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[Mobi]

sriracha john, on 2007-12-16 11:49:24, said:

If analogies for this weekend can be made to the tsunami, the crash of '97, and a few other cataclysmic events, then certainly the all-clear sign given at 10pm will make VJ-Day pale in comparison.

Well up here in Pong land we're planning a big street party.

At the appointed hour, great barrels of beer,vast quantities of wine, jeroboams of Champagne, and flagons of 100 Pipers and Sangsom will be wheeled out, and all the farangs from miles around will break into song, to the strains of "Roll out the barrel", "There's an old Mill by the Stream" and "Roll me over in the Clover"

It will undoubtedly go down in the annals of Thai history as an epoch making event.... until next Sunday night when we do it all over again.

Roll on the next election

[zorro1]

Zpete, on 2007-12-16 14:11:21, said:

Oh how I empathise with all you people who complain about booze not being available........

GET A LIFE !!!!!!!!!!

Yer just a pack of whinging wonkas......... FFS

wow why are you yelling? have a drink, relax

[sriracha john]

Mobi, on 2007-12-16 14:30:55, said:

sriracha john, on 2007-12-16 11:49:24, said:

If analogies for this weekend can be made to the tsunami, the crash of '97, and a few other cataclysmic events, then certainly the all-clear sign given at 10pm will make VJ-Day pale in comparison.

Well up here in Pong land we're planning a big street party.

At the appointed hour, great barrels of beer,vast quantities of wine, jeroboams of Champagne, and flagons of 100 Pipers and Sangsom will be wheeled out, and all the farangs from miles around will break into song, to the strains of "Roll out the barrel", "There's an old Mill by the Stream" and "Roll me over in the Clover"

It will undoubtedly go down in the annals of Thai history as an epoch making event.... until next Sunday night when we do it all over again.

Roll on the next election

I fully expect a ticker-tape parade and Pattaya will, on this momentous day, have to replicate the world famous photographs such as this one from Life Magazine that has personified VJ-Day for 60 years:



Perhaps someone with a Leo beer in one hand with a 50 baht note dangling from 2 fingers and a passionate ladyboy draped around his other arm.... or some other equally epic moment caught on film.  

Let Freedom Ring!

Edited by sriracha john, 2007-12-16 16:28:59.

[varun]

The Pong was open yesterday and day before and they were serving in plastic cups.

[Felt 35]

Quote

Just observing the huge numbers reading this post, my initial thought was "alcohol comsumption plays far to large a role in most of your lives" if you are really up in arms about this.The main reason for this law is simple. The authorities try to prevent Thai people from going to "Vote buying parties" where the organizers will woo them with booze, try to convince them to vote a certain way, and then send them off to do it. When the majority of your population is uneducated, sometimes you have to supervise them more closely, to get them to act in a responsible manner.

To those tourists whose entire trip to Thailand will be ruined because they can't have a few "bia Sing's", well, thats a pretty sad commentary on the tourists themselves, and not on the government trying to protect their citizens from making a poor choice during a very important event.

Well said!

[Ned]

A lot of influential people want booze banned here completely. This latest nonsense is just a trial run. The last writer's bit about the govt needing to "supervise" the population.....Are you serious???

[marquess]

Ned, on 2007-12-16 10:34:44, said:

A lot of influential people want booze banned here completely. This latest nonsense is just a trial run. The last writer's bit about the govt needing to "supervise" the population.....Are you serious???

That is what the word govern means, to control. It starts here with the uniform at the age of 3 all the way to Uni and beyond. So why not just extend it? We know what is best, don't look at this don't read this don't do anything we say is not good for you! We want you to go to heaven and were going to help you to get there.

[Mosha]

The main point is not that we can't get a drink. It's that Thailand relies heavily on tourism. People come on holiday to relax and generally get away from the crap at home. Now even if it is only a drink with your meal, most non muslims like a drink. (Actually I know some muslims who like a drop too.) It is not a good idea to tick a major source of your countries income off, where does that leave the economy. As for banning drinking permanently, they would need to replace the police with muslims, cos all the police I know are real piss heads.

[stattointhailand]

Right ... read 400+ postings, agree with some, not all, but nobody seems to have grasped the MAJOR implications of this ban. The "law abiding citizens" of Issan have shut all the bars in Udon ........ including the ones that have UBC (and threfore NO FOOTIE). No notice was given to anyone to get UBC at home, so nobody will know what happened to their hard earned tip money from last week. Did Everton (Changs) do enough to overcome the 1/2 goal start given to West Ham? How did all that Thai Tax (in) money do at Manchester City? Nobody can look in amazement at all the Thai beer adverts at the premiership grounds. What next ? maybe the premier league being told to shut down for two weekends whilst the Thais have an election?
Seriously, I read in amazement about the thousands being lost by owners of bars in Pattaya/Phuket etc (shame... sob sob), spare a thought for the other guys, like the one who owns the bar in Udon, who makes over half his takings from Sat/Sun nights when people come in to watch the football (not hundreds, just a dozen or so). He will lose maybe 10,000B this month, with no way to get it back. All the advertising or bbq's or international DJ's won't get an extra 50 people in, coz they arn't there to come in!! He doesn't wan't to be rich, just be able to break even and live here with his family. So please spare a "sober" thought for him, and those like him, and their staff, who are having their livelehood threatened by these decisions, not the big bar moguls who will put their prices up 1 baht and recoup their loses in a couple of weeks.

[mikethevigoman]

Mobi, on 2007-12-16 14:30:55, said:

sriracha john, on 2007-12-16 11:49:24, said:

If analogies for this weekend can be made to the tsunami, the crash of '97, and a few other cataclysmic events, then certainly the all-clear sign given at 10pm will make VJ-Day pale in comparison.

Well up here in Pong land we're planning a big street party.

At the appointed hour, great barrels of beer,vast quantities of wine, jeroboams of Champagne, and flagons of 100 Pipers and Sangsom will be wheeled out, and all the farangs from miles around will break into song, to the strains of "Roll out the barrel", "There's an old Mill by the Stream" and "Roll me over in the Clover"

It will undoubtedly go down in the annals of Thai history as an epoch making event.... until next Sunday night when we do it all over again.

Roll on the next election

Fantastic ! il love it,.

[Mosha]

Buy a peanut for x Baht get a free drink.  

[IAMSOBAD]

Like the sad choices they have to vote for are worth all this nonsense. Everyday the powers that be show why they should not be in power. I would surely never vote for any of these decision makers. Talk about terrible management skills. This is not about being able to buy a drink or buy a vote...its about being able to make adult decisions without a baby sitter in a uniform. The ban on alcohol should have been on election eve or election day to have any of its desired goals. Can you say Banana Republic? I am not a drinker, but I lift my glass to all the bar/restaurant/club owners and employees that are losing so much money for no reason at all. I wonder if street drug sales increased during this special hiatus.

[keekwai]

IAMSOBAD, on 2007-12-16 19:36:12, said:

This is not about being able to buy a drink or buy a vote...its about being able to make adult decisions without a baby sitter in a uniform.

Which is what all this crap really all boils down to.

[manjara]

It's not really about the people that live here; I can do without a drink for a week or two, but there are a lot of people who have paid large amounts of money to have a holiday in Thailand and I'm da*n sure they had no idea that the place was going to be dry for 2 weekends.

I've been to a few places today and over the weekend and none of them were serving alcohol. It seems ridiculous, as the only people who will be badly affected by it are the tourists. I can quite easily get a drink, in fact I'm sitting with one now, but tourists will be relying on bars and restaurants selling alcohol.

I'm constantly surprised by just how stupid Thais can be...

[marquess]

manjara, on 2007-12-16 14:27:40, said:

It's not really about the people that live here; I can do without a drink for a week or two, but there are a lot of people who have paid large amounts of money to have a holiday in Thailand and I'm da*n sure they had no idea that the place was going to be dry for 2 weekends.

I've been to a few places today and over the weekend and none of them were serving alcohol. It seems ridiculous, as the only people who will be badly affected by it are the tourists. I can quite easily get a drink, in fact I'm sitting with one now, but tourists will be relying on bars and restaurants selling alcohol.

I'm constantly surprised by just how stupid Thais can be...

I am afraid that such absudities abound daily here, officialdom lives in its own self rightuous world.

[zorro1]

A` bar that I frequent got nabbed by 2 undercover cops in soi 4 last night.  The owner wasn't there but had to attend the cop shop and pay 10,000bht fine for the release of his waitress. He stayed open for the rest of the night and got his money back plus plenty more.

[DP25]

Went to a Thai restaurant earlier today, in an area with no tourists.  Was the only non Thai there, and had no problem getting getting a nice large Singha with my meal, in fact almost every table had beer or whiskey on it.  A couple hours later I was back in a touristy area, no alcohol at any of the restaurants, the few people eating were drinking Pepsi and soda water.  Normally the places I walked by are packed at that time of night too. I guess people were just staying in their hotel rooms, as foreigners apparently are the only ones not allowed to drink alcohol during Thai elections.

[torrenova]

stattointhailand, on 2007-12-16 18:44:30, said:

Right ... read 400+ postings, agree with some, not all, but nobody seems to have grasped the MAJOR implications of this ban. The "law abiding citizens" of Issan have shut all the bars in Udon ........ including the ones that have UBC (and threfore NO FOOTIE). No notice was given to anyone to get UBC at home, so nobody will know what happened to their hard earned tip money from last week. Did Everton (Changs) do enough to overcome the 1/2 goal start given to West Ham? How did all that Thai Tax (in) money do at Manchester City? Nobody can look in amazement at all the Thai beer adverts at the premiership grounds. What next ? maybe the premier league being told to shut down for two weekends whilst the Thais have an election?
Seriously, I read in amazement about the thousands being lost by owners of bars in Pattaya/Phuket etc (shame... sob sob), spare a thought for the other guys, like the one who owns the bar in Udon, who makes over half his takings from Sat/Sun nights when people come in to watch the football (not hundreds, just a dozen or so). He will lose maybe 10,000B this month, with no way to get it back. All the advertising or bbq's or international DJ's won't get an extra 50 people in, coz they arn't there to come in!! He doesn't wan't to be rich, just be able to break even and live here with his family. So please spare a "sober" thought for him, and those like him, and their staff, who are having their livelehood threatened by these decisions, not the big bar moguls who will put their prices up 1 baht and recoup their loses in a couple of weeks.

I do feel for the guy you mention but it is all relative. A self managed bar with minimal overheads loses the profit when he cannot open I agree. However, a business with numerous staff, high rent and other overheads not only loses the profit from the closure dates but also suffers additional losses of fixed costs. You cannot argue it in absolute terms but in perecntage terms, it may be that the larger business, operating with a significantly greater cost base, is more harshly affected. Put this on the back of a poor middle of the year and it is a significant hit.

What really hurts though is the fact that the revenue is lost forever. In the case you point out, the football cannot be revisited but in other cases, those who are allowed to open garner the trade that those who are forced to close lose. Were it a level playing field, then some but not all of that lost revenue would be recouped through additional spending in the days following a closure.

[moo9]

For the next ban day I recommend to visit the big massage parlours in Pattaya. Owned / Controled by the BiB, very happy to serve Singha and Heinecken, playing music....
Only annoying thing is the constant asking "which number?". But no problem to reply "where are just here for drinking...."  

Amazing Thailand, isn't it?!

Edited by moo9, 2007-12-17 08:18:25.

[sriracha john]

It seems that things have a way of evening out....


Election to boost sale of alcoholic drinks during festive season

BANGKOK -- Despite rising oil prices and the higher cost of living in Thailand, sales of alcoholic drinks were projected to increase during the last quarter of 2007 thanks to the December 23 general election, a report issued by Kasikorn Research Center said.

Besides the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the upcoming general election would help boost sales of alcoholic drinks by about Bt3.8 billion, as canvassers and election candidates were expected to place large orders, the report indicated.

It said strict regulations in place by the Election Commission prohibiting election candidates to spend on campaigns heavily through the media would force them to depend on canvassers and sales of booze would definitely increase.

Citing a report issued by the Bank of Thailand, the report said sales of beer and liquor during the first ten months of 2007 totaled 2.362 billion liters , up 5.4 per cent from the corresponding period of 2006.

It said sales during the 2007 10 month period jumped on worries of an increase in excise tax on alcoholic drinks, which had forced traders to buy more and keep stock during the first half of 2007. Sales of  beer and liquor in 2008 were still uncertain, depending on oil prices and people’s purchasing power, the report said.

Also, if the government decided to increase excise tax on alcoholic drinks next year to finance its mega-projects, sales would definitely be affected, the report added.

- MCOT

[tigerbeer]

sriracha john, on 2007-12-17 08:17:08, said:

It seems that things have a way of evening out....


Election to boost sale of alcoholic drinks during festive season

BANGKOK -- Despite rising oil prices and the higher cost of living in Thailand, sales of alcoholic drinks were projected to increase during the last quarter of 2007 thanks to the December 23 general election, a report issued by Kasikorn Research Center said.

Besides the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the upcoming general election would help boost sales of alcoholic drinks by about Bt3.8 billion, as canvassers and election candidates were expected to place large orders, the report indicated.

It said strict regulations in place by the Election Commission prohibiting election candidates to spend on campaigns heavily through the media would force them to depend on canvassers and sales of booze would definitely increase.

Citing a report issued by the Bank of Thailand, the report said sales of beer and liquor during the first ten months of 2007 totaled 2.362 billion liters , up 5.4 per cent from the corresponding period of 2006.

It said sales during the 2007 10 month period jumped on worries of an increase in excise tax on alcoholic drinks, which had forced traders to buy more and keep stock during the first half of 2007. Sales of  beer and liquor in 2008 were still uncertain, depending on oil prices and people’s purchasing power, the report said.

Also, if the government decided to increase excise tax on alcoholic drinks next year to finance its mega-projects, sales would definitely be affected, the report added.

- MCOT

[Bruce1]

I wonder if any Thais will be so annoyed by this ban and being treated like children that they'll actually vote for the PPP as a protest? It oculd backfire politically.

[sriracha john]

Bruce1, on 2007-12-17 11:03:47, said:

I wonder if any Thais will be so annoyed by this ban and being treated like children that they'll actually vote for the PPP as a protest? It oculd backfire politically.

Interesting scenario... but as it's been the rule for every government during every election for umpteen decades, it certainly loses most of its relevance.

[sriracha john]

Seems like in the end, the tremendous sacrifice of foregoing the all-important drinking in bars for 2 days was for a very worthwhile cause... nearly 3 million people voted.

It might be worthwhile to anyone involved in the bar business to plan accordingly for future elections as this advance voting seems to have really caught on and thus this past weekend is likely to reoccur. It's undeniable that more advance warning would have been beneficial for this first-ever event, but as with any event that is "unprecedented" (in terms of the huge number of voters involved) the inevitable snafu's often happen.  


87% Voter Turnout for Advance Voting

The Election Commission is happy with the execution of the advance voting during the past weekend, with a voter turnout of 1.8 million which is 87% of those who registered to vote outside their registered constituencies.

Election Commissioner Praphan Naiyakovit says the advance vote on Saturday and Sunday saw a turnout of more than 1.8 million voters or 87.75% of the more than two million who registered to vote outside their registered constituencies.

Bangkok saw the largest voter turnout of 823,000 out of the 903,000 who registered.

As for the advance voting of voters in their registered constituencies, 1.1 million turned up to vote nationwide with Bangkok seeing the highest number of advance voters at 199,000.

- Thailand Outlook

Edited by sriracha john, 2007-12-17 19:59:24.

[A_Traveller]

That said, am I alone in feeling that there's a whiff of coordination here, as opposed to old fashioned democratic enthusiasm?

Regards