4-12-2025 (BANGKOK) Thailand has ended its decades-old ban on alcohol sales between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., allowing registered shops, supermarkets, and entertainment venues to sell drinks throughout the afternoon for the first time since 1972.
The Interior Ministry regulation, published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday and effective Wednesday, removes the three-hour daily prohibition while maintaining the midnight closing time for sales. Licensed premises now have until 1 a.m. for customers to finish drinks already purchased.
The Cabinet approved the change on November 13 as part of measures to support tourism and nightlife revenue during the high season. The relaxed rules will run for a 180-day trial period. Critics point to Thailand’s persistent drink-driving problem: nearly 33,000 people died in alcohol-related road crashes from 2019 to 2023, according to the Public Health Ministry, with the kingdom ranking 16th globally for road fatalities per capita in 2021 (WHO data). Authorities are expected to monitor accident rates and public order closely during the six-month trial before deciding whether to make the change permanent.
