What you need to know
What has changed
A new Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee notice took effect in Thailand on 7 November, setting out the ban on alcohol sales during five Buddhist holidays and five categories of venue exemptions. The Royal Gazette published the notice on 6 November.
The document replaces the Prime Minister's Office notice dated 7 May 2025. It does not remove the holiday sales restriction across the country: whether a sale falls within an exception depends on the premises and, in some categories, a separate official designation.
Which holidays are covered?
The notice names Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa, the last two marking the beginning and end of Buddhist Lent. It addresses sales on those holidays rather than setting a general tourism-season exemption.
Five categories of exceptions
The first category covers sales in passenger-service buildings at airports operating international flights. The second covers entertainment premises recognised under the law governing those establishments. Hotels recognised under the hotel law are another category.
A further exception covers businesses operating in a manner similar to entertainment premises in tourism areas, where designated by the public health minister on the interior minister's recommendation.
The fifth concerns locations hosting special national or international activities involving large gatherings. Those locations must be listed by the public health minister on the recommendation of the tourism and sports minister.
What this means for visitors and operators
The tourism-area wording does not mean every restaurant or bar in a tourist town automatically qualifies. Travellers planning a meal or event on a covered holiday should confirm the particular venue's arrangements.
The notice also requires exempt sellers to provide screening and measures for public order, safety and limiting children's and young people's access to alcohol. Venue status and applicable conditions therefore matter alongside the holiday date.
The notice was signed on 9 October and became effective the day after Gazette publication. Operators should use the official text and any relevant designation when checking eligibility, and confirm applicable selling hours separately.
