If you are planning a trip to Thailand and looking forward to getting a bottle of beer to relax during your holidays, this detailed article about the sale of alcohol in Thailand should be handy. Find detailed information about the legal drinking age, alcohol sale hours, alcohol ban and other regulations.
Thailand legal drinking age
The legal drinking age in Thailand is 20 years, therefore retail sellers and service providers such as bars and restaurants are not allowed to sell alcohol to people under the age of 20.
You might be asked to show a proper document to prove that you are at least 20 years old.
Sellers not complying with this regulation are subject to a fine up to 20,000 THB but quite often they might not be taking it too strictly, especially if you are a foreigner and look older.
Thailand alcohol sale times
Alcohol sale hours in Thailand are 11:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 24:00, meaning that convenience stores, wine shops and other retailers are not permitted to sell alcoholic beverages outside these hours.
However, alcoholic beverages can be sold in Thailand at other times by the shops located in the international airport building and by the service places (bars, restaurants, night clubs) in accordance with the opening and closing schedule of the service place that is confirmed by authorities.
In short, you won’t be able to buy alcoholic beverages from 00:00 to 11:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00 at convenience stores like 7-eleven, Family Mart, Lotus’s, Big C and other shops but you can get a drink at the bar during this time frame, if only it’s open.
Convenience stores usually make it very clear that alcohol beverages are not sold at that time.
Some of local shops might still sell you drinks outside the official alcohol sale hours, especially if they know you. However, people selling alcohol in violation of this requirement are liable to a fine up to 10,000 THB or even imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, so be understanding if they won’t be willing to risk.
Thailand alcohol sales ban
In addition to the restricted alcohol sale hours mentioned above, there’s an alcohol sales ban in Thailand several days a year. Thailand alcohol sales ban is imposed on important religious days and during the election.
Alcohol sales ban during Buddhist holidays
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed be sold on 5 important Buddhist holidays in Thailand:
- Makha Bucha Day - the first major Buddhist festival of the year, which takes place on a full moon day on the third lunar month (in February or March)
- Visakha Bucha Day – the day that falls on the full moon of the sixth month of the lunar year (is generally celebrated in May or June)
- Asahna Bucha Day – the day that falls on the full moon of the eighth lunar month (is celebrated in July or very start of August)
- Buddhist Lent Day (Khao Phansa) - the day marking the beginning of the three-lunar-month period, during which all monks should stay in their temples and not travel, that is celebrated the next day after Asahna Bucha, making it 2 days in a row with no alcohol sales in Thailand
- The End of the Buddhist Lent (Maha Pavarana Day) - the day 3 months after the Buddhist Lent and it falls on the 15th day of the waxing moon of the eleventh month of the lunar year (usually October)
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed to be sold from 00:00 to 24:00 on any of the listed Buddhist days.
Alcohol sales ban during elections
In Thailand, alcohol sales ban is also placed during the election of members of the House of Representatives and senators.
During the election, sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited between 18:00 on the day before election day until the end of the election, which is normally 18:00 of the election day.
Other Thailand alcohol sale restrictions
Prohibited alcohol drinking places and areas
According to Thai law, you shouldn’t drink alcohol at or within the following places or areas:
- a temple or any place of worship, except where drinking thereof is a part of worship;
- a state public health service unit, sanatorium under the law on sanitaria and pharmacy under the law on drugs, except the area designated as the living area of an individual;
- a public office, except the area designated as the living area of an individual or for the establishment of a club or in the case of a convention banquet;
- an educational institution under the law on national education, except the area designated as the living area of an individual or club or in the case of a convention banquet or educational institution providing the course relevant to the mixing of alcohol that is permissible under the law on national education;
- a petrol station under the law on fuel oil control or a shop within a petrol station;
- a public park provided by the government for public recreation;
- other places notified by the Minister with advice of the committee.
Violators of this restriction are liable to a fine up to 10,000 THB or even to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
Normally, in such places you should notice a sign warning that drinking alcohol is not permitted.
Restricted alcohol buyers
According to Thai law, alcohol shouldn’t be sold to the following persons:
- a person under twenty years of age;
- a person who is drunk and becomes insensible because of being drunk.
Prohibited alcohol sale practices
According to Thai law, alcohol shouldn’t be sold through the following practices or manners:
- using an automatic vending machine;
- hawking;
- providing a discount as a sale promotion;
- giving or offering the right to attend a competition or performance, to provide services, or to join a lucky draw; or by giving or offering other benefits to a buyer of alcohol, or a person who brings a package, a label or any other thing related to alcohol, to exchange or trade for alcohol;
- dispersing, providing, giving or exchanging with alcohol or any goods or services, as the case may be, or distributing alcohol in the form of samples or in order to promote alcohol consumption by the public, including the determination of sale conditions as compulsory buying, whether in a direct or indirect manner, of alcohol;
- any other practice or manner notified by the Minister with the advice of the Committee.
Prohibited alcohol sale places and areas
In Thailand, alcoholic beverages cannot be sold in places such as temples or religious places, nursing homes, government agencies, dormitories, schools, fuel stations, parks, factories, bus stations, public passenger piers, railway stations, national parks, etc.
According to Thai law, the selling of alcohol at or within the following places or areas is prohibited:
- a temple or any place of worship;
- a State public health service unit, sanatorium under the law on sanitaria and pharmacy under the law on drugs;
- a public office, except the area designated for the establishment of a shop or club;
- a dormitory under the law on dormitories;
- an educational institution under the law on national education;
- a petrol station under the law on fuel oil control or a shop within a petrol station;
- a public park provided by the government for public recreation;
- other places notified by the Minister with the approval of the Committee.
Tips
Thai Beer is the most popular alcoholic drink in Thailand. There are a number of local beer brands that you can try in Thailand and the 3 major beer brands Singha, Leo and Chang are present all over the country. Find an introduction to the most popular Thai beers and beer prices here: Thai Beer.