A special permit to sell alcohol after hours is sought by Koh Samui

Alcoholic beverages may only be sold in Thailand between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and 12 a.m. Phiphat acknowledged that he had brought up the subject of the closing hours of the entertainment venues with the Covid-19 Situation Administration in August, but they had not responded. The authorities should consider extending the hours of entertainment venue licenses to 4am, he added. Ratchaporn urged the government to enact a special law restricting the sale of alcohol in popular tourist destinations, particularly on the island of Koh Samui.

If hours were extended, according to Ratchapon, sales of food and alcohol would rise and tips for employees would rise. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the minister of sports and tourism, said he supported the idea and agreed with the president. According to the Alcohol Beverage Control Act, anyone caught selling alcoholic beverages after business hours faces a 5,000 Baht fine and a five-year license suspension. Ratchaporn claimed that only certain areas of the island, such as Chaweng Beach or Lamai Beach, needed to be subject to the special regulations. Phiphat claimed that these restrictions would aid in the recovery of hotels, dining establishments, and entertainment venues from the pandemic. Ratchaporn Poonsawat, the president of Koh Samui Tourism Promotion, thinks that this isn’t in line with how foreign visitors like to drink. According to Section 20 of the Liquor Act, the offender would additionally be subject to two years in prison and a fine of up to 4,000 Baht. The head of tourism pointed out that many foreign visitors eat dinner between 11 p.m. and midnight, and because of the strict regulations, they are unable to continue drinking well past that time. In order to permit the island to sell alcohol after hours, the government was urged to adopt a special rule, according to the president of Koh Samui Tourism Promotion.