Thailand Introduces 10,000-Baht Fine for Drinking During Banned Hours
New amendment penalises individuals consuming alcohol between 2 pm-5 pm and midnight-11 am at most retail outlets
From 8 November 2025, individuals in Thailand caught drinking alcohol during restricted hours at most retail outlets or supermarkets face a fine of up to 10,000 baht.
The revised Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No.2) B.E. 2568 (2025) expands liability from sellers to consumers and tightens both timing and promotion rules.
The law maintains the long-standing ban on alcohol sales from midnight to 11 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm in retail venues, though licensed hotels, entertainment venues, tourist-area establishments and international airports remain exempt.
Restaurants may serve during the afternoon slot, but drinking in non-exempt retail or off-premises locations remains subject to sanction.
In addition to consumer fines, the amendment imposes significantly steeper penalties for businesses.
Sales outside permitted hours can result in fines up to 100,000 baht or one year’s imprisonment, and prohibited advertising—such as using celebrities, influencers or brand sponsorship—can draw daily fines or half-million-baht sanctions.
The reform responds to concerns about alcohol-related social, health and safety risks and signals a stronger regulatory stance.
President of the Thai Restaurant Association, Chanon Koetcharoen, expressed concern the consumer-facing sanction could affect the hospitality sector, noting that “if an establishment sells a bottle of beer at 1.59 pm and the customer drinks past 2.05 pm, that person could be fined.” Meanwhile opposition MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn described the upgrade as “designed for those opposing alcohol.”
Tourists and locals alike are advised to note the changes: while hotel bars and licensed night-clubs can still serve after midnight in many areas, purchasing or consuming alcohol in retail outlets during the banned hours now invites personal financial risk.
The new rules heighten the emphasis on personal accountability under Thailand’s alcohol control regime and shift enforcement more squarely onto individual conduct than before.
The revised Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No.2) B.E. 2568 (2025) expands liability from sellers to consumers and tightens both timing and promotion rules.
The law maintains the long-standing ban on alcohol sales from midnight to 11 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm in retail venues, though licensed hotels, entertainment venues, tourist-area establishments and international airports remain exempt.
Restaurants may serve during the afternoon slot, but drinking in non-exempt retail or off-premises locations remains subject to sanction.
In addition to consumer fines, the amendment imposes significantly steeper penalties for businesses.
Sales outside permitted hours can result in fines up to 100,000 baht or one year’s imprisonment, and prohibited advertising—such as using celebrities, influencers or brand sponsorship—can draw daily fines or half-million-baht sanctions.
The reform responds to concerns about alcohol-related social, health and safety risks and signals a stronger regulatory stance.
President of the Thai Restaurant Association, Chanon Koetcharoen, expressed concern the consumer-facing sanction could affect the hospitality sector, noting that “if an establishment sells a bottle of beer at 1.59 pm and the customer drinks past 2.05 pm, that person could be fined.” Meanwhile opposition MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn described the upgrade as “designed for those opposing alcohol.”
Tourists and locals alike are advised to note the changes: while hotel bars and licensed night-clubs can still serve after midnight in many areas, purchasing or consuming alcohol in retail outlets during the banned hours now invites personal financial risk.
The new rules heighten the emphasis on personal accountability under Thailand’s alcohol control regime and shift enforcement more squarely onto individual conduct than before.
