Buddhist holidays: only 5 venue types may sell alcohol
After reading, you will know which venues may sell alcohol on a major Buddhist holiday, what ordinary shops still cannot do, the penalty, and the next ban date.
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On a major Buddhist holiday, ordinary convenience stores and restaurants must keep beer and spirits off sale, and after the new notice that took effect on 7 November 2026 that is still true. What changed is that five kinds of venue, such as hotels and international airport terminals, may sell under clearly written conditions.
This matters to shop owners who need to know which side they are on, and to tourists who want to know where they can buy on the day. The notice comes from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee. It was published in the Royal Gazette on 6 November, took effect the next day and cancels the Prime Minister's Office notice on banned sales days dated 7 May 2025, Thansettakij reported.
The ban still covers 5 days, and the next is 21 February 2027
The banned days are still the five Buddhist holy days: Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, the start of Buddhist Lent and the end of Buddhist Lent. The Thaiger and Hfocus report the same details. The next ban day is Makha Bucha in 2027, which falls on Sunday 21 February 2027, according to the bank holiday calendar reported by Nation Thailand. The banks have set Monday 22 February as the day off in lieu.
The exact hours of each ban are usually announced close to the day. For Asalha Bucha and the start of Lent in July 2026, police banned sales from 00.00 on 29 July to 24.00 on 30 July, Thansettakij reported. Anyone selling should check the police announcement again before the day itself.
Five kinds of venue may sell, and two must be on the state's list
The first is the passenger terminal of an airport with international flights. The second is an entertainment venue, meaning a place licensed under the entertainment venue law, such as a pub or bar operating with a licence. The third is a venue similar to an entertainment venue in a tourist area, but only in areas the public health minister designates, on the advice of the interior minister.
The fourth is a hotel under the hotel law, and the fifth is a venue for a large national or international event, where many people gather, but only if it is on a list the public health ministry announces, on the advice of the tourism and sports minister, as Hfocus summarised the notice.
Every venue using an exemption must screen who comes in and take the measures needed to keep public order, including keeping alcohol away from children and young people.
Convenience stores and ordinary restaurants still cannot sell, and offenders face penalties
If your business is not one of those five kinds, you cannot sell beer or spirits on a banned day. Thansettakij points out that ordinary restaurants and convenience stores are not exempt automatically. Being on a tourist street is not enough, because the area must be one the state designates. A hotel must be a hotel under the law, not any kind of lodging. A venue counted as an entertainment venue needs a real licence, and simply serving food and drink does not count.
This matters because the penalty is not light. An offender commits an offence under section 39 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2008, punishable by up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both, according to a Thansettakij article of 28 July 2026 on the Lent ban.
An exemption on days does not mean selling at any hour. A separate notice in force since 29 May 2026 allows sales from 11.00 to 24.00, Thai PBS reported, with its own list of exempt places that differs from the holiday notice. Sellers need to read both.
Before the next Buddhist holiday, what owners and tourists should do
Shop owners should start by asking which of the five kinds their business fits, then pull out the licence and check it. Hotels and entertainment venues should have someone screening at the door and tell staff not to sell to children and young people. A shop that does not fit should plan to shelve the stock or lock the fridges from 00.00 on the ban day, as in the July round.
Tourists and anyone stocking up for a party should note 21 February 2027 and buy before that day. If you plan to drink at a hotel or entertainment venue, ask first whether it is serving that day, because the conditions differ from place to place.
FAQ
When does the new notice take effect?
The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee published it in the Royal Gazette on 6 November 2026, and it took effect on 7 November 2026, replacing the notice dated 7 May 2025.
Which days is alcohol still banned?
Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, the start of Buddhist Lent and the end of Buddhist Lent. The next is Makha Bucha, Sunday 21 February 2027.
Can a convenience store sell on a Buddhist holiday?
No. Convenience stores and ordinary restaurants are not among the five exempt kinds. The seller must be an international airport, a licensed entertainment venue, a tourist-area venue the state designates, a hotel, or a large event venue on the list.
What is the penalty for selling on a banned day?
Up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both, under section 39 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2008.
Sources
- Thansettakij: Alcohol sales banned on major Buddhist days except 5 venues, in force 7 Nov 2026
- Thansettakij: 5 venues that may sell alcohol on major Buddhist days, conditions for 2026
- Thansettakij: 48-hour alcohol ban for Asalha Bucha and Khao Phansa 2026
- Hfocus: Alcohol sales unlocked at 5 venue types on major Buddhist days, now in force
- The Thaiger: Thailand eases Buddhist holiday alcohol ban for five venue types
- Thai PBS: Royal Gazette publishes notice on alcohol sales hours, 11.00 to 24.00
- Nation Thailand: Bank of Thailand sets 18 bank holidays, eight long weekends in 2027
