Craft Beer Association calls for reopening of bars, demands changes to Thailand’s draconian laws on alcohol advertising

 

Image: facebook.com/craftbeerofthailand

 

Members of Thailand’s Craft Beer Association gathered outside the Interior Ministry in Bangkok on Monday to call for the authorities to ease COVID-19 restrictions to allow bars and pubs in the country to reopen.

 

They said bars should be allowed to re-open and restaurants should be allowed to serve  alcohol, providing establishments can put effective social distancing measures in place. 

 

They said the alcohol industry was being made a scapegoat of and questioned why 7-Eleven, which is owned by Thailand’s largest conglomerate, Charoen Pokphand, was able to open 24 hours per day and serve alcohol, when bars and pubs can not.

 

The Craft Beer Association also demanded changes to Thailand’s outdated and draconian laws regarding the advertising of alcoholic beverages and production and promotion of craft beers. 

 

Critics say the existing laws help to protect the monopolies of the industry's big players, while smaller producers and retailers can face severe fines for simply trying to promote their products. 

 

Starting last December, the Thai government banned all online sales of alcoholic beverages, with violators subject to six months in jail and/or a fine up to 10,000 baht.

 

The move forced online retailers in Thailand, many of whom specialised in selling imported or craft beers, out of business almost overnight.

 

Thailand already has restrictions on the sale of alcohol, with alcoholic beverages only allowed between the hours of 11:00 – 14:00 & 17:00 – 00:00 (midnight) convenience stores, supermarkets and some restaurants depending on the location.

 

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Sorry. 

No. 

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Sorry. 

No. 

I suspect you wouldn't be so arrogant if your ability to provide for yourself and your family depended upon the hospitality industry.

...

It's so easy to make flippant amd selfish remarks when collecting a pension from overseas.

 

Just a suggestion, no offence intended xx

17 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I suspect you wouldn't be so arrogant if your ability to provide for yourself and your family depended upon the hospitality industry.

 

It's so easy to make flippant amd selfish remarks when collecting a pension from overseas.

...

Just a suggestion, no offence intended xx

 

 

Opening bars at this point in the pandemic is INSANE.

It's not about people taking their own risks.

It's about the risks to the public in general that recklessness causes.

I was responding to bars really. I can see allowing drinks at actual restaurants that are following protocols, as opposed to scam games of bars acting like they're restaurants as a loophole. 

Thailand has craft beer?

2 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Thailand has craft beer?

Even in 7-11. I think it's called "Kraft" beer there or am I confusing it with cheese?

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Opening bars at this point in the pandemic is INSANE.

It's not about people taking their own risks.

It's about the risks to the public in general that recklessness causes.

I was responding to bars really. I can see allowing drinks at actual restaurants that are following protocols, as opposed to scam games of bars acting like they're restaurants as a loophole. 

 

On what do base your comments?

Do you have data that shows that consumption of alcohol or dining at restaurants beyond 21:00 increases the transmission of the virus.

 

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Even in 7-11. I think it's called "Kraft" beer there or am I confusing it with cheese?

^{SANDWICH SPREAD.}

12 hours ago, Patanawet said:

On what do base your comments?

Do you have data that shows that consumption of alcohol or dining at restaurants beyond 21:00 increases the transmission of the virus.

 

I was only talking about opening up of BARS. I didn't comment on opening hours of restaurants, so please don't bother baiting me in such a ridiculous way.

I think anyone with basic common sense understands why you can't open up bars in a pandemic. To anyone that doesn't understand that, you have my sympathies and I will refer you to google. 

4 hours ago, fishtank said:

Thailand has craft beer?

Post of the year

Thailand have craft beer but they are banned from brewing them in Thailand.The big breweries have forced the government to implement a law that makes it illegal to brew beer in Thailand unless you brew a very large amount of beer, this makes it impossible for the Thai craft beer companies to make beer in Thailand.

 

All Thai craft beer is brewed outside Thailand in Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia and other places at great cost and import duties. This is why you can not find any craft beer here under around 120 Baht per bottle. If they were allowed to brew in Thailand you would possibly be able to find a fine IPA for around 50 Baht.

"They said bars should be allowed to re-open and restaurants should be allowed to serve  alcohol, providing establishments can put effective social distancing measures in place. "

 

Social distancing in the entertainment industry... I think these people drink too much of their own stuff. 

I notice they all have masks on to hide their hipster beards?

8 hours ago, pattjock said:

you would possibly be able to find a fine IPA for around 50 Baht.

 

Beer Lao has a passable IPA "type" beer.

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

9 hours ago, fishtank said:

Thailand has craft beer?

Even in 7-11. I think it's called "Kraft" beer there or am I confusing it with cheese?

 

One of the new wonders of the world is that Siam Weizen and one of the Cheers brands brewed by Thai Asia Pacific Brewery, is a half-decent wheat beer, albeit only at 4%. Tapper isn't bad either. Relatively speaking of course, but still better than Singha and Chang. Tiny, tiny steps.....

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Critics say the existing laws help to protect the monopolies of the industry's big players

 

And there you have it. And those who make the laws see nothing wrong in supporting the richest men in Thailand. Actually, it works that way all over the world in return for donations to the Party or individuals - to spend on expensive watches or stash away overseas.

29 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

I notice they all have masks on to hide their hipster beards?

 

Beer Lao has a passable IPA "type" beer. 

 

 

Thanks for the info, will give it a try. Still, the price, around 110Baht, is still way to high.

10 hours ago, JonnyF said:

ability to provide for yourself and your family depended upon the hospitality industry.

Agreed. In a country where they are so heavily dependent on this, it is killing them. The wife's family in hotels have been experiencing this for a nearly a year now. While they can't let in the tourists just yet to solve that situation, they could do something about the bars and beer.

 

This alcohol restriction is silly. As said in the article, why is 7-11 still allowed to sell? They're drinking in the parking lots and outside on the street again, as they were in the first lockdown. They're carrying cases out to condos, where I'm sure others will be coming to help finish it off. And most of all, when I walked to my favourite pub a few weeks ago to discover it shut due to this latest "lockdown", the Thai restaurants right next to it were wild with activity. But without alcohol I guess the virus doesn't get to them.

34 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

One of the new wonders of the world is that Siam Weizen and one of the Cheers brands brewed by Thai Asia Pacific Brewery, is a half-decent wheat beer, albeit only at 4%. Tapper isn't bad either. Relatively speaking of course, but still better than Singha and Chang. Tiny, tiny steps.....

All brewed by the big breweries.

Same as Copper and Chang Coffee beer.

those famous companies using water bottles as a way to circumvent the alcohol advertising ban, is just one way how they monopolize the industry, these smaller players in  craft beer probably produce beer 10 times the quality, of their greedy and controlling peers

1 hour ago, pattjock said:

Thailand have craft beer but they are banned from brewing them in Thailand.The big breweries have forced the government to implement a law that makes it illegal to brew beer in Thailand unless you brew a very large amount of beer, this makes it impossible for the Thai craft beer companies to make beer in Thailand.

 

All Thai craft beer is brewed outside Thailand in Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia and other places at great cost and import duties. This is why you can not find any craft beer here under around 120 Baht per bottle. If they were allowed to brew in Thailand you would possibly be able to find a fine IPA for around 50 Baht.

Great post.  If they relaxed the rules, it would really invigorate things.  Many Thais are quite passionate about brewing their beer.  And they do a great job.  But as you say, since it's made in another country, it's taxed heavily.

 

Time to get rid of the draconian rule that only favors the rich.  We're in beer purgatory here.

We know who this country is run for, and it's not the little guy.

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Even in 7-11. I think it's called "Kraft" beer there or am I confusing it with cheese?

Or "graft" beer?

1 hour ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

, why is 7-11 still allowed to sell?

 

It is not illegal to drink alcohol or beer. It is only temporarily illegal to drink in groups. It is about disease control not prohibition.

2 hours ago, pattjock said:

Thailand have craft beer but they are banned from brewing them in Thailand.The big breweries have forced the government to implement a law that makes it illegal to brew beer in Thailand unless you brew a very large amount of beer, this makes it impossible for the Thai craft beer companies to make beer in Thailand.

 

All Thai craft beer is brewed outside Thailand in Vietnam, Cambodia, Australia and other places at great cost and import duties. This is why you can not find any craft beer here under around 120 Baht per bottle. If they were allowed to brew in Thailand you would possibly be able to find a fine IPA for around 50 Baht.

Actually, there are many craft beers brewed in Thailand and you can often witness the brewing process in many local breweries. I will not state any specific example to protect the brewers’ privacy but they are represented by the Craft Beer Association (although I guess I can name the Tawangdand breweries as an example as they are big and have multiple locations... but there are many many other places...).  

37 minutes ago, VocalNeal said:

 

It is not illegal to drink alcohol or beer. It is only temporarily illegal to drink in groups. It is about disease control not prohibition.

????

1 hour ago, fishtank said:

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

One of the new wonders of the world is that Siam Weizen and one of the Cheers brands brewed by Thai Asia Pacific Brewery, is a half-decent wheat beer, albeit only at 4%. Tapper isn't bad either. Relatively speaking of course, but still better than Singha and Chang. Tiny, tiny steps.....

All brewed by the big breweries.

Same as Copper and Chang Coffee beer.

 

That's what I mean by tiny steps. The big boys are making an effort to provide a bigger choice. The problem remains though that in the real world there are dozens if not hundreds of choices available.

I'll draw a line at coffee beer. I'd have to be force-fed that ????

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

They said the alcohol industry was being made a scapegoat of and questioned why 7-Eleven, which is owned by Thailand’s largest conglomerate, Charoen Pokphand, was able to open 24 hours per day and serve alcohol, when bars and pubs can not.

People buy alcohol on a take-out basis from 7-11, the don't pop-open a few, sit around in groups drinking it before leaving !!

There are some big stinks which own CP and they pay baksheesh.

2 hours ago, Jeff Proulx said:

Actually, there are many craft beers brewed in Thailand and you can often witness the brewing process in many local breweries. I will not state any specific example to protect the brewers’ privacy but they are represented by the Craft Beer Association (although I guess I can name the Tawangdand breweries as an example as they are big and have multiple locations... but there are many many other places...).  

You are absolutely correct. These breweries are allowed to brew a certain amount of beer at a certain alcohol level. The problem is that they can only sell this beer for consumption on the premises, Hopf in Pattaya comes into mind. The problem is that they are not allowed to sell their beer retail.

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I was only talking about opening up of BARS. I didn't comment on opening hours of restaurants, so please don't bother baiting me in such a ridiculous way.

I think anyone with basic common sense understands why you can't open up bars in a pandemic. To anyone that doesn't understand that, you have my sympathies and I will refer you to google. 

"I will refer you to google." And therein lies the problem.