The afternoon alcohol sales ban dated to 1972, when it was passed to prevent civil servants from drinking during the workday.
Thailand is one of the world’s most reliably carefree travel destinations, a place where backpackers, families, retirees and luxury jetsetters alike come for island-hopping, full moon beach parties, late-night street food and a famously easy-going vibe.
But beneath that reputation is a surprisingly strict approach to alcohol. Now, one of the country’s most long-standing restrictions on drinks is on the chopping block.
For decades, Thailand barred alcohol sales between 2 pm and 5 pm, a midday dry window that has often vexed and sometimes ensnared unsuspecting travellers.
On 3 December, that changed. Following a 15-day public consultation, the country’s Public Health Minister and National Alcohol Policy and Alcoholic Beverage Control Committees have put an end to the restriction altogether.
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