Japanese restaurant fined Bt50,000 for promoting alcohol

By The Nation

 

 

A Japanese restaurant has warned other food businesses to be on their guard after it was caught out by Thailand’s strict law on promoting alcohol.

 

Police were called to Ai ToMoE restaurant in Chiang Mai after being notified it was promoting beer in its Bt499 buffet menu, according to the restaurant’s July 22 Facebook post.

 

Police arrested the chef, named Boy, and fined him Bt50,000 for the beer promotion.

 

“All restaurant friends, please be careful of all advertisements,” warned the chef's Facebook post.

 

“Images of drinks or even photos of alcohol in the menu are illegal. See me as a sample case.”

 

The restaurant said it was trying to pay the police fine so it could continue operating.

 

Stricter enforcement of the law has led the arrest of several people recently, including famous Thai actors who were charged with violating Section 32 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.

 

The law prohibits the promotion of alcoholic drinks or stimulating the thirst for drinks via discounts.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30391755

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-07-22

 

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2 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

“Images of drinks or even photos of alcohol in the menu are illegal.

Bizarre and totally pathetic !

Must be a pure coincidence that this law started getting enforced again when all the other money/fines going to the police started drying up.

Unbelievable, but what else can you expect from this mob..... Sense, no way.????

It is these draconian and sanctimonious laws which are then enforced with a puritan levels of hypocrisy which completely destroys attitudes towards Thailand... 

 

With each news report such as this that I see my tolerance towards Thailand diminishes.

 

 

I know its just a game, but for <deleted>, haven’t businesses already struggled enough.... It really is time to get rid of these juvenile and hypocritical laws so that the Police can do some genuine work for a change.

51 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

caught out by Thailand’s strict law on promoting alcohol

ridiculous policy; beer-making-at-home big business grower these days

54 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Unbelievable, but what else can you expect from this mob..... Sense, no way.????

The law has been around for a while.

10 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

ridiculous policy; beer-making-at-home big business grower these days

Have they legalised homebrew ?

Such nonsense. By an administration that is so misled. And instead of real policy, what do we end up with? 

 

An utter and complete unwillingness to tackle the scams, and corruption in general, or the traffic and public safety issues, the lack of a competent and effective police force, that foreigners and locals can count on, when they need them.

 

The environmental issues, and so many other causes, are all having an impact on tourism.

The inept military government, who nobody likes, and most people despise, haphazard and xenophobic immigration policy, meant to deter tourism, and ex-pats, rather than encourage them, racist ranting from the government, often directed at tourists and ex-pats and a nonsensical nationalistic agenda, that is pure politics.

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Police arrested the chef, named Boy

Bad boy bad whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you...

18 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Such nonsense. By an administration that is so misled. And instead of real policy, what do we end up with? 

 

An utter and complete unwillingness to tackle the scams, and corruption in general, or the traffic and public safety issues, the lack of a competent and effective police force, that foreigners and locals can count on, when they need them.

 

The environmental issues, and so many other causes, are all having an impact on tourism.

The inept military government, who nobody likes, and most people despise, haphazard and xenophobic immigration policy, meant to deter tourism, and ex-pats, rather than encourage them, racist ranting from the government, often directed at tourists and ex-pats and a nonsensical nationalistic agenda, that is pure politics.

He broke the law and copped a fine, why does this upset you so much ?

If you promote Cider and call it apple juice, everything is fine.

Don't you just love the Chang ad of all those lads round the telly watching the football drinking Chang water? Yes, water, like you do.

4 minutes ago, champers said:

Don't you just love the Chang ad of all those lads round the telly watching the football drinking Chang water? Yes, water, like you do.

And some think Thai's are brainless mongs... there is a reason why both Singha and Chang started selling water and promoting it and old mate Khun Boy found out why !!

 

Wonder how  long till bars and clubs with facebook pages that promote their happy hours feel the same financial sting !!

19 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

He broke the law and copped a fine, why does this upset you so much ?

It uipsets me because it ia a stupid and pointless law that achieves nothing towards reconciliation of the Thai people.

 

It is not a problem for me as I quit drinking alcohol on 1st June this year even though I still have plenty in the house.

Just now, billd766 said:

It uipsets me because it ia a stupid and pointless law that achieves nothing towards reconciliation of the Thai people.

 

It is not a problem for me as I quit drinking alcohol on 1st June this year even though I still have plenty in the house.

What does reconciliation have to do with it ?

 

Its a law thats been around for a while, the big players know about it and promote in other ways.

Think you can still promote asylums for the crackpot pick a law any law and you have broken it lunatics who write new ones everyday???? 

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

He broke the law and copped a fine, why does this upset you so much ?

When laws are totally inane, and lacking in any sort of real substance, how do they serve society? This law is akin to the pixelation of nudity in the cinema or of someone smoking a cigarette. How does that change, improve or affect anything? It is based entirely on false morality and a sort of shrill prudisness, and in no manner contributes to society or benefits the social fabric. 

 

Clear enough? 

2 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

When laws are totally inane, and lacking in any sort of real substance, how do they serve society? This law is akin to the pixelation of nudity in the cinema or of someone smoking a cigarette. How does that change, improve or affect anything? It is based entirely on false morality and a sort of shrill prudisness, and in no manner contributes to society or benefits the social fabric. 

 

Clear enough? 

Great, so you agree he broke the law and was punsished accordingly, not sure why all the butthurt.

 

speaking of butthurt I got 8 speeding fines in the mail yesterday, such an inane law lacking any sort of real substance that does not change, improve or affect anything.... I should make a thread crying about it.

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

He broke the law and copped a fine, why does this upset you so much ?

If you can’t see that the issue people have with this is not the ‘law breaking part’ but the fact that those laws in the first place are asinine, idiotic, moronic, illogical, nonsensical, stupid (I think I’ve made my point)...  anyway, if you can’t see what upsets people about these stupid laws and the hypocrisy behind them then you are far too insulated from any sense of reality. 

 

 

26 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

Great, so you agree he broke the law and was punsished accordingly, not sure why all the butthurt.

 

speaking of butthurt I got 8 speeding fines in the mail yesterday, such an inane law lacking any sort of real substance that does not change, improve or affect anything.... I should make a thread crying about it.

It depends... If you are getting charged 50,000 baht for a 2kmh over the limit, then yes !!!! 

 

However, the analogy is flawed... Speeding fines are to protect other road users. 

The idea behind the ban on any alcohol advertising is somewhat backwards and highly sanctimonious.

 

Thailand faces major crime issues, theft, drugs etc... attacking these soft targets is nothing more than a money grab - anyone with half a brain can see straight through this. 

 

 

 

if only Claytons 

could have come up with one for the Japanese too!  

 

just for the Sake of it... 

 

You can have a girl in a tight Chang dress (to promote Soda water????)

but a picture of a beer on a menu or a Chang mug is prohibited? 

These rules are enforced in a way that is quite arbitrary by the way, 

and I imagine completely ineffective in reducing alcohol consumption.

 

 

11 hours ago, YetAnother said:

ridiculous policy; beer-making-at-home big business grower these days

Home brewing is illegal in Thailand. I know this as an avid home brewer who was keen, but unable to continue my hobby when I arrived here.

These guys obviously haven't done the rounds in Bangkok...beer promotions everywhere.

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

.

 

Thailand faces major crime issues, theft, drugs etc... attacking these soft targets is nothing more than a money grab - anyone with half a brain can see straight through this. 

 

 

 

Right, so people should be able to get away with flaunting laws that are not major crimes then.

 

The Thailiban is getting more powerful. 

This week we had two bars in Bintabaht Hua Hin fined the same, 50k for promoting happy hour. Also some other bars warned about selling alcohol between 2 and 5.

We introduced a happy hour to try to bring in custom. Now we have wiped all boards, and removed every beer mat, beer cloth, and coasters, along with all the glasses that have transfers on them ( cider, leo, etc ). We even removed the price list, and now have it behind the bar if a customer asks.

Yes, we all know this law has been around for a long time, but haven't bar and restaurants suffered enough?

As has been mentioned, it is simply a way of the police trying to recoup the losses of 4 months shutdown.

Thailand simply is not the carefree, happy, relaxed place it used to be.

Simple;   Hypocrites ????

2 hours ago, Crusader said:

These guys obviously haven't done the rounds in Bangkok...beer promotions everywhere.

They are probably police owned establishments.