The relaxed restrictions will initially apply for a six-month trial period.
The Buddhist country has long had strict restrictions on alcohol, with a total ban on sales between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The aim was originally to prevent government employees from drinking during working hours, but as tourism has exploded, the ban has been increasingly questioned.
From now on, Thais and tourists will be able to buy alcohol in stores and bars from 11 a.m. to midnight. The effects of the relaxed rules will be studied after six months.
According to the World Health Organization, average alcohol consumption in Thailand is already among the highest in Asia. Between 2019 and 2023, nearly 33,000 people died in the country from drunk driving, according to the Ministry of Health in Bangkok.
