Thailand to ban online alcohol sales to curb underage drinking

 

FILE PHOTO: A worker cleans a plastic barrier used for social distancing at the Sherbet club ahead of bars and night clubs reopening nationwide after the Thai government extended an emergency decree until the end of July in a bid to avoid the risk of a second wave of the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Bangkok, Thailand, June 30, 2020. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand said on Thursday it would prohibit online sales of alcohol in a clampdown on underage drinking after a rise in sales during the coronavirus outbreak.

 

The Southeast Asian country scrapped a three-week ban on the sale of alcohol in shops in May when it lifted other restrictions following progress in containing the coronavirus.

 

The legal drinking age is 20 and the sale of alcohol is prohibited in certain areas like schools and parks. Thailand already limits the hours that stores can sell alcohol.

 

"Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the sale of beverages online has increased and there were promotions that did not regulate age and location, making it difficult to enforce existing laws," Deputy Minister of Public Health Satit Pitutacha said in a statement.

 

The new regulations would come into effect this year and carry a maximum fine of 10,000 baht (255.77 pounds) and up to six months in prison.

 

Several grocery retailers in Thailand offer alcoholic products online.

 

“A more logical decision would be to enforce checking of age,” Jerome Le Louer, owner of Wishbeer, an online store for craft beer, wines and spirits.

 

“We check the ID of our customers when we deliver,” he said, adding that retailers could do similar checks online and that cooperation between regulators and businesses would be more effective than prohibition.

 

Thailand reported six new coronavirus cases on Thursday, all imported from abroad, marking 38 successive days without any domestic transmission.

 

Red-light districts in the Thai capital, Bangkok, reopened on Wednesday after more than three months of shutdown.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-02

 

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Another heavy handed move. There are other things that could be done instead to curb underage purchases or straw purchases.

It makes as much sense as stopping alcohol sales for 3 hours in the afternoons. OTOH, with the UK now proposing to end free delivery by online retailers, the idiocy isn't confined to Thailand. If the lunatics weren't running the asylum before C19, they certainly are now. 

It makes you wonder if there's been some pressure from the big brewers behind this.

An online alcohol sales ban will seriously affect the smaller retailers but not the big companies, who have always anything they can to kill off competition.

Looks like there's a trend of killing off any growing competition by using covid as an excuse. The usual Sino-Thai sixpack on killing spree. I suppose it's natural for a vassal state of the commies to have home grown oligarchs.

Edited July 2, 20206 yr by DrTuner

So, a few retailers fail to check I.D. and everyone else has to shoulder the result. There are many alternatives to try first before imposing an outright ban. This has nothing to do with underage drinkers buying alcohol, and everything to do with the big boys wanting all the market share for themselves, and another petty Junta inspired bullying control regulation to show they are in charge.

There are many real shops selling alcohol to anybody at any time of the day. Why don't they just ban alcohol completely?

Someone must be jealous of the success of Wine Connection. I might end up having to place my orders while in Bangkok to get delivery to Buriram. Michael Trocherie will be smart enough to organise "Tasting and Order" venues..

I order my wie online because I buy it by the case and then the other alcohol because it can not be found in local places.

Another ban in the name of Covid19.

 

Of course, this has nothing to do with C19 and everything to do with the big guys stomping on the little guys.

 

It's policies like this that led to Thailand reaching number 1 in the world for wealth inequality in 2018.

 

Bringing happiness to the people. Thai sty.

 

https://theaseanpost.com/article/growing-gap-between-richest-and-poorest-thais

 

11 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Another heavy handed move. There are other things that could be done instead to curb underage purchases or straw purchases.

Yeah but Thailand always acts first then thinks later..
A bit like all the new hurdles tourists have to get over to come for a holiday later in the year.. they'll back track when no-one comes !

Not one single shop around the place where I live refused to sell my underage daughters a bottle of Sangsom for years, except the 7/11. Besides the online companies sell alcoholic beverages, which you just can't buy at the super market. The online shops may make 0.01% of the total alcohol sales in Thailand, or even less, who knows. One solution could be to have another certificate by the Thai embassy, stating that you may buy alcohol online. Send a copy with every order and have it renewed every 90 days at your local immigration.

Kill all competition & blame anybody but themselves (ie. underage drinkers). It's very difficult as it is to buy any alcohol for those with a slightly discerning taste. When the fatest of the cats just want to get fatter. Surely the best way to stimulate growth in this great country is to increase competition. Shame on you fat cats, you do nothing for your nation other than line your own pockets.

Can I order by phone then? ????

1 hour ago, AhFarangJa said:

So, a few retailers fail to check I.D. and everyone else has to shoulder the result. There are many alternatives to try first before imposing an outright ban. This has nothing to do with underage drinkers buying alcohol, and everything to do with the big boys wanting all the market share for themselves, and another petty Junta inspired bullying control regulation to show they are in charge.

The restricted hours for selling alcohol were also originally billed as a measure to prevent underage drinking, though they were never able to explain how preventing 60 year old foreigners from having a beer at 3pm stopped Thai teenagers from consuming alcohol.

Good grief, the only way I can get decent wine here is ordering online.

 

This sucks.

 

 

 

 

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

"Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the sale of beverages online has increased and there were promotions that did not regulate age and location, making it difficult to enforce existing laws," Deputy Minister of Public Health Satit Pitutacha said in a statement.

Here in Thailand, I've never seen nor heard that the law has ever been enforced to any effective degree - or that people actually abide by it. For starters DMPH Satit Pitutacha, focus your public health responsibilities on preventing air pollution countrywide, particularly Chiang Mai province burning and deforestation, by enforcing these laws - not continual freaking alcohol bans.

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“A more logical decision would be to enforce checking of age,” Jerome Le Louer, owner of Wishbeer, an online store for craft beer, wines and spirits.

There is no logic 

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

There are many real shops selling alcohol to anybody at any time of the day. Why don't they just ban alcohol completely?

you think they haven't thought of that already lol

 

I am 100% sure it is a daily idiotic topic somewhere in government house

This is just dumb. I often include alcohol in my grocery deliveries, as I don't particularly enjoy schlepping cases of beer around.

 

If the delivery guy doubts that I'm of drinking age already, he could just ask me for ID, same as a cashier at a supermarket or a bouncer at a nightclub. Easy.

“... to curb underage drinking”

 

to quote Father Christmas ...... “ Ho, Ho, Ho”

2 hours ago, Mak25 said:

Can I order by phone then? ????

Shh. Don't give the game away!

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

There are many real shops selling alcohol to anybody at any time of the day. Why don't they just ban alcohol completely?

Careful !

Stupid is as stupid does...

3 hours ago, jackdd said:

There are many real shops selling alcohol to anybody at any time of the day. Why don't they just ban alcohol completely?

Shurely shome mishtake?

 

14 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Another heavy handed move. There are other things that could be done instead to curb underage purchases or straw purchases.

It is what they know best. Outbreaks of happiness and enjoyment by the Thai people. Ban it and stamp it out.

 

Never mind happiness and reconciliation for the Thai people.

 

Ban it, stamp it out, and if that doesn't work then send in the police and the army to arrest everybody.

 

I have no doubt that at home the government ministers will be tippling on good wines 

 

https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/bordeaux-wine-buying-guide-tasting-notes-ratings/bordeaux-wine-vintage-chart/#:~:text=But the situation is changed,%2C 2014%2C 1999 and 1994.

 

Pass the 25 year old Chivas or Johnny Walker green or gold label. There is plenty more where that came from.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnie_Walker#Blends

13 minutes ago, billd766 said:

It is what they know best. Outbreaks of happiness and enjoyment by the Thai people. Ban it and stamp it out.

 

Never mind happiness and reconciliation for the Thai people.

 

Ban it, stamp it out, and if that doesn't work then send in the police and the army to arrest everybody.

 

I have no doubt that at home the government ministers will be tippling on good wines 

 

https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-topics/bordeaux-wine-buying-guide-tasting-notes-ratings/bordeaux-wine-vintage-chart/#:~:text=But the situation is changed,%2C 2014%2C 1999 and 1994.

 

Pass the 25 year old Chivas or Johnny Walker green or gold label. There is plenty more where that came from.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnie_Walker#Blends

But then there are fakes of Johnny Walker as well ..

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Fake+Johnny+Walker+in+Thailand&docid=607989565898490765&mid=84525CF3D58BA93499EC84525CF3D58BA93499EC&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Somebody's wine import business is suffering and they want the successful online competition shut down.

3 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Yeah but Thailand always acts first then thinks later..
A bit like all the new hurdles tourists have to get over to come for a holiday later in the year.. they'll back track when no-one comes !

Will they? What about face?

3 hours ago, khunjeff said:

The restricted hours for selling alcohol were also originally billed as a measure to prevent underage drinking, though they were never able to explain how preventing 60 year old foreigners from having a beer at 3pm stopped Thai teenagers from consuming alcohol.

And the only daylight hours when sales are permitted are when the kids are out of school for lunch. Checking their ID has never occurred to anyone in Thailand so far.