The Public Health Ministry yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with governors of 25 central provinces to prohibit the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks in state offices and public parks.
This followed their successful anti-alcohol campaign that lowered local alcohol consumption to 2,699 million litres in 2009 - 178 million litres down from the previous year and saving 8 per cent of Thai household expenses.
The MoU also prohibited alcohol advertising and sale to persons under 20, unless in a permanent shop or club within the state offices or parks. Such premises would also be allowed to sell alcohol beverages only from 11am-2pm and 5pm-midnight.
The ministry's next move will be to cover jurisdiction areas of tambon administrative organisations, said Deputy Public Health Minister Pansiri Kulnartsiri.
Violation of the alcohol ad ban could result in one-year jail and/or Bt500,000 in fines and a daily fine of Bt50,000. Selling or drinking alcohol in a prohibited place could mean six months in jail and/or a Bt10,000 in fines. Alcohol sales outside the limited periods could bring up to two years in jail and/or a Bt4,000 fine, while the penalty for selling alcohol to underage persons was a year in jail and/or a Bt20,000 fine.
In the first four months of this year, 259 alcohol law violators were arrested in Bangkok while 65 others were arrested in Prachin Buri, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Chon Buri.
Rains disrupt Bangkok traffic
Bangkok commuters faced disruption yesterday morning as heavy rain caused traffic jams in several areas and an MRT subway station to temporarily close.
Traffic was heavily congested in inbound lanes of Sukhumvit road, while soi Lasalle was inundated, stranding small vehicles. Traffic was slow down Sritepa intersection on Srinakarin road.
The traffic on Lat Phrao road was also congested as vehicles piled up in the slippery and poor conditions.
The MRT Rama 9 station went out of order, stranding passengers back up the line at other MRT stations before operations resumed at 9am.
"Once I stepped on Lat Phrao MRT station's escalator, I could see almost a hundred people lining up to pass through the bag checking spot,"said passenger Nonlanee Panthachotirat.
"What was even worse, the station didn't turn on its air conditioners on the ticket booth floor and I had to wait for quite sometimes to get down to the platform.
"It took me 30 minutes to finally get in an overcrowded train and another 40 minutes to reach Queen Sirikit Centre station which normally takes only 15 minutes," she said.