Thailand to ban alcohol sales on February 16, Makha Bucha Day

Don’t we all love those alcohol bans that come time to time in Thailand!

This coming Wednesday, February 16, you won’t be able buy alcohol because Thailand, along with some other south east Asian countries, will mark the Buddhist holy day of Makha Bucha Day. The day commemorates Buddha gathering with his first 1,250 disciples in the bamboo grove where he lived. Makha Bucha is celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.

On this day, Thais will make merit at their local temples. There, they might recite Buddhist scriptures, or give alms to monks. Alcohol and drugs are just one thing Buddhists avoid on Makha Bucha Day. The other behaviours avoided on this day are: lying and gossiping, harming living things and eating meat, sexual misconduct and stealing. Even Buddhists who are less observant might avoid eating meat on this day.

The alcohol ban on Makha Bucha Day includes bars, pubs, night clubs, and similar venues. Even though hundreds of bars in Thailand have been allowed to reopen as restaurants, they will almost definitely be closed for Makha Bucha Day.

SOURCE: The Pattaya News | Expique