Thailand's public health minister Pattana Promphat has said Lisa did not breach Thai alcohol advertising law when she shared a drink on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The segment was filmed and broadcast outside Thailand, and Pattana said Lisa appeared to be acting personally rather than promoting a product. The issue had prompted discussion after clips from the programme were shared online.
"Thai law does not prohibit drinking alcohol. It prohibits alcohol advertising," the minister said.
What happened on the Jimmy Fallon show
Lisa appeared on the US talk show and introduced host Jimmy Fallon to som tam, along with a drink containing Thai beer, soju and Sprite.
She taught Fallon to say "mod kaew" - meaning "bottoms up" - before the pair drank together. The appearance later drew attention in Thailand because alcohol promotion is tightly regulated.
Pattana said the overseas setting was central to the assessment. He added that the matter should not have developed into a major controversy, particularly as the filming and broadcast took place outside Thailand.
Reposting clips can still require care
The minister said Thai media organisations and social-media users who reposted footage of the segment had generally blurred the alcohol brand name and logo. In his view, this was consistent with Thai law.
However, he cautioned content creators against treating the ruling as a free pass to make promotional alcohol content in Thailand. Those recreating the drink should be careful, he said.
Content that visibly shows a brand or directs viewers to an online shop could be viewed as having a commercial purpose and could face legal scrutiny.
This can be particularly relevant to travel vloggers, restaurant reviewers and influencers who film drinks for social media. Simply recreating Lisa's Thai beer, soju and Sprite mix is not the point at issue; prominently displaying a brand or linking followers to a seller may change how authorities view the content.
The minister's remarks relate specifically to Lisa's overseas television appearance and do not remove the need for creators in Thailand to consider how alcohol-related posts are presented.
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19 September 2026
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