With alcohol now allowed to be served at restaurants in some key tourism cities, the Department of Health has assumed the authority to insist drinkers act responsibly.
Despite this obviously having nothing to do with the spread of a virus, the Director General has warned people to continue practicing personal protective measures against COVID-19.
Restaurants are also warned not to serve alcohol beyond the permitted hours.
Restaurants in Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, and Phang Nga are now permitted to serve alcoholic drinks, as the government looks to stimulate tourism activities.
The Department of Health today urged restaurants and customers to comply with all the restrictions that remain, including the limit of serving hours outlined by provincial communicable diseases committees.
The Department of Health’s Director-General, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said most restaurants are found complying well with the regulations, while some restaurants and their customers might become quite loose with the compliance.
He asked restaurants and customers not to serve or consume alcohol beyond the permitted hours and to prevent overcrowding at venues.
Dr. Suwanchai said lower cognitive abilities in intoxicated persons would lead to more chances of breaching disease control measures, adding that drinkers must be considerate of their own safety and that of others.
It is only a matter of time before alcohol sales are banned again on the grounds that citizens are not, in somebody’s opinion, acting responsibly.
Source - BangkokJack
