Phuket still awaits approval for island-wide alcohol tourism zone
Phuket’s proposal to designate the entire island as a tourism area for alcohol-sale exemptions remains pending with the Interior and Public Health ministries.
Phuket is still waiting for approval to designate the entire island as a tourism area where eligible businesses could benefit from alcohol-sale exemptions on five major Buddhist holidays.
Thayakorn Kanthivivorn, a specialist with the Alcohol and Tobacco Control Division, said there had been no announcement or progress from the Ministry of Interior or the Ministry of Public Health on the proposal. “For now, all we can do is wait,” he said, adding that inquiries had received no response.
The delay follows revised alcohol-control regulations published in the Royal Gazette on 6 November 2026 and effective from 7 November. The rules retain a nationwide ban on alcohol sales on Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asanha Bucha Day, the first day of Buddhist Lent, and the end of Buddhist Lent.
They clarify that exemptions may apply to international airport passenger terminals, licensed entertainment venues, legally registered hotels, designated event venues and businesses operating similarly to entertainment venues within officially designated tourism areas.
However, the tourism-area exemption requires formal designation by the Public Health Minister on the recommendation of the Interior Minister. Phuket has been seeking that approval since submitting its proposal in September 2025, after the provincial Tourism Area Designation Committee unanimously approved it on 28 August 2025.
The committee chose to seek coverage for the entire island rather than selected tourism districts, allowing qualifying businesses throughout Phuket to benefit if the designation is granted.
The proposal had remained with the Interior Ministry, which had not forwarded it to the Public Health Ministry for formal consideration, according to The Phuket News.
Businesses without qualifying entertainment establishment licences or hotel status therefore cannot rely on the tourism-area exemption when the five Buddhist holidays occur. The issue is particularly relevant in entertainment and tourism districts such as Patong, where operators have previously raised concerns about inconsistent enforcement and difficulties obtaining entertainment establishment licences.
The revised national regulations clarify eligible business categories but do not automatically designate Phuket as a tourism area or authorise businesses across the island to sell alcohol on Buddhist holy days.
