement and confusion among tourists. Posts on social media reflected mixed sentiments, with some users praising the boost to tourism and others questioning the cultural implications of relaxing alcohol rules on religious holidays.
The partial lifting of the ban builds on earlier efforts to review Thailand’s alcohol policies. In February 2025, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra ordered a study of the afternoon sales ban (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and holiday restrictions, responding to calls from business groups to support tourism. While the afternoon ban remains under review, the holiday exemptions mark the first concrete step toward liberalization.
Thailand’s alcohol laws remain among the strictest in non-Muslim countries, with additional bans enforced during local and national elections, in which many districts are having elections this weekend, adding to the confusion on if entertainment venues can open or not.
Meanwhile, unsurprisingly, The Stop Drink Network Thailand (SDN) revealed that according to an unscientific survey they conducted, 61% of the Thai public opposes the change to allow limited alcohol sales for major Buddhist holidays.
SDN’s findings highlight concerns among Thailand’s 93.6% Buddhist population that relaxing the long-standing ban damages cultural and religious values tied to abstaining from intoxicants, while critics like SDN also warn of heightened risks of violence and accidents, as seen during festivals like Songkran.
