Phuket alcohol sales ban set for Visakha Bucha holiday
Most alcohol sales in Phuket will be banned from 12am Sunday, May 31, to 12am Monday, June 1, for Visakha Bucha Day, while some licensed venues remain exempt.
Alcohol sales will be banned in most of Phuket from 12am on Sunday, May 31, until 12am on Monday, June 1, for Visakha Bucha Day.
Government offices, including Phuket Immigration, will also be closed on Monday, June 1, for the substitution public holiday.
Visakha Bucha Day this year falls on Sunday, May 31. The holiday commemorates the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Lord Buddha and is one of Thailand’s most important religious observances.
Under Thai law, alcohol sales are prohibited on the five major Buddhist holidays. Violations can bring penalties of up to six months in prison, a fine of up to B10,000, or both, under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.
Phuket Provincial Police Chief Pol Maj Gen Sinlert Sukhum reconfirmed that legally registered service establishments operating under the Service Establishment Act are allowed to continue selling alcohol during the holiday.
Also exempt from the ban are registered hotels, international airport terminals and approved tourism-related venues operating under government exemptions announced in the Royal Gazette.
All other shops, convenience stores, supermarkets and general vendors must comply with the ban, Pol Maj Gen Sinlert said.
