Another alcohol clampdown

[migrant]

It’s also worth noting that the authorities who fine businesses or individuals will get to keep a percentage of it — an incentive to encourage enforcement of the law.

That will create quite a desire to enforce it.

Doesn't work with police traffic enforcement.

Yes but the fines here seem larger

[buksida]

An open letter from Bill Heinecke to the Bangkok governor
The chairman of Minor International has penned an open letter to Bangkok Governor Asawin Kwanmuang and the government to ease restrictions on alcohol sales and to continue vaccination efforts in Bangkok.

Heinecke’s business operations have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic with his hospitality and food business suffering particularly acutely due to lockdown.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/34328/an-o ... -governor/

He's basically asking for alcohol sales to be permitted in restaurants and hotels from Nov. 1 claiming that it is damaging businesses, the economy, and putting off tourists. I reckon he has a point.

[handdrummer]

An open letter from Bill Heinecke to the Bangkok governor
The chairman of Minor International has penned an open letter to Bangkok Governor Asawin Kwanmuang and the government to ease restrictions on alcohol sales and to continue vaccination efforts in Bangkok.

Heinecke’s business operations have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic with his hospitality and food business suffering particularly acutely due to lockdown.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/34328/an-o ... -governor/

He's basically asking for alcohol sales to be permitted in restaurants and hotels from Nov. 1 claiming that it is damaging businesses, the economy, and putting off tourists. I reckon he has a point.

I see, at the end of the letter, it says that Heinecke also sent a letter to the PM about the handling of the virus. I bet that went over well.

[PeteC]

He's a Thai citizen so the PM shouldn't have a problem listening to him. He sent at least one letter to him earlier concerning the pandemic that we have a copy of on here somewhere.

[buksida]

Opinion: Thailand, stop blaming alcohol as a source of every problem
Thailand recently announced that nightlife establishments will stay closed until Jan 15, walking back previous statements made by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha when he said that they would be allowed to open by Dec 1.

The reason? To stop the tide of Covid-19 from spreading further.

The nightlife businesses in Thailand have now been closed for over 300 days in total and counting and with almost-to-nothing support from the government.

Many bars have bid farewell and closed, many nightlife professionals—bartenders, musicians, and beyond—have not found ways to make ends meet and continue to struggle.

From as young as I can remember (I’m 28), growing up as a Thai in Thailand, I’ve kept hearing this slogan used very widely. It goes “Jhon, Khried, Kin Lao” (จน เครียด กินเหล้า). Poor, stressed, drink [alcohol], is the direct translation.

That slogan, from an advertisement by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, was broadcast on television regularly. It was to raise awareness to Thai people that alcohol drinking, if unchecked, could end up ruining your life and keep you in a cycle of alcohol and stress.

...

So while other business sectors have been allowed to open back up, Thailand still continues to punish the alcohol industry. Last week, Prayut warned—more likely threatened—that the entertainment industry “shouldn’t be so selfish”, and to be careful of the [COVID] clusters that could happen because of their selfishness.

Look at Bangkok right now, are there actually any places that are considered “safe” from COVID? You could get it from eating at a restaurant without drinking alcohol. You could get it by using the bus. You could get it by going into your office. So why do we still keep blaming the nightlife industry? How exactly are they more exposed to COVID? Or is it simply just because, in the government’s eyes, drinkers are bad and reckless people?

...

Blaming alcohol as a source for every problem that occurs in Thailand is just plain lazy.

It doesn’t solve any real problems while the authorities can take some credit and look good doing it, simply because it’s so deep-rooted in Thai culture that alcohol is a very, very bad thing.

So yes, let’s just blame alcohol for every problem here. It will certainly shift the spotlight from the real reason Covid-19 has spread like wildfire this year.

https://www.thaienquirer.com/35080/opin ... y-problem/

That seems to be the root of all the constant clampdowns on alcohol - the junta doesn't like it, f'all to do with covid.

[handdrummer]

From the beginning of his reign, the PM has been a moralist. He would like to stop all activities that he considers immoral and push Thailand in the direction of a religious state, controlled by the military. Just your usual basic Taliban philosophy with a touch of fascio/communism thrown in.

[buksida]

Yep, he does seem to be on a mission to get Sharia Law or the equivalent imposed here.

[buksida]

Proposal to allow small, mid-sized alcohol production delayed
A draft amendment on excise taxes proposed to parliament by the Move Forward Party (MFP) on 2 February received positive feedback from members of parliament, but the reading was adjourned for lack of a quorum.

The draft, known as the ‘Progressive Liquor Act’, aims to amend Section 153 of the Excise Tax Act B.E.2560 which requires alcohol producers to obtain permits under strict and high-cost standards set by the Ministry of Finance. The amendment will lower the existing standards, allowing small and medium-sized breweries to enter the market.

Entry into the alcohol business in Thailand is still economically impossible for small- and medium-sized entrepreneurs. The Notification of the Ministry of Finance Re the Administration of Liquor Businesses 2000 sets very high and expensive standards for those who want to make and sell alcohol.

Full Story: https://prachatai.com/english/node/9682

I wonder how much money the two monopolies pay the junta every year to keep their monopolies.

[buksida]

Alcohol has been severely curtailed in Thailand for the past two years, yet these idiots are still blaming it for everything ...

Lax rules to blame for booze abuse
Easy-to-obtain liquor licences have increased both the number of drinkers and the amount of alcohol they consume, according to a Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI) study.

Teenagers are the prime target of liquor firms that advertise their products on social media. Young drinkers buy alcohol mostly from supermarkets, convenience stores, pubs and bars.

One indicator of easy public access to liquor is the high number of liquor licences issued compared to the size of the population, according to Dr Polthep Vijitkunakorn, a HSRI researcher.

On average, one liquor outlet caters to 113 people and there are 1.2 outlets per square kilometre of the country, he said.

Research has shown a positive correlation -- the more liquor licences granted, the higher the density of outlets, Dr Polthep said. Teenagers' drinking behaviour was also studied.

Information for the study was collected for over a decade starting in 2007, he added.

In the last two years, 5,082 new liquor licences were issued, bringing the total to 588,962.

"Thai people have rather easy access to alcohol and outlets are all around, including close to educational institutions," the researcher said.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ooze-abuse

Maybe more licenses have been issued because small businesses are trying to survive the constant lockdowns and clampdowns? Thailand has such a hard-on over alcohol but you don't see the same issues in Burma, Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam where alcohol is much easier to come by and much cheaper. Maybe it is the system and people, not the alcohol that is the problem?

[NOKYAI]

" Young drinkers buy alcohol mostly from supermarkets, convenience stores, pubs and bar"
......I'm struggling to think of where else they would buy it from!

[handdrummer]

"The more liquor licenses granted, the higher density of outlets."
Wow! What a revelation!
How much did they pay for that study?

[HHTel]

Lol. I spotted that and put it down to 'Thai math' which is pretty unique!

[buksida]

The puritans are at it again ...

Call for govt to ban 'sly' alcohol ads
Anti-alcohol consumption networks on Tuesday called for a ban on the use of alcoholic beverage logos to promote non-alcoholic drinks, labelling it a marketing ploy to raise people's recognition of unhealthy products.

Teera Watcharapranee, manager of the Stop Drink Network, said that the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act BE 2551 (2008) had been a huge success in preventing damage to society caused by the overconsumption of alcohol during the past 15 years. He hailed the law change as the result of close cooperation between the public sector, anti-alcohol networks and the Ministry of Public Health.

However, he said there was now a need to amend some sections in order to match the changing strategies of alcohol producers.

He said that the Stop Drink Network and its alliances were calling on the ministry to urgently amend the current law to make it clear that any use of alcohol logos to sell non-alcohol beverages is illegal.

"We need to have a law amendment as Article 32 is still a loophole that allows alcohol companies to benefit from brand recognition in the sale of other drinks such as water and soda water.," he said.

According to Article 32, alcoholic beverage brands and logos are prohibited from being used for any purpose that may promote the intention to purchase or consume their alcoholic products.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... lcohol-ads

Oh you can't let the plebs see a Chang label on a bottle of water because they'll turn into alcoholics. Why don't these people just f*ck off.

[Big Boy]

These guys finance a lot of the nation's sport, with their logo on the fronts of sports shirts etc. If these clowns get their way, it will do a lot of damage.

[huahin4ever]

It's the poor Thais suffering the most. Drinking the cheap and poisonous Laokao.

YNWA