The four licences most venues need
- Food shop licence (Sor Or 1) — issued by the local municipality for any premises preparing or selling food. Valid 1 year, requires food-handler health certificates for staff and a basic hygiene inspection.
- Alcohol licence — Class 1 (off-premises sale of any alcohol), Class 2 (on-premises sale). Application is at the Excise Department, with restrictions on proximity to schools and temples.
- Tobacco licence — separate from the alcohol licence, also from Excise, required to sell any cigarettes or vape products.
- Entertainment licence — required for any venue with live music, dancing or DJ entertainment after 22:00, issued by the Provincial Police.
Restaurant-only setup
A simple restaurant without alcohol needs only the food shop licence and staff health certificates. Budget around 1,500–3,500 THB in government fees, plus the cost of bringing the kitchen up to inspection standard (handwashing sink, food-grade flooring, separate raw/cooked preparation areas).
Adding alcohol
The Class 2 on-premises alcohol licence in Pattaya costs 1,650 THB per year for beer and wine, 2,200 THB for full spirits, and requires a clean criminal record check for the licence holder. The applicant must be the leaseholder of the premises — getting this wrong is the most common reason an alcohol application is rejected.
Entertainment and zoning
Entertainment licences are only granted in designated 'entertainment zones' — in Chonburi these are concentrated in central Pattaya, Walking Street, Soi LK Metro and parts of Jomtien. A bar outside these zones may legally sell alcohol but cannot host live entertainment past curfew, and the police periodically enforce this with closure orders.
Inspections that actually happen
Public health officers visit food shops at random and on complaint, with a focus on storage temperatures, handwashing facilities and pest control. Excise officers conduct unannounced visits on alcohol licence holders to verify that the licence is displayed, the licence holder matches the leaseholder, and no after-hours sales are taking place. Routine annual inspections are normally booked in advance.