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Thailand
Thailand is not one of those countries that strictly bans alcohol for ethical or religious reasons. You can freely buy alcoholic drinks of all sorts of brands and types at any store, order them at a bar or cafe. In general, it's just like back home.
The local population also enjoys alcohol, sometimes even more actively than tourists. They say that Thais are much more prone to alcoholism than Europeans. Whether this is true or not, we don't know for sure, but seeing a wobbly Thai with glassy eyes is not that rare.
With that in mind, be cautious. It's better not to drink with Thais, not to argue or get into conflicts with intoxicated locals. There are plenty of stories where tipsy Thais became so aggressive it ended in stabbings or shootings.
That's why the Thai government started a "dealcoholization" campaign, which led to some restrictions on alcohol sales. Read on for all the details about alcohol in Thailand:
Bans and restrictions on alcohol sales in Thailand
Attention! Since December 3, 2025, Thailand has temporarily lifted (for 6 months, until June 3, 2026) the ban on alcohol sales and consumption during the afternoon hours of 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. So now alcohol can legally be consumed from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM.
- Retail alcohol sales in Thailand are only allowed from 11:00 AM
to 2:00 PM and from 5:00 PMto 12:00 AM. Of course, the law is strictly followed only in stores with automated cash registers, while in small shops you can buy it at any time – though technically that's illegal. Also, cafes, restaurants, and bars serve without restrictions. - Entertainment venues (bars, clubs, etc.) are allowed to sell alcohol only from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM.
- In 2015, an additional restriction was introduced: alcohol sales are prohibited within 300 meters of educational institutions.
- Sometimes a total alcohol sales ban is imposed nationwide due to major events, usually elections and religious holidays. Authorities announce such bans in advance, so you can stock up on alcohol at stores beforehand.
Where to buy alcohol in Thailand
It's most cost-effective to buy alcoholic drinks in large chain supermarkets like Big-C, Lotus's Go Fresh, Makro, Tops. Smaller stores have slightly higher prices, but not by much. Alcohol is noticeably more expensive from beach vendors, but their selection is mostly just cold beer.
In cafes and restaurants, the markup on alcoholic drinks isn't as high as in Russia. From our experience, the markup on beer at cafes is rarely more than 50% above supermarket prices. But in nightclubs and bars, prices are several times higher than store prices.
More details on individual drink prices below.
What alcohol you can buy in Thailand and prices
The selection of alcoholic drinks in Thailand is huge. Any store carries imported drinks: Scottish whiskey, Italian wine, Russian vodka, French liqueurs – in short, anything you could want. There's also a wide selection of local alcoholic drinks at very low prices (prices below are from supermarkets):
-
Thai beer
This is the most popular drink and has rightly earned the love of Russian-speaking tourists. Thai beer is even exported. However, if you dig into the details, some of the most popular beer brands actually belong not to Thailand but to Singapore – but that doesn't affect the taste or price. It's sold mostly in 0.64L bottles, sometimes in 0.33L cans. It's not sold in 1.5L plastic bottles or any other container.
The most popular brands – Singha, Tiger, Chang, Leo. Price from 60 baht for a 0.64L bottle (roughly 1.78 USD, )see Thailand currency and exchange rate), and 40 baht for 0.33L. Sometimes you can find very cheap promotional beer Archa, Chang, or Leo in large supermarkets for as low as 50 baht per 0.64L.
Thailand without beer is money down the drain -
Thai rum
Thailand produces excellent rum and even exports it. The most popular and high-quality brand is Sang Som. Sold in almost every supermarket and 7-eleven store. Costs from 145 baht for a small 0.33L bottle (roughly 4.16 USD), and from 320 baht for 1 liter (roughly 9.51 USD).
Thai rum Sang Som alongside local whiskey -
Thai whiskey
Whiskey in Thailand is of good quality and costs several times less than imported. However, it's worth noting that "good" here means good quality of the alcohol itself. As for taste and aroma, Thai whiskey strangely lacks the traditional oak aroma and flavor – they smell like something else entirely. Some types, like Red Cock and Black Cock, are actually clear, sweetish, and have a sweet aroma that definitely doesn't resemble oak. Here are the popular brands:
- Blend – from 350 baht per 0.7L / 10.4 USD.
- Hong Thong – from 145 baht per 0.33L / 4.31 USD.
- Mekong – from 145 baht per 0.33L / 4.31 rub. This is a legendary local herbal whiskey, but it tastes terrible and will give you a headache.
- Black Cock – from 90 baht per 0.33L bottle / 2.67 USD.
- Red Cock – from 155 baht per 0.7L bottle / 4.61 USD.
- Lao Khao – from 61 baht per 0.33L / 1.81 USD, )and from 114 baht per 0.7L / 1.81 rub. This is the cheapest alcohol, called rice whiskey here. But in smell and taste, it's just moonshine with a nasty mash smell and very painful morning-after effects.
So-called Thai whiskey: stinky Lao Khao and sweetish Black Cock -
Rice wine Sato Siam
This drink deserves a separate mention because it doesn't really fit into either wine or whiskey categories. Sato Siam is sold on shelves next to beer and in the beer cooler. It's a low-alcohol rice drink with 6.5% ABV – similar to strong beer or weak wine. It's sweetish and even slightly reminiscent of champagne, and overall goes down quite well, especially when chilled. Be sure to try it – then you can decide if you like it or not. And it's quite cheap by local standards, from 36 baht per 0.62L bottle (roughly 1.07 USD). Too bad the Thais didn't think to make it sparkling – then it would be absolutely "the bomb."
Rice wine Sato Siam -
Thai wines
Thai wine, with few exceptions, isn't great. The best Thai wines are considered to be those made from grapes grown near Hua Hin – the Monsoon Valley brand. Another interesting drink is Fresco fruit wine from 270 baht per 0.7L, about 8.02 USD.
Thai fruit wine -
Exotic drinks
Rarely, you can find exotic infusions on various roots, herbs, insects, and reptiles in Thailand. These are usually infusions on the cheapest grades of commercial alcohol, not consumed by locals, and meant for tourists. You can drink these (tested), but in small amounts. When you've drunk a bit, you can top up the bottle with whiskey or brandy later. Price from 200 baht (5.94 USD) for a small bottle, but prices vary everywhere, and you can haggle.
Now this is up to you to decide whether to try or not
Summary: what are the alcohol prices in Thailand
| Drink and volume | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Beer (0.64 L) | from 50 baht / from 1.49 USD. | — |
| Beer (0.33 L) | from 35 baht / from 1.04 USD. | — |
| Rum (0.33 L) | from 140 baht / from 4.16 USD. | — |
| Cheap whiskey (0.33 L) | from 61 baht / from 1.81 USD. | very bad whiskey |
| Decent whiskey (0.33 L) | from 145 baht / from 4.31 USD. | more or less acceptable in taste and quality |
| Wine (0.7 L) | from 270 baht / from 8.02 USD. | — |
Can you drink alcohol on the streets of Thailand
You can drink alcoholic beverages on the streets of Thailand. There is no strict ban on consumption in public places like in Russia. However, Thai law does prohibit drinking in certain places: gas stations, temples, hospitals, pharmacies, educational institutions, and public parks. Even then, there are many exceptions. So feel free to drink alcohol in any reasonable place in Thailand, and no one will bother you – at most, they'll make a comment. If in doubt, you can read the full text of the relevant 2008 law in English – Alcoholic_Beverage_Control_Act,_BE_2551_(2008).
How much alcohol can you bring into Thailand
Thailand customs rules set a limit of 1 liter of alcohol per person. This includes beer and wine. Anything above the limit is confiscated. In practice, this rarely happens, and most tourists go through the green customs lane without inspection and bring in more alcohol.
How much alcohol can you take out of Thailand
Customs rules don't set a limit on alcohol exports – you can take out as much as you want. However, you can bring no more than 3 liters of alcohol (including beer and wine) per person into Russia duty-free. Anything over 3 liters is subject to duty at 10 Euros per liter, but no more than 5 liters total. Anything over 5 liters per person will be confiscated and "destroyed" by customs officers.