Alcoholic drinks-makers see red over draft law banning online sale

[Solidpoo]

the existing alcohol laws are already utterly ridiculous. This.... oh my god.,.

[Suddenplans]

Make it compulsory on delivery to anyone below a certain age to show ID.  Delivery person to be required to take photo of ID at delivery.  If any mischief or harm befalls under age persons found to have purchased alcohol, then the retailet selling alcohol should be held liable and responsible.

[mike787]

I'll get my popcorn and watch the riots begin...should be good.????

[siamsev]

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

Who will lose out by this action apart from consumers? Small independent brewers and importers and suppliers of foreign beers and wines.

 

Who will gain? The big brewers, whose profits won't be up to the usual obscene amounts due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

 

This is yet another example of the Government finding an excuse to help the elite families of Thailand.

You are spot on here.  A Thai friend of mine is in the wine import trade and says that the reason we hav such high tax on wine is that the big beer families (who do see whiskey but not wine except Thai made) have pressured the govt into putting t he taxes high  in order to stop Thais moving away from their products.  Absolute disgrace.

[Madeline Thompson]

it is indeed ridiculous.  This government (which remains a dictatorship

under the emergency decree), has a prissy attitude towards alcohol. Like

many other of its 'attitudes' it is detrimental to the tourist industry and

unnecessarily paternalistic towards the people of Thailand. 

 

 

[deecfc67]

6 hours ago, steven100 said:

so then they ask an older friend to order it for them and they just pay him  ?  as they do in advanced countries.

But if an older friend is willing to buy it for them online, they would clearly be just as able to get it from any local shop the same way.

So banning online sales solves absolutely nothing.

[deecfc67]

You would have to imagine that of all the ways underage youths can get hold of alcohol, ordering online must surely be the least commonly used method.

I would guess that online ordering would only be a tiny percentage of where they get it, so to ban it for everyone is ridiculous...

[drbeach]

6 hours ago, madmitch said:

Who will lose out by this action apart from consumers? Small independent brewers and importers and suppliers of foreign beers and wines.

 

Who will gain? The big brewers, whose profits won't be up to the usual obscene amounts due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

 

This is yet another example of the Government finding an excuse to help the elite families of Thailand.

In a sense, but how does it benefit the big brewers if their own products are restricted in this way? Besides, every time there is a religious holiday their products can't legally be sold (which is the case this long weekend I believe).

 

After all, craft beer and imported alcoholic beverages can be purchased easily in-store or at restaurants and bars, which are the main sales channels anyway.

 

I would be reeling at this draft law, irrespective of whether I was a big brewer or small importer.

[geoffrobbo]

So quite alright for underage kids to get easy access to motor bikes, cars, fire-arms etc, but we must make sure they cannot get alcohol online by banning it for everyone. Great thinking !!

[drbeach]

41 minutes ago, Madeline Thompson said:

it is indeed ridiculous.  This government (which remains a dictatorship

under the emergency decree), has a prissy attitude towards alcohol. Like

many other of its 'attitudes' it is detrimental to the tourist industry and

unnecessarily paternalistic towards the people of Thailand. 

 

 

Granted, it goes further back than that. Several anti-alcohol laws upon which the current ones are based, date back to the Thaksin era. Same as 90-day reporting. It's something about the mentality and attitude of every Thai government that is the problem here, and not necessarily only the current one.

Edited July 5, 2020 by drbeach

[drbeach]

2 hours ago, chilli42 said:

This is one of the all too infrequent infrequent good decisions the Government has made.  The last one I can think of was the pesticide ban.  Nobody needs easier access to alcohol than they have today.  

The pesticide ban was one of the few good ones, this one is just <deleted>.

[drbeach]

3 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

It's pure protectionism.

 

To ensure the current monopolies are not challenged (Thai Bev, Boonrawd).

To ensure the proper sales channels get their cut (CP Group).

To stop the losses from online sales during the COVID-19 crisis when the trend is to purchase online.

 

The alcohol retail sector will be hurting badly after the lockdown, it's not only pubs and clubs that will suffer. We've a long way to go yet too... more pain ahead. A second wave and it's all over I reckon...

That doesn't quite make sense. If ThaiBev and Boonrawd wanted to protect their sales, all they would need to do is ensure their products can be purchased at any time of the day (which is not the case), there are no sales restrictions (there are), hike up taxes on imports (is the case), or only allow their products to be sold online but not the competition.

 

How does banning the sale of ALL alcohol products including their own, online, help them?

 

It doesn't. The alcohol lobby in Thailand is either brain dead or they are seeking their own demise.

[drbeach]

2 hours ago, Venom said:

Check id? No, that would be too simple. Like restricting sales between 2-5pm to stop school children from buying liquor.???? Except that authoritarian rule is never going to be perfect. 

And Thailand has ALWAYS been authoritarian. Even under left-wing red shirt leader Thaksin.

 

I remember back in 2008 I wasn't allowed to purchase alcohol between 2 and 5pm or after midnight. One purchase I tried to make at a 711 at 1205am wasn't allowed. In 2008. Long before the current government came into office.

[drbeach]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Exactly, now you cannot buy what you prefer online, only what is stocked in Thailand by the monopolies !

Nonsense. Just go to some craft beer bar or any supermarket and you can get an extensive range of imported alcoholic beverages, even if they're expensive. In fact, other than on TOPS online, I've never even purchased alcoholic beverages online.

 

All this law will do is make me waste my time and money to drive down to a supermarket and purchase in person. It doesn't mean I'll see less of my favorite beverage options, because they will still be supplied the same as before. It doesn't mean I'll only see Beer Singha or Leo Beer. It just means having to get out of my comfort zone.

 

However, I have no problem going to a supermarket to buy alcohol but not before they remove the stupid mask law and temperature screening. That won't happen until at least next month...so until then, online it is. Or I don't buy at all.

[madmitch]

8 minutes ago, drbeach said:

In a sense, but how does it benefit the big brewers if their own products are restricted in this way? Besides, every time there is a religious holiday their products can't legally be sold (which is the case this long weekend I believe).

 

After all, craft beer and imported alcoholic beverages can be purchased easily in-store or at restaurants and bars, which are the main sales channels anyway.

 

I would be reeling at this draft law, irrespective of whether I was a big brewer or small importer.

The big brewers are not reliant on online sales; you can buy their products anywhere, and that includes plenty of places on a day like today as well. Their sales won't be hit at all.

[sambum]

Just now, CLS said:

If the underage sale is the problem then check the buyer’s age for online and in store purchases as advanced countries do.
But as seen many times before they throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Indeed yes! Did you read the post or just the headline:-:-

 

" he said TABBA could get the beverage-makers to check the age of the buyers, record their information, the time of the transaction and product delivery."

[RocketDog]

4 hours ago, Bender Rodriguez said:

alcohol ... responsible for most road deaths, fights, domestic violence...

 

yeah, basic rights

People... responsible for most road deaths, fights, domestic violence... 

 

Yeah, basic humans

[DJ54]

For Frucks sake... then the light came on and thought nah that won’t work. Us Village folks if to lazy to walk across the road to get some beverages... just ask any of the kids at the house that’s old enough to walk and talk to go get it.... seriously but make sure you give the kid 10 baht for going...

[sambum]

Just now, steven100 said:

they didn't order anymore as the taste is foul from what i gather.

Bit of a troll like comment as the poster has already said that it's his favourite!

[nbg]

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said that the law would affect alcoholic drinks-makers who do business honestly and in line with the current law

Their already protected businesses that don’t have any competition due to current laws/regulations, I feel their pain...

[snowgard]

9 hours ago, CLS said:

If the underage sale is the problem then check the buyer’s age for online and in store purchases as advanced countries do.
But as seen many times before they throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Right, that's why they increased the alcohol sales law (legal age from 20 years) and additionally brought the stupid alcohol sales times into the country.

I hate standing at the checkout on the weekly shopping tour in the Makro Market at 02:01 pm and leaving the beer there.

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

That doesn't quite make sense. If ThaiBev and Boonrawd wanted to protect their sales, all they would need to do is ensure their products can be purchased at any time of the day (which is not the case), there are no sales restrictions (there are), hike up taxes on imports (is the case), or only allow their products to be sold online but not the competition.

 

How does banning the sale of ALL alcohol products including their own, online, help them?

 

It doesn't. The alcohol lobby in Thailand is either brain dead or they are seeking their own demise.

Of course it does, their products are readily available in every shop in every province no matter how remote. The buyers of those products will still be able to easily obtain them regardless of an online ban.

 

Now try buying a bottle of decent French wine or a can of craft beer in those shops.

[Mung]

9 hours ago, J Town said:

Why would kids bother online when they can get it at any mom & pop store throughout Thailand? This sounds like a means to generate more brown envelopes.

Why do people buy drugs from the internet when they could get them locally there and then? 

[Mr Grumpy]

Good idea. Everyone gets penalised because of the demeanours of the few. Now let's apply the same logic to road accidents shall we and ban the sale of cars because of the  high level of death related accidents, which aren't all alcohol related either! And so on. 

[Andycoops]

At this rate Thailand will be on a par with the Muslim countries and will suffer accordingly.

No tourists.

Isn't Uncle Toos other half rumoured to be one?

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

And Thailand has ALWAYS been authoritarian. Even under left-wing red shirt leader Thaksin.

 

I remember back in 2008 I wasn't allowed to purchase alcohol between 2 and 5pm or after midnight. One purchase I tried to make at a 711 at 1205am wasn't allowed. In 2008. Long before the current government came into office.

In 2008 it was the court appointed Democrat administration in control. 

 

Thaksin was ousted in an military coup in 2005.

 

He wasn't left wing and wasn't a red shirt leader either.

 

However, most of the alcohol restrictions came into effect during his terms in office, starting with the Purachai crusades in 2001.

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, drbeach said:

And Thailand has ALWAYS been authoritarian. Even under left-wing red shirt leader Thaksin.

 

I remember back in 2008 I wasn't allowed to purchase alcohol between 2 and 5pm or after midnight. One purchase I tried to make at a 711 at 1205am wasn't allowed. In 2008. Long before the current government came into office.

That is before online purchasing was commonplace. Children didn't have phones to order with yet they still got as much as they wanted elsewhere.

Plus ca change...

[NoshowJones]

8 hours ago, madmitch said:

Who will lose out by this action apart from consumers? Small independent brewers and importers and suppliers of foreign beers and wines.

 

Who will gain? The big brewers, whose profits won't be up to the usual obscene amounts due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

 

This is yet another example of the Government finding an excuse to help the elite families of Thailand.

Are you reading this Steven100?

[MartinL]

10 hours ago, Don Mega said:

Speaking of online sales, wish beer is out of stock for my fav Knee Deep Imperial, anyong know of other places that sell it (online) ?

 

https://wishbeer.com/collections/beer/products/knee-deep-imperial-tanilla-20l-100

Wishbeer seems to have a whole lot of its online listing 'out of stock'. Four or five beers that I've wanted to buy are listed as such and I didn't bother looking any further. Registered to be notified when they're available but nothing yet; about two months later and they're still listed as 'out of stock'.

[MartinL]

I sometimes use Wishbeer and their prices are quite high but I'm willing to pay for something I consider to be far better than an easily-available Thai brew.

 

How many spotty, underage kids would pay (say) 200฿ for a  small exotic foreign beer - or elevated prices plus delivery charge for something nasty like Leo - when all they want is to get rat-ar$3d quickly and cheaply? Far more cost-effective and less time consuming ways of doing that than by ordering online.