Next year's Johnnie Walker Classic golf tournament is to remain in Phuket after all, after the cabinet decided today to "postpone" a ban on alcohol advertising pushed by the Ministry of Public Health.
Riche Monde, the Thai distributors of Johnnie Walker whisky, said the cabinet decision to shelve the advertising ban meant there was no longer a need to shift the $2.44 million (87.6 million baht) tri-sanctioned tournament to either China or South Korea.
"When we knew the ban was postponed, we wanted it to stay in Thailand," Riche Monde president Vorathep Rangchaikul told the Reuters news agency.
"When we heard about the ban we were very scared about it, the organising committee was set to make a decision on another venue, but it wasn't necessary in the end."
As one of its first measures designed to win public support after the Sept 19 ouster of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the military-backed government said it would ban alcohol advertising to curb under-age drinking.
It also considered raising the minimum age for buying alcohol from 18 to 25, finally compromising on 20.
The advert ban was to begin on Dec 3, but the Council of State ruled the Public Health Ministry did not have the poer to impose a ban.
The cabinet ruling today to "postpone" the ban effectively means advertising will continue into the foreseeable future - i.e., there is no change.
The proposed ban on alcohol advertising was causing considerable consternation to many folk around Thailand (including myself) who really appreciated the sartorial elegance demonstrated by the Tiger girls.
So sad, I was at a new bar opening night in KL at the weekend which was graced with 5 tiger girls that looked like super models, hey and two of them were even drinking beer…
