Bangkok’s roadside bars have slipped the noose of a new set of laws restricting the sale of alcohol on the city’s footpaths.
The new laws, which were slated to take effect prior to the New Year, have been delayed thanks to that most loved and reviled of legislative realities—bureaucratic delay.
The Nation has just reported that “delays in the bureaucratic process” have made it necessary for law enforcement authorities to hew to the old alcohol restrictions this New Years, rather than adopting the Highway Act into their legal arsenal.
The Act, which punishes the roadside sale of alcohol with a maximum penalty of THB5,000 and three months in prison, has failed to secure the endorsement of the Public Health Ministry, a shortcoming that senior officials sponsoring the bill have blamed on business owners who they hold responsible for fowling up the proceedings.
“So far, the efforts to delay the restriction have worked because a meeting to address the issue and secure an order from the Public Health Ministry to officially legitimise the ban has not been scheduled,” said Dr Samarn Footrakool, an official who worked to pass the bill.
So while you’re kicking back a couple roadies this New Years, remember to thank (read: tip) your bartender.
