137 locations violate alcohol-related laws during Songkran: Watchdog 

The Stop Drink Network Thailand (SDN) has called for greater accountability from operators in the alcoholic beverage businesses, revealing that 137 locations across Thailand were found violating laws during the Songkran holidays.

Theera Watcharapranee, SDN Manager, said on Tuesday that these violations, including illegal discounting, giveaways, promotions, advertising, and selling alcohol to minors and intoxicated individuals, are potentially in breach of both the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act and the Excise Tax Act. 

He said that between April 12 to 14, major beverage brands—Singha, Leo, Chang, Carabao, and others—held promotional events across the country, such as music festivals (both free and ticketed) and aggressive street marketing with little regard for public safety or legal boundaries.

Data from the Alcohol Watch Network revealed that violations occurred at 137 locations, 42 of which are public water splashing zones, 60 are bar/pub-style venues, and 35 are private venues, including in front of shopping malls.

Issues found are as follows:

• No display of sales licenses
• Alcoholic beverage sold below legal price thresholds (e.g. 4 cans for 199 baht, or 49.75 baht per can vs. the regular 60 baht)
• No regard for buyer age or intoxication level
• Sales during restricted hours (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)

Theera added that some well-known convenience stores were seen selling alcohol in front of their shops to bypass the law, raising concerns over whether their head offices were aware or complicit. He also urged the Excise Department to investigate the issue.

Teera noted that vendors frequently justified selling alcohol during Songkran by claiming it is their only major income opportunity for the year. However, these areas saw underage drinking, public intoxication, fights, and reckless behavior, including drunk driving of motorcycles and pickup trucks, he pointed out.

The network plans to compile all violation data and submit it to relevant authorities to help improve public safety and law enforcement in the future, added Theera.

“There is also widespread public misunderstanding that alcohol laws have recently been relaxed, which is not the case. The 2008 Alcoholic Beverage Control Act remains in effect, and the inconsistency in law enforcement raises concerns about how future amendments will be applied,” he said.

Theera urged the government to take serious steps to regulate alcohol marketing. One suggestion is to require alcohol company executives to be present during pre-event planning meetings to ensure legal compliance and greater corporate social responsibility. The network will continue to report findings to the authorities to drive meaningful change, he insisted.