If you’re heading to Thailand soon, there’s a new set of drinking laws you’ll want to be aware of. From 8 November, the country has tightened its alcohol regulations under updates to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act — and for the first time, travellers themselves could face fines for drinking during restricted hours.
What the New Rules Mean
Until now, the responsibility for following Thailand’s alcohol restrictions largely fell on sellers. That’s now changed. Under the new rules, anyone caught drinking or being served alcohol between 2pm and 5pm, or from midnight to 11am, risks a fine of 10,000 baht (around £220) or more.
These hours apply mainly to shops, supermarkets and convenience stores, which cannot sell alcohol during the restricted times. Hotels, licensed restaurants, entertainment venues and airports are still permitted to serve drinks — so your resort bar or evening cocktail spot won’t be affected.
How This Affects Tourists
For British travellers, the biggest difference is the personal liability. If you’re sipping a beer bought from a shop during the wrong hours, even unknowingly, you could technically be fined.
The rule particularly affects casual daytime drinkers — for instance, those grabbing a cold beer from a 7-Eleven or a small café on the beach. Many popular tourist spots, including Bangkok’s Khao San Road and Phuket’s Patong, are still selling alcohol throughout the day, but businesses say customers are becoming more cautious.
Impact on Local Businesses
Thai restaurant and bar owners have expressed concern that the rule change will discourage both locals and tourists from dining out. The Thai Restaurant Association has said that penalising customers directly could harm small businesses already struggling with high operating costs.
There’s also uncertainty about how consistently the law will be enforced, with some fearing it could be open to misuse by overzealous officials.
Advertising Restrictions
Alongside the drinking hours, Thailand has also tightened its alcohol advertising laws, banning the use of celebrities, influencers or public figures in promotions. This includes social media content — so travellers may notice fewer beer or spirit ads online and at bars.
Tips for UK Travellers
- Avoid buying or drinking alcohol between 2pm–5pm and midnight–11am, unless you’re in a licensed venue.
- You can still drink freely at hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, and international airports.
- Don’t assume that because locals are drinking, it’s permitted — enforcement varies.
- Always keep your passport handy if asked to show ID when purchasing alcohol.
Kevin Says
These new rules won’t really affect the average holidaymaker. Big-name supermarkets and Thailand’s famous 7-Eleven stores already refuse to sell alcohol outside the permitted hours, so you’d struggle to buy a drink during the banned times even if you wanted to.
It’s usually the small local “mom and pop” shops that quietly sell alcohol throughout the day — and that’s where visitors could technically run into trouble. Unless you’re buying from those smaller places, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
I’ve always been told by Thais that the original 2pm–5pm alcohol ban was introduced to stop schoolchildren picking up drinks on their way home, which seems a bit harsh on adults. These days it feels more like a political gesture than anything that will genuinely affect tourists.
So if you’re visiting Thailand soon, don’t stress about it — enjoy your beach bar cocktails and poolside beers as normal. The vast majority of tourists won’t even notice the change.
