Thailand has eased its alcohol sales ban on major Buddhist holidays, allowing sales at five categories of venue while keeping the general nationwide prohibition in place everywhere else. The revised notification from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee was published in the Royal Gazette on Friday, November 6, 2026, and took effect on Saturday, November 7.

The change replaces a Prime Minister's Office notification dated May 7, 2025. The committee said the regulations were updated to reflect changing circumstances, following a resolution approved at its second meeting of 2026, held on April 17.

Alcohol sales are still prohibited on five major Buddhist holidays: Makha Bucha Day, Visakha Bucha Day, Asalha Bucha Day, the beginning of Buddhist Lent and the end of Buddhist Lent. The revised rules do not remove those five designated alcohol-free sales days. Instead, they set out the limited circumstances in which particular venues can legally sell alcoholic drinks on those days.

The first exemption covers buildings serving passengers at airports operating international flights. The second applies to licensed entertainment venues operating under the relevant legislation. The third covers hotels recognised under Thai hotel law.

The fourth exemption applies to premises operating as entertainment venues in tourist areas, provided they have been designated by the Minister of Public Health following a recommendation from the Minister of the Interior. The fifth covers venues holding major national or international special events attended by large numbers of people. Such locations must appear on a list announced by the Minister of Public Health, acting on a recommendation from the Minister of Tourism and Sports.

People should therefore not assume that alcohol will be available everywhere during a Buddhist holiday. Availability will depend on the type of premises and, in some cases, whether a venue has received a specific official designation. For most shops, restaurants and other businesses, the dry days remain unchanged.

Businesses selling under the exemptions must put screening procedures and other necessary measures in place to preserve public order and public safety. They must also have safeguards to prevent children and young people from accessing alcoholic beverages.

The notification was issued under Sections 16(3) and 28, paragraph one, of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act 2008, as amended by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No. 2) 2025.

The move is the latest in a series of alcohol regulation reviews in Thailand this year, and it highlights the balancing act facing the authorities: preserving the religious observance of the five holy days while recognising the practical needs of international travel, tourism and major events. For visitors, the practical message is simple: on a Buddhist holiday, alcohol may be served at an international airport, a licensed entertainment venue, a registered hotel or a designated event, but the ban still applies everywhere else.

Travellers and businesses should check the latest official guidance before a holiday, because the exemptions depend on a venue's legal status and, for tourist-area and event venues, on whether it appears on the relevant ministerial list.