Thailand Lifts 50-Year Afternoon Alcohol Sales Ban

Thailand has lifted a longstanding ban on afternoon alcohol sales, allowing retailers to offer beer, wine and spirits from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for the first time in over five decades, officials announced on Wednesday in Bangkok. The change, effective immediately as part of a six-month trial, aims to support the tourism industry ahead of year-end holidays and stimulate business at bars, restaurants and convenience stores.

The amendment to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act was published in the Royal Gazette on Tuesday, extending permitted sales hours from 11 a.m. to midnight nationwide. While retail sales must end at midnight, patrons at nightlife venues can continue consuming alcohol until 1 a.m. A government committee will evaluate the trial's impacts after 180 days to determine if the relaxation becomes permanent.

The prohibition, enacted in 1972 during a period of military rule, barred sales during typical afternoon work hours, with the original rationale now largely unclear. Officials have suggested it was intended to discourage government employees from drinking on the job, a concern that Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Saram described as outdated. "In the past, there were...