A government panel said alcohol sales hours will not be extended, due to rising numbers of casualties and road accidents.
Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said the ministry’s alcoholic beverage control committee viewed statistics about road accidents and related legal aspects.
The issue has not come to an end because five draft laws related to alcoholic beverages await scrutiny in parliament, said the minister.
Currently, sales of alcoholic beverages are allowed in stores between 11am and 2pm and between 5pm and midnight, or 10 hours a day. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs can sell alcoholic drinks at the hours approved in the jurisdiction where they operate.
The panel was briefed about a pilot project in which alcohol sales were extended by two hours in five key tourist destinations: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Phuket and Koh Samui.
The extension, which started last Dec 15, allowed about 1,800 entertainment venues to stay open until 4am to promote tourism.
However, a survey showed a 31% rise in road accidents and deaths, especially between 2am and 6am.
The ban on retail sales of alcohol between 2pm and 5pm is not covered in the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act. It was put in place by the coup regime in 1972, and has never been rescinded.
