Songkran booze ban not the answer to Thailand’s problems
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I try very hard to stay out of politics; frankly you can never win. In every daily life even the most logical of views will often be loudly rebuffed by some opinionated windbag who uses volume as a debating tool. So keeping an entire nation happy must be a pretty tough job.
Considering this, I am trying very hard to keep an open mind about the Thai government’s plan to ban alcohol during the Songkran New Year festival period. On the surface it would seem logical - according to Bangkok-based newspaper, The Nation, 32,327 Thais were killed on the roads over Songkran week in 2008. That is an absolutely staggering statistic, and the immediate knee-jerk reaction is to ban booze altogether, as well as cars, taxis and motorbikes.
But let’s take a step back. How many people are driving drunk during Songkran, and why are they allowed to? As always in these situations, it seems likely that the vast amount of the problem will be attributed to a small minority, who are being encouraged by the knowledge that they are unlikely to be caught, let alone punished under the full-weight of the law.
All of this is, of course, yet another blow for Thailand’s tourism industry at a time when it needs all the help it can get. Thailand’s Deputy Public Health Minister, Manit Nopamornbode, recently claimed that the ban would not affect tourism as most tourists prefer to enjoy the cultural attractions rather than drinking. Hmmm. I don’t wish to cloud Khun Manit’s rose-tinted view on tourists, but a quick trip to Phuket, Phi Phi or Pattaya will tell you that quite of few of Thailand’s tourists do enjoy a tipple, and often a bit more besides. Even the most devoted temple trekkers will enjoy a glass of wine after a hard day’s culture.
All the admirable efforts of Thailand’s tourism trade to boost arrivals will be hindered again if, during one of the busiest periods in the Thai tourism calendar, the government decides not to let grown adults have a drink.
By all means, Thailand, make every possible effort to cut road deaths, but these blanket bans simply cover the problem rather than dealing with the root causes, while at the same time causing untold misery to bar, restaurant and hotel owners and employees across the Kingdom.
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