Thailand plans alcohol purge during Songkran festival
BANGKOK – Thailand’s 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 have questioned 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 this week 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.
The prime minister, 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 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.
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 told The Nation newspaper after the meeting that any restrictions on the hours and places where 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.
Ian Jarrett
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