Oil companies vow to uphold petrolstation alcohol ban

The ban has been touted as an effective means of reducing road casualties.

On average, 84 people died in road accidents each day during previous New Year holidays. Of those, 76.9 per cent were victims of drunk driving.

Outside of festive seasons, the average road toll is 35 lives a day.

"PTT, Bangchak Petroleum, Petronas and Chevron have agreed to fully enforce the ban during the upcoming New Year celebrations," Dr Supreda Adulyanon, director of the Office of Health Promotion and Primary Risk Factor Reduction, told a press conference yesterday.

The office is under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation.

Saman Futrakul, director of the Public Heath Ministry's Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, said selling alcoholic beverages at petrol stations was punishable by a maximum fine of Bt10,000 and/or up to six months in prison.

Despite the legal ban, a survey found many petrol stations sold alcoholic beverages between December 28, 2007, and January 2, 2008.

Millions of people hit the roads for the New Year holidays. Most bus tickets for the period have already been sold.