Bangkok To Ban Sale of Booze for 10 Days Starting Friday

German Chancellor Angela Merkel lifts a glass of beer during an election campaign of her Christian Democratic Union, CDU, and the Christian Social Union, CSU, in Munich, southern Germany. Photo: Matthias Balk / Associated Press

BANGKOK — Bangkok City Hall is preparing to impose a ban on the sale of alcohol starting Friday with a stated aim to curb gatherings and coronavirus infection.

The ban, lasting 10 days at this stage, would be imposed in order to dissuade alcohol-fueled parties and gatherings, particularly at night where the 10pm to 4am curfew is already in effect nationwide, officials say.

It’s the latest province to enact a blanket ban on booze sale during the pandemic, after Sakon Nakhon.

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Police Capt. Pongsakorn Kwanmuang, spokesman of the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority confirmed the ban on Thursday after attending the health ministry’s Center for the COVID-19 Situation Administration meeting. He urges all sellers to cooperate and comply with the ban.

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But Thanakorn Kuptajit, president of the Alcohol Beverage Seller Association said the approach could lead to more people coming out to stock up on booze thus leading to possible exposure to infections.

“Many may buy it illegally during the ban. Others will travel outside Bangkok to buy,” Thanakorn said on the phone Thursday afternoon. “It doesn’t answer the [goals] of the government. Why would you ban. What for? I ask the press to think whether this will solve the problem?”