---
title: "Hotels, airport terminals and licensed clubs may now sell alcohol on Buddhist holidays"
description: "From 7 November 2026, hotels, airport terminals and licensed clubs may sell alcohol on the five Buddhist holidays; shops and most bars still may not."
url: https://bestofthailand.org/news/buddhist-holiday-alcohol-ban-five-exemptions-2026
locale: en
---

# Hotels, airport terminals and licensed clubs may now sell alcohol on Buddhist holidays

Nightlife · November 7, 2026

[By Cesar Rodriguez](https://bestofthailand.org/author)Updated 7 November 2026

From 7 November 2026, hotels, airport terminals and licensed clubs may sell alcohol on the five Buddhist holidays; shops and most bars still may not.

![Hotels, airport terminals and licensed clubs may now sell alcohol on Buddhist holidays](https://bestofthailand.org/images/news-city.jpg)

Thailand still bans alcohol sales on Makha Bucha, Visakha Bucha, Asarnha Bucha, Khao Phansa and Ok Phansa days, but since 7 November 2026 five kinds of venue are allowed to keep selling. The Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee notice was published in the Royal Gazette on 6 November and replaces the Prime Minister's Office notice of 7 May 2025.

The exempt venues are passenger buildings at airports with international flights, hotels licensed under the Hotel Act, entertainment venues licensed under the relevant law, bar-style venues in tourist areas that the public health minister designates on the interior minister's advice, and large national or international events on a list the public health minister approves on the tourism minister's advice. Venues that sell under the exemptions must screen customers and keep alcohol away from minors.

For a visitor, the practical change is that a hotel bar or a licensed club in Bangkok can serve on those five days, while 7-Eleven, supermarkets, restaurants and ordinary bars cannot. We had not found the lists of designated tourist areas and events as of 8 November 2026. Election-day bans are a separate rule and are unchanged. The nightlife rules on this site were updated the same day.

Source: [The Nation](https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40073217). Summary written by Best of Thailand; read the original for the full report.

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