Short answer
Since 29 May 2026, Thailand's Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee rule says alcohol may be sold only between 11:00 and midnight, which ends the old afternoon ban from 14:00 to 17:00. Exemptions cover international airport terminals, hotels, entertainment venues within their legal opening hours and certain event areas. Separate notices that took effect on 12 May 2026 ban sale or drinking in places such as public passenger piers and scheduled passenger boats. Alcohol is also banned nationwide for 24 hours on major Buddhist holy days.
The sales-hours rule since 29 May 2026
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee's announcement was published in the Royal Gazette on 28 May 2026 and took effect the next day, The Nation and The Thaiger reported. No one may sell alcohol outside 11:00 to midnight, except in the listed cases. The new announcement replaces one from 1 December 2025, under which sales were allowed from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to midnight, with a 14:00 to 17:00 window approved for 180 days as a trial.
In practice that means no afternoon gap in shops. The Nation notes that the afternoon ban dated back to 1972. The change has been framed partly as support for tourism and retail, and it continues to draw public-health concerns about drink-driving and youth access.
Who is exempt
The exemptions cover sales inside buildings serving passengers at airports with international flights, hotels operating under the Hotel Act, and entertainment venues within the opening hours the law gives them. They also cover designated sales areas at events, conferences, exhibitions, trade fairs and performances, and some food and drink outlets in a defined zone in Rayong province.
Sellers using these exemptions must screen customers and take steps to keep alcohol away from children and young people, according to The Thaiger. The rule says nothing different for visitors: the hours apply to shops, whoever the buyer is.
Where drinking is banned
Eight separate notices from the same committee took effect on 12 May 2026, according to The Nation. Sale of alcohol is banned on roads and in vehicles, and inside railway stations and on trains, with an exception for events in the air-conditioned hall of Bangkok Station. Sale or drinking is banned at public passenger piers, on scheduled passenger boats, inside passenger transport terminals, in government-run public parks and in government premises.
The reports do not say how these notices apply to private tour boats, so ask your operator. Breaches fall under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act. On major Buddhist holy days, alcohol sales are banned nationwide for 24 hours, with an exception for duty-free shops in international airport terminals, and The Nation reported penalties of up to six months in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht or both for the 31 May 2026 ban.
What to do, and where our tours fit
Buy what you need within 11:00 to midnight, expect hotel bars and licensed venues to follow their own hours, and check whether a holy day falls on your trip.
Alcohol is not among the inclusions on our Krabi 7 Islands sunset tour, from $40 per person, which lists a BBQ dinner on Poda Island, drinking water and fruit. For the wider rules, read our guide to Thailand's alcohol sale hours.
Practical checklist
- Buy alcohol in shops between 11:00 and midnight; the afternoon gap no longer applies.
- Check whether a Buddhist holy day falls on your travel dates: sales stop nationwide for 24 hours.
- Do not drink at public piers or on scheduled passenger boats, where drinking is banned.
- Ask your tour operator what the rules are on your boat.
Questions and answers
Can I buy alcohol in Thailand in the afternoon?
Yes. Since 29 May 2026 the rule allows sales from 11:00 to midnight, so the old 14:00 to 17:00 ban no longer applies, according to The Nation and The Thaiger.
Can hotels and bars serve outside 11:00 to midnight?
Hotels under the Hotel Act and entertainment venues within their legal hours are exempt from the sales-hours rule, as are airport terminals serving international flights.
Is alcohol banned on Buddhist holidays?
Yes. Sales are banned nationwide for 24 hours on major Buddhist holy days, with duty-free shops in international airport terminals excepted. The 31 May 2026 ban carried penalties of up to six months or 10,000 baht.
Can I drink on a ferry or at a public pier?
Sale or drinking is banned at public passenger piers and on scheduled passenger boats under notices in force since 12 May 2026. The reports do not cover private tour boats, so ask your operator.