Guest shebavon Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 My type of guy. I wonder if he was a stoner? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 No idea. He and a friend were selling those tennis racket-type mosquito zappers on the street. Quote
KhorTose Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 Saw a guy in a nice T-shirt on Silom yesterday. It said - God made Grass Man made Alcohol Who would you Trust? - the guy was nice, too I'll smoke to that. Quote
Gaybutton Posted March 4, 2009 Posted March 4, 2009 The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Songkran Booze Ban 'Useless' Published: 4/03/2009 Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been asked to consider three options on the ban of sales of alcoholic drinks during next month's Songkran festival. Business operators question the practicality of such action with one saying it would be of no benefit in cutting the road toll. The Public Health Ministry and relevant agencies Wednesday held talks with suppliers and hoteliers on ways to control alcohol sales during Songkran and other long holidays. Delegates said excessive drinking was the main cause of a sharp rise in road accidents during those periods. Mr Abhisit, as chairman of the government's alcohol control committee, will be asked to decide whether to ban alcohol sales throughout the entire Songkran holiday period, for five days or for just three days. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nop-amornbodi told a press conference Wednesday the ban should not apply to the start or the end of the holiday festival because road accidents usually peak between April 12 and 14, the middle of the Songkran festival. Mr Manit said apart from limiting the hours alcohol could be sold during long holidays, his ministry also planned to limit the places where alcohol sales could take place. Boon Rawd Brewery marketing manager Chutchai Wiratyosin said after the meeting that any restrictions on the hours and places alcohol could be sold would be useless. He said consumers could still go to shops where alcohol was sold and stock up before the start of the ban. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted March 5, 2009 Posted March 5, 2009 to decide whether to ban alcohol sales throughout the entire Songkran holiday period, for five days or for just three days More idiocy! The Boon Rawd representative was spot on. Ban sales for a short period and all drinkers will do is stock up in advance. Why do politicians come up with such stupid ideas! (rhetorical question - answers neither expected nor appreciated ) Quote
Gaybutton Posted March 25, 2009 Posted March 25, 2009 The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Booze Ban Delay Riles Activists Sanan Accused of Conflict of Interest Published: 25/03/2009 Anti-alcohol activists are demanding the removal of Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart as chairman of the National Committee for Alcohol Consumption Control, citing a conflict of interest. Maj-Gen Sanan on Monday decided to seek a Council of State ruling on the legality of a ban on alcohol sales during next month's Songkran festival. The move was seen by activists as a delaying tactic to prevent the ban from taking effect before the festival from April 13 to 15. The Alcohol Watch Network and its allies yesterday released a statement saying they wanted Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to take Maj-Gen Sanan's place on the committee. "Since the issue is so important and affects a lot of people, the prime minister needs to look into it himself," said Khamron Chudecha, coordinator of the network. "Moreover, under the United Nations' alcohol control guidelines, a person with a conflict of interest should not be allowed to take part in the policy-making process." Maj-Gen Sanan owns a vineyard in Phichit province that produces wine for sale under the Shala One brand. The cabinet yesterday decided to let the Council of State consider if the proposed ban, to be issued under the 2008 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, was in conflict with the 253rd announcement of the 1972 coup leaders, which states that any regulation on alcohol sales must comply with this announcement. Mr Abhisit said the cabinet was concerned the two laws could be in contradiction. The cabinet would again consider the ban proposed by the Public Health Ministry at its next weekly meeting on Tuesday, he said. Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam said the government was likely to ban liquor sales only on April 13, the first day of the Songkran holiday. He said cabinet members had different views on calls to impose a complete ban on alcohol sales during Songkran in a bid to reduce road accidents caused by drink driving. Imposing a one-day ban was seen as a reasonable alternative as road accident casualties were always high during long holidays, he said. However, it was feared the ban could seriously hurt the country's tourism industry. If that was not acceptable, the Interior Ministry could help minimise road accidents by asking disaster prevention volunteers and community leaders to set up road checkpoints to warn motorists against driving while under the influence of alcohol. The government must do whatever possible to bring down the number of annual Songkran fatalities from 300 to 400 killed to about 200, Mr Thaworn said. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodee yesterday denied the ban on alcohol sales was being delayed to favour liquor companies. Mr Manit said his ministry was pushing for the ban because a study showed that 80% of road accidents during long holidays were caused by drink driving. The ministry believed banning alcohol sales during such periods would help reduce road accidents. Quote
Guest lvdkeyes Posted March 25, 2009 Posted March 25, 2009 Does anyone know the reasoning behind not selling alcohol between 2 and 5 PM? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted March 25, 2009 Posted March 25, 2009 I was told it's so that kids coming out of school cannot purchase it. This really smacks of communist tactics. On my first visit to the old Soviet Union, you could not purchase vodka till after 4:00pm. Determined to have a little cheap caviar for lunch, I asked my interpreter why the vodka I had ordered to go with it had not appeared. "The waiter says it's Gorbachov's orders!" Quote
Gaybutton Posted March 25, 2009 Posted March 25, 2009 I was told it's so that kids coming out of school cannot purchase it. Would kids be able to purchase it during other hours? I've heard several versions of the reasons, none of which make much sense to me. The best part is you can't buy alcohol in grocery stores during those hours, but 7-Elevens sell it readily during those hours. Quote
Gaybutton Posted March 29, 2009 Posted March 29, 2009 The BANGKOK POST has an article and survey about how the Thai people feel about a liquor ban during Songkran. Some of this may surprise you: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/1421...s-sobering-news _____ Possible Ban is Sobering News Having a drink with family is an essential part of Songkran for many in the Northeast even though they are aware of the dangers. By: Apiradee Treerutkuarkul in Yasothon Published: 30/03/2009 Charoen Wienwan, 54, sits and watches as a relative lies in a hospital bed suffering the advanced stages of liver cancer. He is not afraid. He still drinks heavily even though he knows this is a cause of many serious illnesses and road accidents. "Of course, I know that drink driving leads to road accidents. But it's impossible not to drink during Songkran," Mr Charoen said. "It's the culture here. This is how we celebrate our holidays with our families. Even the elderly females drink." Mr Charoen, a second-hand car dealer in Roi Et, said drinking was considered unavoidable by most northeasterners, especially during the Songkran festival, because many travel a long way from Bangkok to visit their families and relatives to party. But he said he would have to take it easy with the booze if accidents were to be avoided while driving. Hundreds of thousands of Thai holidaymakers hit the road during the traditional new year. Drink driving is the biggest cause of road accidents during the long holiday, followed by speeding. Most road mishaps involve motorcycles and take place between 4pm and 8pm, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Road accidents during Songkran left 477 people dead or injured last year. Bangkok recorded the highest number of casualties at 1,965, followed by Nakhon Ratchasima with 1,355, according to National Emergency Institute figures. Teerasak Jonburom, who runs a small restaurant in Warin Chamrap district of Ubon Ratchathani, said he was willing to stop selling alcohol during Songkran even though it would cost him about 1,000 baht in earnings a day. "If I can save some lives by doing this, I would certainly do so," he said. "But how will the ban work if drivers can't stop themselves from drinking?" If shops and restaurants are banned from selling alcohol during Songkran, drinkers will stock up in advance, Mr Teerasak said. Kamron Choodecha, coordinator of the Alcohol Watch Network, said it would have made more sense if a campaign calling for a ban had been promoted early. With Songkran just two weeks away, the government has not decided whether to impose a booze ban. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopanornbodi has proposed two options: a complete ban on alcohol sales from midnight April 11 to midnight April 14, or a partial ban whereby hotels, pubs and restaurants would be able to sell drinks from 6pm to midnight on each of the three days. The National Committee for Alcohol Consumption Control, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, will meet again today to discuss the issue. Maj-Gen Sanan's committee was afraid a ban would be in conflict with a National Executive Council (NEC) announcement made in 1972. But the Council of State ruled last week the ban could be issued under the 2008 Alcohol Beverage Control Act as it did not contravene the 253rd announcement of the NEC. The committee's resolution will be tabled before the cabinet tomorrow for a final decision. Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted March 30, 2009 Posted March 30, 2009 "It's the culture here. This is how we celebrate our holidays with our families" In which case, no ban will have even the slightest effect! Quote
Gaybutton Posted March 31, 2009 Posted March 31, 2009 It's official. The ban has been scrapped. The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: ____ Plan to Ban Alcohol Sales for Songkran Gets Canned Plans to ban the sale of alcohol during next month's Songkran festival have been scrapped. Authorities fear a ban will harm the already damaged tourism industry. The National Committee for Alcohol Consumption Control yesterday said there would be no alcohol ban during the traditional new year from April 13 to 15. Instead it had opted to launch an intensive campaign against drink-driving. The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart, decided a ban on alcohol sales during Songkran would further harm the tourism industry. The resolution was reached after a two-hour meeting with relevant agencies. Attending the meeting were Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa, Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, Social Development and Human Security Minister Issara Somchai, Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat, Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbode and Deputy Education Minister Narisara Chawaltanpipat. Maj Gen Sanan said the meeting agreed to issue a Prime Minister's Office regulation officially prohibiting the sale of alcohol on important Buddhist holidays. He said this was a gift to the Thai people. The religious days include Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalaha Bucha and Khao Pansa, or Buddhist Lent. He said agencies would launch an anti-alcohol campaign over Songkran covering drinking while driving and drinking when celebrating Songkran on the back of pick-up trucks. He said the sale of alcohol over the Songkran holiday would be in line with existing regulations, which limits sales to between 11am and 2pm and between 5pm and midnight. "The meeting decided the ban would have more of an impact on tourism, particularly on Songkran day, which draws over 80,000 foreign tourists," Maj Gen Sanan said. "An alcohol ban, if imposed, would drive away foreign tourists." The deputy premier was also concerned about increased sales of illegal liquor if a ban was imposed. He rejected the results of surveys which indicated people believed a decision not to impose a ban showed the government was under the thumb of breweries and distillers. His committee was more concerned about the impact on tourism and problems regarding the sale of illegal liquor. The panel's resolution will spark protests from people in some areas. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit said his ministry - which proposed the alcohol ban - would not be discouraged by the committee's resolution. Its efforts to campaign against alcohol would not go to waste, he said. The ministry would push for the issue of a PM's Office regulation to prohibit the consumption of alcohol in public areas during the festival. Kamron Choodecha, coordinator of the Alcohol Watch Network, lashed out at the Sanan panel for rejecting a ban. He said the panel was being insensitive as it could easily impose measures to reduce deaths and injuries. Quote
