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Alcohol Sale Hours in Samui: 11am to Midnight in 2026
· Luxy Samui
A rule signed in May 2026 lets shops in Thailand sell alcohol from 11am to midnight, ending the old 2pm to 5pm break.
Shops and restaurants in Thailand, including on Koh Samui, may now sell alcohol without a break in the afternoon. A new regulation sets the permitted sale hours at 11am to midnight every day. It was signed on 27 May 2026 by the Public Health Minister, Pattana Promphat, as chairman of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, according to a report by Thailand News dated 29 May 2026.
From trial to lasting rule
For decades, alcohol could not be sold in Thailand between 2pm and 5pm. The Drinks Business reports that the restriction dated from 1972 and was meant to stop government employees from drinking during working hours.
In early December 2025 the government suspended the afternoon ban for a trial of 180 days. The Thaiger reported that the trial was confirmed in the Royal Gazette on 2 December 2025 and started on 3 December. During the trial, officials said they would watch figures on alcohol sales, road accidents and public health.
The May 2026 regulation replaces the trial announcement. Thailand News describes it as taking effect on publication in the Royal Gazette.
Places with different hours
According to Thailand News, some places may sell outside the standard hours. These are:
- passenger terminals at international airports;
- licensed hotels;
- establishments licensed under the Service Establishments Act;
- certain designated event or service zones.
These places are expected to screen customers and keep minors out. The report says the authorities will monitor how the rule is applied.
What has not changed
The new hours concern the time of sale. Other alcohol rules remain. The Thaiger noted during the trial that customers who keep drinking in a venue after the permitted hours can be fined up to 10,000 baht. The reports we read do not discuss the days on which alcohol sales are restricted for religious or other reasons, so do not assume that those days have been removed.
What it means for your stay
In practice, you can now buy wine or beer at a supermarket or convenience store in mid-afternoon. This makes shopping for a villa dinner or a barbecue simpler. Morning purchases before 11am are still outside the standard hours.
Longer sale hours do not change the basics of road safety. Do not ride a scooter or drive after drinking; use a taxi or a driver after an evening out. Rules on alcohol have changed several times in the last year, so please check the current official rule before you travel. For ideas beyond the bar, see our page on things to do in Koh Samui.
