No alcohol sales in public places: Proposed law
Sweeping new law to stop alcohol sales on sidewalks has caught the many small sidewalk restaurants of Bangkok by surprise.
Sweeping new law to stop alcohol sales on sidewalks has caught the many small sidewalk restaurants of Bangkok by surprise.
Food stalls on pedestrain walkways are common in Bangkok and these food stalls usually sell beer or whiskey.
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ALCOHOL
Traders fear ban will hit back pocket
14/12/2012
Paritta Wangkiat
A draft regulation that prohibits the sale of alcoholic drinks on footpaths will be bad for traders, critics say.
Director of the Alcohol Beverage Office, Saman Footrakul, believes the regulation will help reduce alcohol-related violence and road accidents.
He said the regulation was put to public hearings before being proposed.
Likely to take effect on Jan 1, 2013, it prohibits the sale of alcoholic drinks on footpaths, in public parks, and in public areas nationwide.
Retail alcohol sales will be permitted only from 11am-2pm and from 5pm-12am except at international airports and at licensed entertainment venues.
In surveys by Dusit poll and Abac poll, more than 80% of those surveyed agreed with tighter regulation.
However, many restaurant owners and traders contacted by the Bangkok Post have yet to hear of the regulation.
In Bang Lamphu's backpacker area where alcohol can be bought easily on footpaths, many traders said they did not agree with tighter curbs.
A restaurant owner on Soi Rambut who gave her name as Janpen, 34, said half of her daily income comes from selling alcohol.
"I saw the news of the regulation last night for the first time," Ms Janpen said.
I wonder why no one has come out to seek public opinion here before coming up with this regulation. Few people around here would agree, as they will lose much of their income.
She believes most tourists look for alcohol on footpaths because it is part of the Asian cultural experience, and much cheaper than drinking in proper restaurants.
A side-street restaurant owner close to Khao San Road, who declined to give his name, said the tighter regulation might lead to more demands for bribes.
I pay 5,000 baht a month to stay away from any trouble with the authorities," he said. "If the regulation is enforced aggressively, they might ask for more.
The president of the Khao San Road Business Association, Sanga Ruangwattanakul, said tighter curbs could reduce the income of registered business operators by 50 million baht a month.
About 25% of entertainment outlets on Khao San Road have expanded on to the footpaths, he said.
If the regulation is approved and enforced, association members might ask for relief from the government, or ask for an exemption for Khao San Road as a tourist zone.
Workers and low-income people could also be affected if alcohol can no longer be bought along footpaths.
The chairman of the Four Regions Slums Network, Ponganan Chuangtham, said the curbs could affect small-scale business operators, such as those who run side-street restaurants in slum communities. "I see good intentions behind the regulation. But the regulation must consider the impact on poor people as well," Mr Ponganan said.
Mr Ponganan urged the authorities to curb the sale of alcohol near schools and religious places instead.
(Source: Bangkok Post, ALCOHOL, Traders fear ban will hit back pocket, 14/12/2012, Paritta Wangkiat, link)
Alcohol Laws Vocabulary
alcohol (noun) - drink with alcohol that make people drunk such as beer, wine and whiskey เหล้า, สุรา, เครื่องดื่มที่มีแอลกอฮอล์ (See Wikipedia)
alcoholic (adjective) - ซึ่งเกิดจากการดื่มเหล้า, ซึ่งเกิดจากการดื่มสุรา
alcoholic drinks - drinks with alcohol in them; alcoholic beverages
footpaths - along the side of the road places for people to walk ทางเดิน (See Wikipedia)
the sale of alcoholic drinks on footpaths
pedestrian - a walker; a person who travels from one place by walking (not car, bus, motorcycle or bike) คนเดินถนน (See Wikipedia)
pedestrian walkways - Same as "footpaths"
sidewalks - Same as "footpaths"
food stalls - small restaurants found on the sidewalk and markets
ban - to say officially that people must not do, sell or use something การประกาศห้าม การห้าม ห้ามอย่างเป็นทางการ
regulation - an official rule that controls the way that things are done กฎระเบียบ ระเบียบข้อบังคับ
tight regulation - strict regulation (more parts of an activity are controlled with more enforcement)
tighter regulation
proposed - suggested (but not yet chosen or decided upon)
propose regulation
draft - not in a final form and likely to be changed ร่าง
draft regulation
approve - say that someone can do something; give permission อนุมัติ, อนุญาต, ยินยอม,
regulation approved
enforce - to make sure that a law or rule is followed and obeyed by people บังคับใช้, ให้ปฏิบัติตาม
regulation enforced
hit back pocket - cost them money (the wallet with money is kept in the back pocket)
traders - people who buy and sell things; small business owners (such as food stalls)
traders fear ban will hit back pocket
critics - people who don't like something and who state their opinion about it นักวิจารณ์
a draft regulation that prohibits the sale of alcoholic drinks on footpaths will be bad for traders, critics say.
violence - physical force with the deliberate intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people ความรุนแรง
alcohol-related violence
reduce alcohol-related violence
believes the regulation will help reduce alcohol-related violence and road accidents.
hearings - an official meeting to collect facts about a situation or problem
public hearings
he said the regulation was put to public hearings before being proposed.
take effect - when a law begins (starts to be used)
nationwide - throughout a whole country ทั่วทั้งประเทศ ทั่วประเทศ
Likely to take effect on Jan 1, 2013, it prohibits the sale of alcoholic drinks on footpaths, in public parks, and in public areas nationwide.
international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
international airports
venues - places were public events or meetings take place สถานที่ชุมนุม พบปะสังสรรค์ สถานนี่จัดงาน
entertainment venues - entertainment places
licensed entertainment venues - entertainment places that have permission from government to operate
Retail alcohol sales will be permitted only from 11am-2pm and from 5pm-12am except at international airports and at licensed entertainment venues.
poll - an occasion when a lot of people are asked about what they feel about something
In surveys by Dusit poll and Abac poll, more than 80% of those surveyed agreed with tighter regulation.
curbs - restrictions, rules that limit action
tighter curbs
In Bang Lamphu's backpacker area where alcohol can be bought easily on footpaths, many traders said they did not agree with tighter curbs.
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
half of her daily income comes from selling alcohol
A restaurant owner on Soi Rambut who gave her name as Janpen, 34, said half of her daily income comes from selling alcohol
public opinion - what most people think about a problem or issues and possible solutions
seek public opinion
seek public opinion here before coming up with regulation
culture (noun) - way of life or societyl; the beliefs and practices, traditional foods and ways of doing things in a group of people วัฒนธรรม
cultural (adjective)
experience - ประสบการณ์
cultural experience
the Asian cultural experience
proper - the real thing, the right, correct and suitable kind ถูกต้อง, แท้, สมควร, เหมาะสม, จริง (พระราชพิธีพระราชทานเพลิงพระศพจริง)
proper restaurants
much cheaper than drinking in proper restaurants
She believes most tourists look for alcohol on footpaths because it is part of the Asian cultural experience, and much cheaper than drinking in proper restaurants.
side-street - a small street off a main or large road (such as in a soi)
street-side - on the side of the street (such as small food carts)
side-street restaurant
side-street restaurant owner
declined to give his name - did not give his name, refused to hide his name (did not want people to know his name)
bribes - money or a present given to someone so that they will help you doing something dishonest or illegal สินบน
demands - the things that someone is asking you to do
demands for bribes - when goverment officials ask for money to do something special
more demands for bribes
the tighter regulation might lead to more demands for bribes
A side-street restaurant owner close to Khao San Road, who declined to give his name, said the tighter regulation might lead to more demands for bribes.
authorities - government officials; the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
trouble with the authorities
stay away from any trouble with the authorities
aggressively - done with great energy and intensity
regulation enforced aggressively
I pay 5,000 baht a month to stay away from any trouble with the authorities
If the regulation is enforced aggressively, they might ask for more.
registered - officially recorded with the government (and given permission to operate)
operators - businesses doing this business
registered business operators - officially recorded as a business with the government (and given permission to operate)
The president of the Khao San Road Business Association, Sanga Ruangwattanakul, said tighter curbs could reduce the income of registered business operators by 50 million baht a month.
entertainment - shows that people go to for fun such as music, movies, dance, etc ความบันเทิง, ความสนุกสนาน, สันทนาการ
outlets - stores, places to sell products ร้านค้า
entertainment outlets
About 25% of entertainment outlets on Khao San Road have expanded on to the footpaths
relief - help; assistance การช่วยให้พ้นภัย, การบรรเทา
relief from the government - help from the government for a problem
ask for relief from the government
tourist zone - a special area of town with many tourists
exemption - not required to do something; permission to not have to do something, such as making a payment, following a rule, etc. ข้อยกเว้น
ask for an exemption
ask for an exemption for Khao San Road as a tourist zone
scale - size (relative size)
small-scale business operators
the curbs could affect small-scale business operators, such as those who run side-street restaurants in slum communities.
intentions - plans in you mind about what you are going to do ความตั้งใจ เจตนา
good intentions
I see good intentions behind the regulation
impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
impact on poor people
the regulation must consider the impact on poor people as well
curb - to stop or reduce something a lot ลดหรือยุติ to control or limit something that is harmful ระงับ, ควบคุม
curb the sale of alcohol
urged - requested them to do, advised someone very strongly about what action should be taken วิงวอน
urged the authorities to curb the sale of alcohol
urged the authorities to curb the sale of alcohol near schools and religious places
