VENUE RULES
Buying alcohol in Thailand: the rules for your situation
For most visitors buying at ordinary shops, the answer is YES from 11 am to midnight on a normal day and NO outside those hours or during a ban. Your age, venue and any local order can change your answer.
Rules reviewed · All times in Thailand
You’re buying at a shop or ordinary restaurant
Use the national YES or NO on the homepage. Ordinary licensed retailers and restaurants follow the general selling hours and Buddhist dry days. If an election notice lists your area, select it to get the answer there.
You must be 20 or older and not intoxicated. A YES means the rules allow sales at that time. You still need an open, licensed seller, and a particular shop may be out of stock or decline to serve you.
You’re buying at a hotel, airport or entertainment venue
A registered hotel, a qualifying international airport passenger area or an entertainment venue licensed under the relevant law may have an exception. Check that the permission covers the premises where you’re buying. A nearby hotel’s licence does not cover another business, and a bar, airport shop or business called a ‘resort’ may not qualify.
Ask staff: ‘Is this venue legally allowed to sell alcohol now, including during today’s restrictions?’ If they confirm it is authorised, open and not subject to an election or local ban, use that confirmation in the situation checker. If they cannot confirm, use NO for now and follow the ordinary-shop opening time.
You’re at a tourist event or in a nightlife district
Some venues and events in tourist destinations have official designations with specific conditions. Being in Phuket, Pattaya, Bangkok or another tourist destination alone does not qualify a venue. Ask the organiser or staff whether this particular place and time are covered.
Do not infer an exception from other people drinking, a bar sign or a shop offering to sell. A local election order can still override the venue’s usual service.
You’re in an election area
Choose the exact affected area from the notice in the checker. Some bans cover a city; others name a particular constituency or municipal district. If a notice names one district, the ban applies there rather than across the whole province.
If you cannot tell whether your address falls within the boundary, show the notice to your hotel or venue and ask them to check. You can also use the Election Commission’s published notice. If staff confirm that a local no-sale order applies, select that option for a NO.
You’re buying or drinking in a restricted place
Ordinary selling hours do not override place restrictions. Temples, petrol stations, public parks and public transport areas are among the places where alcohol is restricted. Use an ordinary licensed shop or an authorised venue instead.
A YES here tells you that you can buy alcohol. Restrictions on where you can drink still apply, and venues must stop selling when their permitted hours end.
PUBLISHED RULES
Sources & updates
Read the published rules below. Selling hours and Buddhist-day exceptions have separate announcements from election bans. Check which rules apply where and when you want to buy.
- Tourism Authority of Thailand · sales hours
- Thai government · Buddhist-day exceptions
- Tourism Authority of Thailand · 2026 calendar (PDF)
- Bank of Thailand · holiday dates
- Election Commission of Thailand
This is an independent visitor guide, not a Thai government service. The live answer uses published selling hours and the listed restrictions. Local orders and venue licences may add conditions. If a notice at your venue differs, ask staff to confirm which rule applies.