Thailand lifts afternoon alcohol ban for six-month tourism trial

Exam-focused facts from the 5 December 2025 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Thailand has temporarily lifted a decades-old ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks in the afternoons as part of a six-month trial.
Accredited establishments can now sell beer, wine and spirits from 14:00 to 17:00.
The ban, which came into force in 1972, was primarily introduced to stop government employees from drinking during work hours.