The notice, issued yesterday, notes that Wan Org Pansa is “is an important day in Buddhism as announced by Office of the Prime Minister on determining days forbidding the sale of alcoholic beverages:
“No person is allowed to sell alcoholic beverages on Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asarnha Bucha Day, the start of Buddhist Lent [Khao Pansa], and the end of Buddhist Lent [Wan Org Pansa],” the notice explained.
“Patong Municipality requests cooperation from all types of establishments such as hotels, restaurants, pubs, beer bars, etc., excluding sales only at duty-free shops within international airports,” the notice continued.
“If you violate [the law] there is a penalty of imprisonment not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding ten thousand baht, or both according to Section 39 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act 2008,” Patong Municipality explained.
“Asking for cooperation with establishments_prohibiting the sale of alcohol on important Buddhist days,” the notice concluded, with the standard hashtag “#PATONGCITYNEVERDIES”.
Of note, Patong Police has yet to post any notice of the ban on the sale of alcohol on its official Facebook page.
The notice posted by Patong Municipality was marked clearly that the ban on the sale of alcohol will be for 24 hours.
The ban will come into effect just at midnight tonight and will conclude at midnight tomorrow night.
To increase awareness about the ban, officials from Patong Municipality went on a tour around the city on Thursday (Oct 26), visiting various alcohol sale points. Pictures posted on the municipality’s Facebook page show officials talking to staff at convenience stores, hotels, as well as local family-run shops.
Patong Municipality has also posted a copy of a municipal order reiterating the alcohol sales ban on Oct 29. The order is signed by Patong Deputy Mayor Sanakorn Keesin.
The alcohol ban for Wan Org Pansa was instituted by law under an announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office on January 22, 2015.
Under the order, the sale of alcohol is prohibited on five specific religious days: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asarnha Bucha Day, Khao Pansa and Wan Org Pansa.
However, the ban tomorrow comes as Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as Minister of Interior, moves to allow nightlife venues to stay open until 4am during regular days, when alcohol bans are in effect.
Under Thai law, alcohol bans are also invoked every time there is an election, even for local municipality seats.
In addition to the Buddhist holiday alcohol bans, the Bangla Rd nightlife area in Patong suffered another 24-hour ban on the sale of alcohol in June this year when local residents went to the polls to elect a councillor for just one seat on the Patong Municipality Council.
According to Patong Municipality, Patong has a population of 19,721 registered residents living 4,569 households, with a “hidden population” of approximately 21,838 people, all living in a total area of 1,634 square kilometres.