Fears alcohol tax may increase hard-liquor consumption

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, manarak said:

taxing beer and wine is the most stupid thing they can do, why not better tax higher alcohol grades?

That is what they do in sensible countries. Tax or duty is raised on the Alcohol by Volume or ABV, in other words the strength of the brew. The higher percentage, the higher the tax.

 

And this is exactly what Mr. Adulyanon is commenting about. White liquor is the cheapest and therefore the prefered drink amongst the more deprived in the Thai community and is the cause of untold misery, illness and early death.

 

I have seen this stuff being imbibed as early as 8am in my wife's village and the same players are at it day after day.

 

According to WHO, male life expectancy in Thailand is around 72, which is quite reasonable by world standards. But I'm sure that in the rural communities it would be much lower. Males deaths in my wife's family, including her 2 elder brothers are around 50 years and I'm aware of many more in the village. But they never say 'death by alcohol'. It's always 'liver failure', 'stomach cancer' or somesuch.

 

Not only does Thailand have a serious issue with alcohol, it is in denial about it and Mr. Adulyanon is quite right to speak out about it.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Moonlover

[amvet]

On 9/3/2017 at 7:39 AM, Cadbury said:

In Vietnam beer on the street can be as low as 22 to 30 baht for good quality bottled beer and 8 to 15 baht for a glass of fresh beer. There is no tax or duty or excise on beer and spirits in Vietnam. Tourism is booming.

Depending on the final wash up of alcohol prices this could be the stake through the heart of many food and bar and entertainment/tourism businesses in Thailand. 

People will likely be out of work and income but importantly for Prayut the war toys will be in the barracks and subs tied up at the docks.

Tourism in Thailand and Singapore grew by 12 percent and 10 percent respectively over the same period. Even Laos (15 percent) more than doubled Vietnam’s growth rate.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davisbrett/2016/06/14/vietnams-almost-non-existent-tourism-marketing-holding-back-growth/#26b05e118a71

 

[natway09]

They forgot to think it through again.

I have said it many times on this forum before but will say it again,

The "white spirit " as he calls it is the worst gut rot & should be banned> It is just distilled spirit which

has killed millions of Thais with liver & kidney disease.

With its high alcohol strength tell me how it gets away with not being taxed heavier?

A loop hole because of vested interests    ,,, me thinks

[rickudon]

I see more smuggling soon .......

[Thian]

9 hours ago, manarak said:

taxing beer and wine is the most stupid thing they can do, why not better tax higher alcohol grades?

I would say drinking beer and wine is the most stupid thing a farang can do in Thailand, cause it's better and cheaper abroad.

 

Maybe that's also the reason why Thai love their whisky so much.

[loong]

20 hours ago, Number 6 said:

Rice, the distillation process must be primal. Even the Lao Khao moonshine in Lao is far better. Makes Korean soju taste like single malt scotch.

Where I have seen it made it is not exactly technical.

A large vat of cooked sticky rice is mixed with water and yeast. This is ladled into plastic buckets, covered with polythene and left to ferment.

The fermented liquid is then heated in another large vat and a dished lid is placed on top and filled with cold water. The condensation is caught and drained from the lowest middle section of the dish. This process is carried out ouside under cover. Zero hygiene and high risk of contamination. Vats etc were aluminium.

Locals could buy this in plastic bags for next to nothing while the rest was bottled in rinsed out beer bottles labelled and the legal excise strip stuck over the cap.

The fermented left over rice was fed to pigs and chickens. They seemed happy.

[rak sa_ngop]

Drinking beer is far healthier than drinking alcoholic spirits, especially homemade ones.

 

Some countries have an enlightened attitude and wish to help their citizens by providing a healthy  alternative to alcoholic spirits in the form of cheap beer. e.g. Laos and some African countries. And don't forget that European civilizations have developed because of beer which was a safe form of drinking water. Polluted beer is unpalatable whereas polluted water can taste like water.

 

But in Thailand you can buy cheap gut rot rice alcohol (sato) cheaper than beer. It's a very short sighted attitude.

Edited September 4, 2017 by rak sa_ngop