In a move to enhance New Year celebrations, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in Thailand has approved 24-hour alcohol service to hotel rooms from in-house bars and restaurants, effective during the New Year festivities.

This decision was sanctioned by the board, led by Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, following a meeting on Monday.

Typically, alcohol orders to hotel rooms are permitted only until 10 PM from restaurants and 2 AM from bars.

However, mini-bar consumption remains unrestricted at all times.

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) urged for this relaxation to accommodate the high demand for alcohol during this period.

Conversely, the board rejected the proposal by the State Railways of Thailand (SRT) to allow alcohol on trains, citing safety concerns.

Health Minister Somsak emphasized the need for stringent drunk driving measures, noting that 4,777 road injuries from drunk driving occurred during the last New Year.

To combat this, local hospitals are tasked with spreading awareness and coordinating with local agencies to promote road safety.