BANGKOK — It’s close to midnight, something evil’s lurking from the dark… BOO! It might be the police coming after Halloween Night amazeballs Happy Hour at your favorite bars.
In a letter submitted on Wednesday to the national police, a group campaigning against alcohol consumption urged the police to crack down on bars and pubs that target young drinkers with their discounts and other types of marketing incentives in the upcoming Halloween festival.
“A major factor in creating new generations of drinkers is an easy access to alcohol,” group leader Teerapat Kahawong told reporters. “Even though there are legal restrictions, but bars and pubs still choose to violate the laws in order to gain profit on that day.”
Teerapat said his group, called “Network to Prevent New Drinkers,” is concerned that bars will hitch on the popularity of Halloween celebrations in Thailand and entice drinkers with promotion or sell booze to underage customers. The activist said alcohol frequently caused road accidents, especially among young people.
He called on the police to strictly enforce the Alcohol Control Act, which bans engaging in alcohol sales promotions and inducing others to drink.
The former charge carries a maximum penalty of 10,000 baht fine, while punishment for the latter is much harsher: one year in prison and 500,000 baht fine, along with an additional penalty of 50,000 baht per day offenders remain out of compliance.
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