Your last call on a night out in Thailand might be pushed later into the night as Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is pushing hard to scrap the country’s alcohol-zoning rules, extend closing times to 4am nationwide and axe the ban on selling alcohol between 2pm and 5pm. If all goes to plan, these changes will roll out in January 2026.
Right now, only certain licensed zones get to party past 2am: Silom, RCA and Ratchadaphisek in Bangkok, as well as hotspots like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Ko Samui. Everyone else has to shut down at 2am, no exceptions. It’s a system that’s been criticised as outdated and a bit arbitrary. Many say why should geography determine when you can order another round?
The proposed reforms would level the playing field. Instead of jumping through hoops to get entertainment venue licensing, all alcohol vendors could register directly with the Ministry of Interior as liquor outlets for that ‘simple, streamlined’ structure.
The government’s motivation isn’t purely altruistic, of course. Extended hours and fewer restrictions are expected to pump up tourism-related numbers and generate hundreds of billions of baht in additional tax revenue.
Both the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Public Health have been tasked with figuring out the logistics of actually killing off these zoning regulations through ministerial channels. As mentioned, it’s early days, but if the cabinet thinks this is the way to go, Thailand’s hospitality industry (and anyone who’s ever been annoyed by that afternoon alcohol cut-off) could be celebrating next year.
Whether you’re a bar owner eyeing later revenue streams or just someone who thinks a 3pm beer shouldn’t be contraband, this could be the reform Thailand’s nightlife has been waiting for.
But many are raising concerns about the flip side. After legalisation, many are calling for stricter enforcement on drunk driving. They argue that penalties should be more serious, such as lifetime licence revocation and immediate blood alcohol testing without the need for approval. The idea is that both sides must go together: collecting tax revenue while also improving safety for those who aren’t really part of the party crowd.