Thai News

Drinkers face hefty fines from 8 November under new amendments to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which strengthen restrictions on hours of alcohol sales. Individuals caught drinking or being served alcohol between 2pm and 5pm, or from midnight to 11am, could face penalties of 10,000 baht or more.  Of course it is not as simple as that, both the location (eg undefined entertainment zones) and premises type (eg restaurant/bar) have an impact too.

The law, first enacted in 1972 to restrict alcohol sales between 2pm and 5pm at most retail outlets and supermarkets, has now been updated to shift responsibility from sellers to consumers. Although licensed entertainment venues, hotels, certified tourist establishments and international airports are exempt, customers themselves are now liable for violations. Authorities say the move is aimed at curbing excessive drinking and promoting public order, though critics argue it will damage the hospitality sector.

Restaurant owners have voiced concerns that the legislation will harm their businesses. Thai Restaurant Association president Mr Chanon Koetcharoen said the restrictions will impede growth because customers are now directly penalised. He cited an example where a customer who buys a beer before 2pm but continues drinking after the cutoff could be fined under Section 32. This will impede the growth of the restaurant industry, said Mr Chanon,.

On Bangkoks Khao San Road, known for its nightlife and backpacker crowd, businesses are continuing to serve alcohol throughout the day, despite the restrictions. One assistant manager said sales could halve during the banned hours as customers become more cautious. With the possibility of drinkers themselves being fined, sales of alcohol may halve during those times.

In compliance with the international civil aviation standard regarding the use of standard passenger and baggage weights for weight & balance calculation purposes, the conducting of a standard weights survey is essential to the safety and efficiency of a flight in determining that the actual weight does not exceed the maximum take-off weight limitation. From 15 September to 31 October 2023, we would like to collect the information by weighing passenger including carry-on baggage at the boarding gate.

Therefore, we assure that the information will be kept confidential and will be used to update standard passenger and baggage weights information.

People are always banging away at the importance of buying accident and illness travel insurance, but the reality is that most travel insurance doesn't end up covering life-saving operations or expensive repatriation.

The Association of British Insurers says that 17% of all overseas claims are rejected, mostly for lack of documentation, and adds that the average payout for successful claims is just over £1,000. In other words, insurers are mainly paying out on small issues such as lost luggage or booking cancellations rather than medical emergencies. The award-winning blog Travelbunny stresses that most failures come down to the small print in the policies which is there to protect the funds of the insurance companies rather than you.

The reasons for failed insurance policies are sometimes specified in crowdfunding entreaties. In 10 detailed traffic accidents, five injured Brits were refused cover because they were not wearing a crash helmet, two were relying on British driving licences (only international or Thai-issued are lawful here), two were participating in hazardous sports and one had had been out of the UK for more than 30 days.

Other small print get outs insurers in a big claim will want difficult to obtain evidence there was no alcohol or substance abuse. The warning clauses most used in the small print are must take reasonable care or must observe national laws. For example, it is technically compulsory in Thailand for back seat car passengers to wear safety belts which, of course, creates issues when they have not been fitted.