By: Bangkokpost.com Published: 13/02/2009 at 07:47 PM Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai is at odds with his deputy over the banning of alcohol sales during Songkran this year.
Mr Witthaya on Friday said he wanted to be certain that any regulations announced for curbing alcohol sales during long holidays would not affect tha hotel industry.
"I don’t want the anti-alcohol campaign to worsen the tourism industry,‘’ he said.
But his deputy Manit Nopamornbodee fully supported such a ban, saying the campaign has to be undertaken in a bid to reduce deaths and road accidents.
Mr Witthaya said he would discuss the issue with his deputy before making any decision on alcohol regulations. He would also listen to the Alcohol Watch Network’s proposal aimed at reducing the number of road accidents during long weekends.
Mr Manit, who oversees the anti-drink-driving campaign, earlier said the sale of alcohol would be prohibited during Songkran holidays.
The official holiday for Songkran is between April 13 and April 15.
Ach, zo lang je bij iedere kleine winkel nog steeds kunt kopen wat je wilt, en dat zal ban of geen ban het geval zijn, maakt het in de praktijk allemaal weinig uit voor de Thai.
er word tussen 2 en 5 uur geen alcohol verkocht.
niet bij de 7 eleves familymarkten tesco big sea enz enz.
en als de koningin jarig is geen alcohol.
en waarom zelf de thai zelf weet niet waarom.
want het grappige is 9 van de 10 thaien zijn alcoholist.
mischien daarom
Wij zijn benieuwd. Wij gaan voor het eerst met Songkran naar Thailand. Is bewust door ons op die data geboekt. Overigens niet voor de alcohol. Zou het hotel ook meedoen? Of die minibars op de kamer? We zien wel.
Ik was in 2006 met de Sonkran op Koh Samui overigens vieren ze het daar maar 1 dag, en het Resort waar ik in zat deed volop mee in het feest heb daar de halve dag voor aan de ingang gestaan met grote tuinslang en volop muziek etc. Mijn minibar was goed voorzien, stel je voor dat de toerist/farang wat tekort komt, je zal de dag zeker niet droog staan en niet droog doorkomen, het stukje in de krant zal ook moeilijk ter uitvoering zijn, ondanks dat er toch een aardige straf op het rijden onder invloed staat, have fun.
By: Bangkokpost.com Published: 4/03/2009 at 10:33 PM Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been asked to consider three options on the ban of sales of alcoholic drinks during next month’s Songkran festival.
Business operators question the practicality of such action with one saying it would be of no benefit in cutting the road toll.
The Public Health Ministry and relevant agencies Wednesday held talks with suppliers and hoteliers on ways to control alcohol sales during Songkran and other long holidays.
Delegates said excessive drinking was the main cause of a sharp rise in road accidents during those periods.
Mr Abhisit, as chairman of the government’s alcohol control committee, will be asked to decide whether to ban alcohol sales throughout the entire Songkran holiday period, for five days or for just three days.
Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi told a press conference Wednesday the ban should not apply to the start or the end of the holiday festival because road accidents usually peak between April 12 and 14, the middle of the Songkran festival.
Mr Manit said apart from limiting the hours alcohol could be sold during long holidays, his ministry also planned to limit the places where alcohol sales could take place.
Boon Rawd Brewery marketing manager Chutchai Wiratyosin said after the meeting that any restrictions on the hours and places alcohol could be sold would be useless.
He said consumers could still go to shops where alcohol was sold and stock up before the start of the ban.
Published: 19/03/2009 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: NewsPlans to ban the sale of alcohol during the Songkran festival have sparked a bitter row between the Tourism and Sports and the Public Health ministries.
Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa yesterday opposed the Public Health Ministry’s plan to ban the sales, saying it would harm the already crippled tourism industry.
Anti-alcohol protesters demand a Songkran booze ban. APICHIT JINAKUL
But Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbode insisted a survey conducted by his ministry had found that most tourists do not consider drinking to be the main purpose of their visit. They prefer to enjoy the culture and visit tourist destinations.
The Public Health Ministry has proposed two options on the ban.
One calls for a halt to alcohol sales altogether from midnight April 11 to midnight April 14. The other softer option is to allow licensed restaurants and entertainment venues to serve alcohol from 6pm to midnight during the three-day period.
The National Committee on Alcohol Policy will choose which, if any, of the two options to adopt.
Mr Chumpol said the government should delay the ban on alcohol sales during Songkran until at least next year.
He said the government needed additional tourism revenues to substitute the sharp drop in earnings from exports and investment.
The minister said the tourism industry had the capacity to recover from the economic crisis much faster than other sectors and could serve as the driving force to support the overall economy.
His stand mirrored that of Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kajornprasart.
Maj-Gen Sanan, who is the chairman of the National Committee on Alcohol Policy, said the ban would not address the root cause of drink driving and the high incidence of road accidents during the Songkran holiday.
He said most accidents over Songkran happened on small provincial roads, not on main roads. The authorities need to strictly enforce the law on those accident-prone areas.
Maj-Gen Sanan said the ban was expected to affect international tourists’ travel plans and could hurt the country’s tourism earnings. A study on the impact of a ban on alcohol sales should be carried out before it is imposed.
A ban might encourage consumers to stock up on drink before the holidays, which would do nothing to help reduce the road accident rate.
Maj-Gen Sanan said his statements reflected his personal view, not that of his committee.
Chiang Mai people and those affected by accidents join in a rally to campaign people not to drink and drive. The campaign was held as the Songkran Festival was approaching in April.
Published: 24/03/2009 at 12:00 AM Newspaper section: NewsThe government is considering seeking a Council of State ruling on whether it can ban alcohol sales during next month’s Songkran festival.
If the government’s legal arm fails to come up with an answer before the festival, a ban may be put into place on April 13, the Thai New Year’s Day, Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart said.
A final decision rests with the cabinet.
The government’s alcohol policy committee headed by Maj-Gen Sanan met yesterday and discussed a proposed ban during the festival from April 12 to 14 in a bid to curb the horrendous annual road fatalities.
Under the Alcoholic Drink Control Act of 2008, the government can ban alcohol sales on specific days.
Maj-Gen Sanan yesterday said the committee agreed in principle with the ban. If the council gives the green light, the PM’s Office could issue the ban immediately, he said.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said he disagreed with an alcohol ban. He said it would discourage tourists from visiting Thailand during the country’s most renowned festival.
Road accidents during the festival did not result from alcohol but from people who drink too much and drive and because of poor law enforcement by police.
Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum agreed with the governor, saying partying and drinking were a part of the traditional festival and the ban could affect tourism.
Anti-alcohol activist Khamron Choodecha yesterday accused Maj-Gen Sanan of trying to avoid making a decision on the ban by passing the question of legal ambiguity to the Council of State.