Thailand Alcohol Hours: 11:00-24:00 and Drinker Fines
Alcohol may be sold in Thailand from 11:00 to 24:00. Hotels, international airport terminals and entertainment venues are exempt. A drinker at a selling or serving premises during banned hours faces an administrative fine of up to THB 10,000. Sale is also banned on five Buddhist days.
On this page
The sale window is 11:00 to 24:00 under the committee notice that took effect on 29 May 2026. The drinker is covered by the law too, with a fine of up to THB 10,000 under Act No. 2, which took effect on 8 November 2025.
Alcohol rules at a glance
| Rule | What the text says |
|---|---|
| Sale hours | 11:00 to 24:00 |
| Exempt from the hours | International airport terminals, hotels, entertainment venues within their licence hours |
| Drinker during banned hours | Administrative fine up to THB 10,000 |
| Seller in a banned place or hour | Up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both |
| Minimum age to buy | 20 |
| Buddhist days | Sale banned on five days |
| Election | Ban from 18:00 the day before to 18:00 on election day |
Sale hours: 11:00 to 24:00
No person may sell alcohol outside 11:00 to 24:00. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee now announces these hours. The current notice replaced the one dated 1 December 2025.
The notice exempts five kinds of sale from the window:
- Buildings serving passengers inside an airport that serves international flights.
- Entertainment venues, within the opening and closing times their own licence sets.
- Hotels.
- A dedicated area selling alcohol at a conference, exhibition, trade fair, festival or similar event.
- Food or drink venues inside the Rayong entertainment zones that also lie in the Eastern Aviation City promotion zone, the Eastern Economic Corridor clause.
Where you can still drink at 2am
Licensed entertainment venues in Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Phuket and the Ko Samui district may open until 04:00. Ordinary shops and bars cannot sell after 24:00.
| Where you are | After 24:00 |
|---|---|
| Convenience store, supermarket, ordinary bar | Sale banned outside 11:00 to 24:00 |
| Licensed entertainment venue in the five areas | May stay open until 04:00 |
| Entertainment venue inside a hotel | Same terms anywhere in Thailand |
| Hotel | Exempt from the sale hours |
| International airport terminal | Exempt from the sale hours |
| Conference, exhibition or festival sales area | Exempt from the sale hours |
On the night into 1 January a venue may stay open until 06:00. Venue by venue closing times and the Bangkok zones are in Bangkok bar closing times.
Can the drinker be fined?
The law covers the drinker as well as the seller. Section 32 bans drinking, during the banned sale hours, at a place that sells alcohol or serves it for commercial benefit.
ห้ามผู้ใดบริโภคเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ในสถานที่หรือบริเวณที่ขายเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ หรือสถานที่หรือบริเวณที่จัดบริการเพื่อให้มีการบริโภคเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์เพื่อประโยชน์ในทางการค้า ในเวลาที่ห้ามขายเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ตามมาตรา ๒๘
No person may consume alcoholic beverages in a place or area that sells alcoholic beverages, or a place or area provided for the consumption of alcoholic beverages for commercial benefit, during the time when sale is prohibited under section 28.
Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) B.E. 2568, new section 32, Royal Gazette 9 September 2025 (editor’s translation)
A drinker who breaks section 32 commits an administrative offence and pays a fine of up to THB 10,000.
ผู้ใดฝ่าฝืนมาตรา ๓๒ มีความผิดทางพินัย ต้องชำระค่าปรับเป็นพินัยไม่เกินหนึ่งหมื่นบาท
Whoever violates section 32 commits an administrative offence and must pay an administrative fine not exceeding ten thousand baht.
Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) B.E. 2568, new section 37/1, Royal Gazette 9 September 2025 (editor’s translation)
Penalties for sellers and drinkers
The seller has a separate penalty under the 2008 Act. The text of section 32 covers the selling or serving premises, so the table separates the cases.
| Who | Breach | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Seller | Selling in a banned place or outside the banned hours | Up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both |
| Drinker | Drinking at a selling or serving premises in banned hours | Administrative fine of up to THB 10,000 |
| Drinker | Drinking in a banned place such as a temple or fuel station | Up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both |
Places where sale and drinking are banned
The place rules come from the original 2008 Act. Act No. 2 did not change the temple, fuel station, park and health-facility entries.
Sale is banned at:
- Temples and other places for religious ceremonies.
- Fuel stations, including shops in the station area.
Drinking is banned at:
- Temples and other places for religious ceremonies, except as part of a religious ceremony.
- Fuel stations, including shops in the station area.
- Government public parks provided for general recreation.
- State health facilities, hospitals and pharmacies, except areas provided as a personal residence.
The penalty for drinking in these places is up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both.
Age and ID when you buy
Nobody may sell alcohol to a person under 20, or to a person who is drunk. A seller who doubts the buyer’s age must ask for an identity card or another official document showing the age before selling.
Days when sale is banned
Sale is banned on five Buddhist days: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asarnha Bucha, the first day of Buddhist Lent and the last day of Buddhist Lent. The Prime Minister’s Office notice behind this list was signed on 7 May 2025 and took effect on 10 May 2025.
| Day | Date in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Makha Bucha | Tuesday 3 March |
| Visakha Bucha | Sunday 31 May |
| Asarnha Bucha | Wednesday 29 July |
The Gazette holiday list gives these three dates. The Lent dates are not in that list.
The days notice exempts these sales:
- Buildings serving passengers inside an international airport.
- Entertainment venues.
- Establishments operating like entertainment venues in tourist areas.
- Hotels.
Notices made under the 2008 Act stay in force until replaced, as far as they do not conflict with the amended Act.
Election days
For the 8 February 2026 election, the Election Commission banned selling, giving away or hosting alcohol anywhere in the country. The ban ran from 18:00 on Saturday 7 February to 18:00 on Sunday 8 February. Breaking it carries up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both.
What changed in 2025 and 2026
Act No. 2 took effect on 8 November 2025. It repealed the 1972 Revolutionary Council order that used to fix the hours. The Committee set the current window in the notice of 29 May 2026.
Not confirmed: A new sale-days notice may replace the 2025 one, so check the Gazette before relying on a date. The dates of the first and last days of Buddhist Lent are not in the official texts read. Ask the venue. The tourist-area venues exempt on Buddhist days come from a separate Health Ministry notice. Ask the venue.
Common questions
What time can you buy alcohol in Thailand?
From 11:00 to 24:00. Hotels, international airport terminals and licensed entertainment venues are exempt.
Can you buy alcohol at 7-Eleven after midnight?
Sale is banned outside 11:00 to 24:00. Hotels and entertainment venues are exempt.
Is there a fine for drinking during banned hours?
A drinker at a place that sells or serves alcohol during the banned hours faces an administrative fine of up to THB 10,000.
Where can you drink at 2am in Bangkok or Phuket?
Licensed entertainment venues in Bangkok, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, Phuket and the Ko Samui district may open until 04:00. Hotels are exempt from the sale hours.
Is alcohol sold on Buddhist holy days?
Sale is banned on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asarnha Bucha and the first and last days of Buddhist Lent. Hotels and entertainment venues are exempt.
Can you buy alcohol on election day?
For the 8 February 2026 election, selling or giving away alcohol was banned from 18:00 on 7 February to 18:00 on 8 February. Breaking the ban carries up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both.
How old do you need to be to buy alcohol in Thailand?
Nobody may sell alcohol to a person under 20. A seller who doubts your age must ask for an identity card or other official document showing it.
Can you drink in a temple or at a petrol station?
Drinking in a temple is banned, except as part of a religious ceremony. Drinking at a fuel station is banned. The penalty is up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to THB 10,000, or both.
When did the amended alcohol law start?
Act No. 2 took effect on 8 November 2025.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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Comments (5)
ogdave555
Unless there’s been an update, I don’t believe those exceptions you’ve linked have been passed yet.
sbrider11
It's easy to navigate this and it's not that big of a deal unless sitting in a bar all day is your thing. What's hilarious is every weed shop is open, lol. Only in Thailand.
william_longley
Alcohol ban Sorry for the ignorance, but is it really true that there is no alcohol being sold anywhere both today and tomorrow? Will bars even be open? Are there any places that get around this?
platebandit
Officially no alcohol sold, some 'restaurants' may be serving it on the sly. Non chain stores also sometimes sell it. Half the gogo bars will probably still be open with the shutters down
bcycle240
If you need alcohol you can buy it any mom&pop shops (they are everywhere), and also a lot of markets. If you need to be at a bar you can walk up and down the bar streets and there will be a place with the gate 80% closed and a girl outside that will escort you in.