Objection to retaining the nighttime hours until 4am

The deputy director examined the effects of extending alcohol sales in Iceland by just one hour and the resultant increase in traffic accidents using recent real-world examples. The Center for Alcohol Studies at Mahasarakham University’s Faculty of Pharmacy is against the concept of letting entertainment venues stay open an extra two hours each night because they think the surge in drinking will also result in an increase in alcohol-related accidents and fatalities. A study done in Norway found that the incidence of physical abuse increased by 16% after the country’s alcohol sales curfew was extended by an hour.

While attending the massive Full Moon Party on Koh Pha Ngan this weekend, Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, the minister of tourism and sports, recently stated his support for the initiative. He promised to bring the matter before the Interior Ministry and Cabinet. Supporters of the current proposal think that allowing bars and clubs to stay open until 4am will increase business.


On the basis that it will increase crime and mortality, the proposal is rejected. The center’s deputy director points out that the WHO advises alcohol curfews to decrease violence, injuries, and fatalities brought on by alcohol, despite the fact that drunk driving is predicted to rise. If approved, the proposal would allow nightclubs in Bangkok, Krabi, Phuket, Chiang Mai, as well as numerous popular tourist locations including Pattaya, Koh Samui, and Hua Hin, to close at 4 a.m.