Thai tourism minister fights booze ban
BANGKOK – Plans to ban the sale of alcohol during the Songkran festival have sparked a bitter row between Thailand’s Tourism and Sports and the Public Health ministries.
The Bangkok Post reports that Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa Tuesday opposed the Public Health Ministry’s plan to ban the sales, saying it would harm the already crippled tourism industry.
But Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbode insisted a survey conducted by his ministry had found that most tourists do not consider drinking to be the main purpose of their visit.
They preferred to enjoy the culture and visit tourist destinations, said the deputy minister.
The Public Health Ministry has proposed two options on the ban.
One calls for a halt to alcohol sales altogether from midnight April 11 to midnight April 14. The other softer option is to allow licensed restaurants and entertainment venues to serve alcohol from 6pm to midnight during the three-day period.
Chumpol said the government should delay the ban on alcohol sales during Songkran until at least next year.
He said the government needed additional tourism revenues to substitute the sharp drop in earnings from exports and investment.
The minister said the tourism industry had the capacity to recover from the economic crisis much faster than other sectors and could serve as the driving force to support the overall economy.
Ian Jarrett
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