Let the fun begin

tarakandi · Amateur Joined: 15 Dec 2007 Posts: 30

Early senate voting alcohol ban this weekend and senate voting alcohol ban next weekend, can’t wait for the usual tirades. Let the fun begin Smile

sandman67 · Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:18 pm Post subject:

some context might be useful

what harebrained excuse is it this time?
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What, me....the 13th Duke of Wymbourne, alone in a town full of nubile young ladies....with my reputation? .....Tally ho!

"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

tarakandi · Amateur Joined: 15 Dec 2007 Posts: 30

This weekend, senate early voting on Sat & Sun, so expect no alcohol sales 6pm Fri - Sun night.

Next weekend senate election on Sun, so no alcohol sales 6 pm Sat to Sun night.

Whether you will get alcohol Sun night depends on location - some are apparently allowed to sell after voting closes, ie night, other jurisdictions do not even allow this.

Macha Bucha Day Thursday, so maybe there will be a ban on Wednesday Night thru midnight Thursday
Razz

lomuamart · Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject:

Thought the elections were on the 2nd March. My missus has already signed up to check ID cards against the electoral register. She gets paid for it.
So, if the bars are closed, at least I'll have some beers at home - on tic from the missus!!! Cheers

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"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

Norseman · Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject:

If it's a ban on alcohol tomorrow, then it is because of tomorrow is Makha Bucha Day. (A day for Buddha).
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I intend to live forever -- so far, so good.

crazy88 · Guru Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 837

Grab a couple of slabs of beer and a case of wine,fire up the bbq at home and crack on .

If anyone thinks that is a bad idea may I suggest a tuppaware party instead ?

Crazy88

sandman67 · Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject:

seems they havent issued police notices about the weekend yet..... a guy buzzed past last night and said the bars were supposed to close but none of the bar owners I asked had received official written notification

so who knows..... Idea

_________________
What, me....the 13th Duke of Wymbourne, alone in a town full of nubile young ladies....with my reputation? .....Tally ho!

"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

kalif · Novice Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

Keep us posted. Smile

ricardo · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:06 am Post subject:

I was in a an out of the way restaurant on the klong road last night and they had a sign up saying there was no alcohol today and tomorrow due to the senate elections.

The election day is the 2nd of March but voters who can't make it next weekend can register to vote this weekend instead. So it will be an alcohol ban this weekend and the next.

lomuamart · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:24 am Post subject:

From today's BKK Post:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/22Feb2008_news03.php
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"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered". George Best.

sandman67 · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:02 pm Post subject:

The latest is that yes the bars do have to close....but as the police havent bothered to issue notices no-one seems to know whether they close Saturday or tonight at 6 ...(why close a bar a night before the registration opens???....mind you why close a bar when the poll booths are closed???)

who knows...???

I feel sorry for business owners and bar workers who yet again are getting kicked squarely in the nuts....and the poor tourists whose holidays are getting screwed and wont be back again.....

wheres my bottle of stolly???
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What, me....the 13th Duke of Wymbourne, alone in a town full of nubile young ladies....with my reputation? .....Tally ho!

"To sin by silence makes cowards of men"

DawnHRD · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

I presume (trying to use the twisted logic of a Govt that believes they cannot trust people to exercise their rights re voting) that stopping drinking beforehand means that people don't get drunk & too hungover to vote/register. Or that old chestnut of political parties having boozy parties to encourage the electorate to vote for them.

As for after the polls close - even using twisted logic, that one's got me stumped.

As said before, the funny thing is, the Thais - the people supposedly targetted- who want to drink will continue to do so. They know far better than tourists where they can buy alcohol discreetly. So do many expats. The only people that 'suffer' from these election alcohol bans are tourists. Oh, and the people who make their living from the bar scene. Sad

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"The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" - Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, 1748-1832

Make a dog's life better, today!

richard · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject:

Just been out to eat at one of my favourite restaurants

They were serving drinks discreetly in frosted glass or mugs

Got asked by a friendly waitress to explain to a bunch of irate tourists who were moaning about it. I explained the reason and told them of the financial risks to them and the boss. Calmed them down a bit but they did retort 'but we cannot vote anyway'. I just smiled and said TIT

I do feel for the bar owners though. Over a 2 week period thats 5 days lost revenue. AND they got hit at Christmas time too They must be pulling their hair out Shoot em up

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The only real place is middle earth.

Khun Richard of Yorkshire and Internationalist

Vital Spark · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:47 pm Post subject:

What on earth are the powers that be, whoever they may be, thinking of?

How can a country (and I'll use that term as it encompasses all those government organisations including the TAT) on the one hand discriminate between Thais & non-Thais when it comes down to entrance fees to various places, and on the other hand lump us together with the Thais when it comes down to alcohol bans?

So should we be treated the same as the Thais - or should we have special 'treatment'?

When 6% of the country's GDP is tourism, they really are risking an awful lot - but do they know it? A rhetorical question, I know. Confused

VS

PS: As usual the bans don't affect us, but, hey, I'm going to live here anyway, and I don't stay in hotels, and I don't pay farang prices for things, and I'm not a tourist. Thailand shouldn't get complacent about their tourism industry (the Ford Motor Company did the same in the motor industry, but that's another story...). There are lots of other places in the world that may just offer a better deal.
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'Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana' -Groucho Marx

richard · Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 10:11 pm Post subject:

VS

Tourism is already suffering and dropping particularly at the high end market

Japan tourism is down 36% and many friends in the UK are opting for Cambodia and VN

I hear many small business are crumbling too

I suspect also many resident who rely on incoming pension funds to justify their retirement visas are going to feel the pinch withe Baht strengthening against the dollar and the pound

Will Thai authorities realise? Only when it crashes about it's ears
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The only real place is middle earth.

Khun Richard of Yorkshire and Internationalist