While drink-driving laws are lax, drink-voting laws are strict.

General elections will be held in Bangkok this Sunday. There is a ban on alcohol sales in Bangkok from 6pm Saturday night through midnight Sunday.  “Sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks is prohibited in the constituency from 6pm on Saturday to midnight of Sunday, and police will strictly enforce the law”.

Interesting.

No selling of alcohol or drinking in bars the night before the polls open, a hangover (at least from public consumption) is not a valid excuse for not voting.  I wonder how 6pm was determined as the appropriate cut off time for buying alcohol to consume at home or drinking in a bar.

And, why no drinking in public places until midnight on Sunday night? The voting ends at 6pm.

I would guess the beer bar Soi’s will be packed on Saturday afternoon, it could be fun to hear “last call” as the sun is going down rather than coming up? Maybe not fun, but a change.

Sunday night might be Pavlovian- thirty masses cuing at 11:58 waiting for the bell.