Drinks law that was rarely enforced is canned after 50 years

Thailand has lifted a decades-old ban on the serving of alcohol in the afternoon.

It was a law that most tourists knew nothing about, and was rarely enforced.

The scrapping of the prohibition, which banned alcohol sales in restaurants from 2pm to 5pm, brings an end to a regulation dating back to a 1972 Revolutionary Council Order.

Restaurants said it could spark higher sales and a be a boost to tourism and the economy, although that would seem debatable.

Sorathep Rojpojchanarat, president of the Restaurant Business Association, thanked both the former administration and opposition parties for “listening to the voices of business owners.”

Sorathep described the law as outdated, noting it had been in force for more than 53 years despite Thailand’s transformation into one of the world’s most-visited tourist destinations.

The lifting of the ban applies to restaurants only, not retail outlets such as convenience stores, which are still officially prohibited from selling liqour between 2-5pm.

The new rule will officially come into force in November.

Image: Black Ginger, The Slate, Phuket