Booze ban barney: Phuket police defend dry crackdown on tipples
Bar bosses left fuming as police shut venues mid-pint over holiday hooch rules
Phuket police have come under fire after swooping to shut down bars and restaurants mid-trade, claiming only venues with special service licences can sell alcohol during this week’s Buddhist holiday.
The controversial clampdown came during Asarnha Bucha Day yesterday, July 10, and continues through tonight, July 11, for Khao Pansa, also known as Buddhist Lent.
Officers in Rawai, Karon, and Kathu ordered bars to pull down their shutters, leaving confused punters and furious business owners in their wake.
But Chalong Police Chief Police Colonel Rungrit Rattanaphakdi insisted the closures were by the book.
“Only service establishments with the correct license are permitted to sell alcohol,” he told The Phuket News.
He stressed that having a regular booze licence, even one allowing sales until midnight, doesn’t mean you’re exempt from the religious-day booze ban.
Meanwhile, Kathu Police Chief Pol. Col. Pratuang Pholmana confirmed venues in his patch had also been forced to close.
“Operations that resemble entertainment venues are not permitted. Shops and restaurants remain restricted, and there has been no update from the Ministry of Public Health lifting the ban.”
Pol. Col. Pratuang advised confused bar owners to contact their local station or call him directly for clarification.
Phuket’s top cop, Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, doubled down, saying the only exceptions were international airport terminals, licensed hotels, service establishments under the Service Establishment Act, or venues with special event approval.
The crackdown follows an official notice from Vice Governor Adul Chuthong, who ordered strict enforcement of the national law that bans alcohol sales on religious days including Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asarnha Bucha, Khao Pansa, and Wan Org Pansa.
Local leaders were told to notify all shops, convenience stores, restaurants, and entertainment-style venues that they’re off-limits for alcohol sales on July 10 and 11, unless they fall under one of the few legal exemptions.
Those caught breaking the booze ban face harsh penalties: up to six months in jail or a 10,000 baht fine, or both, under Section 39 of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act.
Many bar owners say they’re still in the dark about which paperwork qualifies and are now calling for clearer rules and less last-minute enforcement next time the country goes dry.
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