NESDC Urges Alcohol Tax Overhaul in Thailand

How about taxing cannabis products in same way as alcoholic drinks .... or tobacco products?

This article states that the increase is intended to reduce alcohol consumption…

Excuse me? There’s already a 300% tax on wine – are they planning to raise it even further?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the real reason is to rake in even more money

If so, I’ll consider switching to Lao Kao, they certainly won’t be getting rich off me.

If alcohol consumption had gone down they would be talking of hiking the tax to make up for their losses.

Alcohol is already way overtaxed and overpriced in Thailand compared with the region. Stop screwing the little man and instead figure out a way of educating the masses on the dangers, you absolute turbo muppets.

If they really wanted to use tax increases to reduce the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, they would drastically increase the tax on Lao kao and Thai rolling tobacco as they are so cheap.

I'm still waiting to see the reduction in wine price following the flat rate 5% tax promised in 2024 or thereabouts.

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

Alcohol is already way overtaxed and overpriced in Thailand compared with the region. Stop screwing the little man and instead figure out a way of educating the masses on the dangers, you absolute turbo muppets.

They really must carry on like this, after all, tourism in LOS is already in sharp decline, but as I mentioned in another post, it’s not their fault – one thing is certain: they just don’t get it.

Or is the problem caused because the RTP cannot control the public, This initiative will not stop drink driving. I am assuming it dose not included road deaths related to alcohol .

Lots of tourists who might have come to Thailand have been heading to Vietnam instead, where beer's much cheaper, especially if you're willing to drink the Bia Hoi. Increasing prices here will only drive more budget-conscious tourists to Vietnam, or Cambodia or the Philippines.

What happened to them lowering the tax on wine etc that they said were going to do about 6 months ago 🙄🙈

3 hours ago, damian said:

I'm still waiting to see the reduction in wine price following the flat rate 5% tax promised in 2024 or thereabouts.

Maybe this can be interessting for some people:

https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/category/detail/id/2078/iid/502466

So far, I didn't try it.

1 hour ago, 10000Baht said:

Maybe this can be interessting for some people:

https://thailand.prd.go.th/en/content/category/detail/id/2078/iid/502466

So far, I didn't try it.

So they can charge you what they like for duty as you’ve already brought the wine with you, or you just forfeit it. Sounds a good scheme.

Off topic post removed.

@SingAPorn if you want to discuss visas, there are multiple topics in the visa section. This is Thai news and the topic is ‘NESDC Urges Alcohol Tax Overhaul in Thailand’

Taxes must increase on booze and tobacco. One may consider booze and cigarettes to bring in big money. But it has a far larger social and medical cost to treat all the disease and problems connected to both these addictions.

Stop giving in to the cigarette and alcool lobbys or mafias ... triple all the tax on cigarettes and alcool starting with the over cheap beer in Thailand. You will thus have far less problems and stop attracting all the big belly red nosed drunks from the west.

The best way to reduce alcohol consumption is through education, not higher taxation. Public education campaigns have a proven history of changing habits and influencing behavior. They also help younger people understand the risks and long-term consequences that excessive alcohol use can have on their health, well-being, and quality of life. There is a balance between good and bad here; you want the tourists coming and enjoying themselves, but they certainly aren't going to spend much time in Thailand if other nearby countries offer better prices. And believe me, one of the big things tourists talk about is the higher costs of alcohol when it comes to their stays in Thailand.

There needs to be a balance here. Thailand wants tourists to visit, enjoy themselves, and contribute to the economy. However, if neighboring countries offer significantly better prices, many visitors may choose to spend more of their time and money elsewhere.

One of the topics tourists frequently discuss during their stays in Thailand is the rising cost of alcohol and its availability. While responsible consumption should always be encouraged, higher tax policies should be carefully considered so they don't inadvertently make Thailand a less attractive destination compared to its regional competitors. Thailand should try a strong education campaign first before taxation.

On 6/4/2026 at 8:17 AM, Peterphuket said:

This article states that the increase is intended to reduce alcohol consumption…

Excuse me? There’s already a 300% tax on wine – are they planning to raise it even further?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the real reason is to rake in even more money

If so, I’ll consider switching to Lao Kao, they certainly won’t be getting rich off me.

The reason they will not get rich off you is because if you drink Lao Khao you probably won't be around for too long !!!!!!!!!

On 6/3/2026 at 11:28 AM, Georgealbert said:

The Department of Disease Control reported that monitoring conducted during the first 90 days of the pilot found alcohol-related deaths between 3 December 2025 and 1 March 2026 increased by 4.8 times compared with 2023, after controlling for confounding factors. The department said the findings suggest extended sales hours may present greater risks to public safety and human life than initially anticipated.

So they claim that by opening up for sale of alcohol between 2pm and 5pm it have increased the alcohol-related deaths by 4,8 times?!! If that is correct, the government should revert back to banning sale of alcohol all day!