BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s Disease Control Department launched a review of new rules that could allow alcohol at “traditional banquets” in venues where it is normally banned, explicitly including weddings and diplomatic receptions as potential exceptions.
Draft regulation open for public input
The responsible body, the Office of the Alcohol Control Committee under the Department of Disease Control, gathered opinions on a draft regulation issued by the Prime Minister’s Office. According to information from the department, feedback was being collected through the central state legal system from 2 March to 16 March.
The consultation targeted law enforcement agencies, political decision-makers, the general public, academic experts and civil society groups and organisations. The process aimed to clarify, before a final version, which occasions in practice should count as “traditional” and how narrowly or broadly the exceptions should be framed.
New legal definition of traditional banquets
The review followed amendments to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which for the first time introduced a legal definition of “traditional banquets.” These were described as events that had been widely practised over a long period and where the consumption of alcoholic drinks was usually part of the occasion.
Authorities now wanted to know whether specific occasions should be officially recognised as traditional banquets and at which locations alcohol could then be served. Until now, drinking alcohol had been broadly prohibited in government offices, state enterprises, educational institutions and other state-controlled areas, while the law allowed exceptions for formally designated traditional events through ministerial announcements.
Weddings and diplomatic events as explicit exceptions
Under the proposal, wedding celebrations would be classified as traditional banquets, allowing alcohol to be served at such events even at otherwise restrictive venues. This would legally underpin a common practice while clarifying when and where wedding-related exceptions would apply.
The draft also provided for comparable exceptions for diplomatic banquets. The justification cited the role of formal receptions and the importance of cultural traditions in international relations.
Parallel draft on treatment and rehabilitation
Separately from the banquet rules, the department also sought comments on another draft aimed at improving treatment and rehabilitation for people with alcohol dependence. Under this proposal, the Alcohol Control Committee would work with health services to organise medical and psychological assessments, certify eligibility for treatment and monitor rehabilitation outcomes.
Relevant agencies would be required to document data systematically and report progress to oversight bodies. The plan was intended to increase transparency and traceability in care, though the draft did not yet make public any specific sanctions or detailed standards.