Thailand’s party spots dry up with election day booze bans

BANGKOK – Bangkok restaurateur Sorathep Steve said he was told off last week by customers who had just flown in from the United States and ordered a bottle of wine, only to be told of

Thailand’s election-linked ban on alcohol.

“They were frustrated and I had to explain the law,” Mr Sorathep said, recalling how the four guests at his Thai cuisine restaurant complained that they had not come to Thailand to vote, before finally ordering lemon sodas.

Under Thai law, it is illegal to sell, pay for or give away any kind of alcoholic drink during two 24-hour windows linked to voting.

The first restricted period was when advance voting took place on Jan 31, and the second will start at 6pm local time (7pm Singapore time) on Feb 7, ahead of the general election the following day.

The longstanding election law was introduced to prevent vote-buying and maintain public order, according to the Election Commission.

“Sales dropped by 50 per cent during the ban for early voting,” said Mr Sorathep, who runs five restaurants in Bangkok, adding that foreign tourists account for about half of his customers.

South-east Asia’s second-largest economy, famed for its beaches and laid-back lifestyle, is a tourism powerhouse, but international arrivals fell 7.2 per cent in 2025 to 33 million visitors.

Floods, an earthquake and a border war with Cambodia contributed to the fall.

While a number of countries around the world have restrictions on alcohol during elections, some of Thailand’s tourism-dependent establishments say dry days during the peak January travel season risk cutting deeply into revenues and damaging visitor perceptions.

Previous elections have been mostly held in the mid-year off season.

“Repeated disruptions during peak season risk redefining Thailand from a seamless holiday destination into an unpredictable one, and that perception is far harder to reverse than any short-term revenue loss,” said Mr Bill Barnett of C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy, stressing that repeat visitors are crucial.

On the resort island of Phuket, restaurant and bar owner Benny De Bellis said his revenues fell 30 per cent during the advance voting weekend.

“We proactively communicated with guests, including explaining the situation to walk-in customers,” he said, adding that his venues posted signage to avoid confusion.

During the election period, revenue could drop up to 50 per cent, he added.

Another restaurant on the island, Mrs B Bar & Table, expects bar sales to plunge by 90 per cent next weekend, said owner Sumitha Soorian. REUTERS