On October 22, 2025, reports from the Government House said that during the Cabinet meeting on October 21, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul asked the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Public Health to work together on a plan to remove the alcohol zoning system, which would allow alcohol to be sold freely across the country.

The plan also includes extending nightclub and bar hours from the current closing time of 2 A.M. to 4 A.M., and lifting the alcohol sales ban between 2 P.M. and 5 P.M. The goal is to complete these changes by January 2026, before Parliament is dissolved.

The government also plans to make the licensing process easier, changing from a complicated permit system to a simple registration. This move is expected to increase tax revenue from alcohol sales and entertainment businesses by hundreds of billions of baht.

However, ending the zoning system will still require amending the Interior Ministry’s regulations and must remain under the supervision of the Public Health Ministry.

Currently, the 2023 ministerial regulation allows nightlife venues in some areas to stay open until 4 A.M., including Bangkok, Phuket, Chonburi, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui in Surat Thani, as well as entertainment venues inside hotels nationwide.

In Bangkok, there are 207 licensed venues across 33 districts that have permission to stay open late. These are divided into 73 inside zoning areas and 134 outside zoning areas, including 32 venues located in hotels.

The three main zones that already have late-closing permission are Silom–Patpong, RCA–New Phetchaburi Road, and Ratchadaphisek.