Don't blame beer and alcohol for Covid, says Thailand’s craft beer producers

[webfact]

Don't blame beer and alcohol for Covid, says Thailand’s craft beer producers

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Thailand's craft beer producers are furious that they are losing money while they are unable to sell their product freely.

 

And they want to be able to resume online sales that were banned recently.

 

They say alcohol is being made a scapegoat for the spread of Covid and ills in society for no good reason. 

 

Members of the association of craft been manufacturers presented a letter outlining their demands at the Ministry of Public Health yesterday.

 

In a show of annoyance they tipped beer into a wheelie bin. A collection of beer bottle spelled PHE- the Thai word for goat. Placards drew attention to bars being forced to close early and 7-11 being open 24 hours.

 

"Phe....bottles suggest beer is the scapegoat"

Picture: Daily News

 

Chief of the association Achirawat Wannasrisawat said that craft beer was a product with a high capital investment that could not be kept for long. Like pasteurized milk it would go off quickly. 

 

Much of his members' product has had to be jettisoned because orders are non-existent for restaurants and bars in Bangkok and the surrounding areas who have not been able to sell. Losses are at 90%.

 

"We have been treated as scapegoats," he told reporters. "It's always alcohol to blame for everything. No one gets Covid from drinking beer".

 

He called for the chance to sell beer freely in bars and restaurants saying that it was better to have it out in the open where it could be regulated than drive it underground. 

 

"It is people gathering that cause Covid, not beer" he suggested. 

 

In some places and at some times food can be served but not alcohol, this is seen by producers as ridiculous.

 

Among their demands is also an end to the ban on online sales. They plan to go to the customs and excise department next to get their tax back. 

 

Meanwhile the authorities received their complaint with MOPH ministerial aide Dr Rungreuang Kitphati saying that public health was the number one priority. 

 

The matter of online sales was a matter for different laws, it was suggested. 

 

The protest mainly centered on grievances based on the currents situation in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces where restrictions lifted in other places remain in place. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

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[Thaiwrath]

48 minutes ago, webfact said:

"We have been treated as scapegoats,"

It deflects the blame from the corrupt border patrols, the real reason for the outbreaks !

[dinsdale]

I was at Don Mueang airport recently. Could not buy a beer once through customs/immigration. Could buy at 711 before. Insane. 

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Don't blame beer and alcohol for Covid

Oh! I thought it was quite clearly the Chinese who are to blame!

[ezzra]

Now, when the'll start blaming cigarettes for the Covid this country will be on if way be a much healthier place to live in...

[DLock]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

No one gets Covid from drinking beer

 

No one dies on the roads, gets beaten up, gets pregnant, wakes up with a ladyboy or falls asleep behind a dumpster from drinking beer either...

 

...but it sure contributes.

[Snig27]

41 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

I was at Don Mueang airport recently. Could not buy a beer once through customs/immigration. Could buy at 711 before. Insane. 

 

Let’s face it, if CP owned the craft beer companies you’d be able to buy beer everywhere right now and online sales would be legal. 

[Snig27]

2 minutes ago, DLock said:

No one dies on the roads, gets beaten up, gets pregnant, wakes up with a ladyboy or falls asleep behind a dumpster from drinking beer either...

 

Maybe you need to see someone for help?

[overherebc]

The only comment I would make is that people will tend to be less likely to stick to social distances etc after 'a few'. Of course it doesn't matter who makes the beer or how it's sold.

[animalmagic]

4 hours ago, DLock said:

 

No one dies on the roads, gets beaten up, gets pregnant, wakes up with a ladyboy or falls asleep behind a dumpster from drinking beer either...

 

...but it sure contributes.

Aah yes, that was a great night! ????

[CLW]

Not only craft beer has disadvantages compared to CP's power with owning 7-11s.

As last week the restaurants had to close at 9pm but you can buy ready meals at 7-11 all night....

[Micbozy]

Beer is the only thing keeping me sane during this epidemic pandemic

[DLock]

2 hours ago, animalmagic said:

Aah yes, that was a great night! ????

 

I'm glad you remember it. 

 

Kevin, Davo and Darrell are still not home...

 

I've checked the dumpster again.

[natway09]

I take some of his points but some are a bit misconscrued.

I believe bars & pube should be able to open in Bangkok now as long as they follow the guidelines.

Midnight closing is fine. Nightclube & go go bars must also follow same rules. NO EXCEPTIONS.

I think it better for the Health Dept & Mr Plod  to know where everybody is & be able to trace if need be rather than the backhanders to allow them to operate

At present there are so many busy "backdoor bars" serving alcohol, many unlicensed with no 

interest in social distancing, tracability nor closing times that makes a mockery of the system of licencing pubs anyway.

The craft beer boys though have to realize that we are all hurting,

As to online selling of alcohol, I will leave for others to comment.

Banning Lao Khao would go a long way to slowing the obvious transmission of Covid amongst mainly Thais as those that I see drinking it do not know when to stop.

Have not had any  Farang drunk in our bar for 4 years, just relaxing with a few beers or spirits

& all live within a 4 KM radius & are long term locals or been through quarantinw

[eastendanto]

7 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Oh! I thought it was quite clearly the Chinese who are to blame!

Chinese Beer 

[PatOngo]

1 minute ago, eastendanto said:

Chinese Beer 

No, I think it was soup, bat soup!

[Pilotman]

Thailand 'craft beer'; really?

 

Is that some kind of a sick joke comment?   What 'craft beer'  would that be then, in terms of the definition as understood by we mature, knowledgeable  and experienced  beer drinkers from  the UK?  US citizens need not comment. 

[metisdead]

A troll post has been removed. 

[Jennyau]

7 hours ago, dinsdale said:

I was at Don Mueang airport recently. Could not buy a beer once through customs/immigration. Could buy at 711 before. Insane. 

There is a little kiosk near Gate 51 that was selling beer last week. Also Miracle lounge had alcohol too but of course had to pay to enter unless had the right card access.

[Isaanben]

16 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Thailand 'craft beer'; really?

 

Is that some kind of a sick joke comment?   What 'craft beer'  would that be then, in terms of the definition as understood by we mature, knowledgeable  and experienced  beer drinkers from  the UK?  US citizens need not comment. 

Well Outlaw Brewing in Loei as one example...

[Pilotman]

4 minutes ago, Isaanben said:

Well Outlaw Brewing in Loei as one example...

I will try to find it, in the multiplicity of  fxxxing dreadful Thai beer. 

[Thaiophil]

I haven’t seen a shred of evidence from anywhere that alcohol bans reduce Covid

 

Right now I can be in close consort with a (boran) masseuse for an hour or a tattoo artist for half a day, but am not allowed a beer even at an outdoor table. How does that make sense?

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

He called for the chance to sell beer freely in bars and restaurants saying that it was better to have it out in the open where it could be regulated than drive it underground

So one has to ask why is craft beer not freely available in all shops, online should be available too?

Bars were not allowed to open because of person to person contact which is understandable.

[charliebadenhop]

I was under the impression that the Thai craft beer industry was more or less non-existent because of laws in place that protect the big makers. Is that not so?

 

 

[Benmart]

8 hours ago, DLock said:

 

No one dies on the roads, gets beaten up, gets pregnant, wakes up with a ladyboy or falls asleep behind a dumpster from drinking beer either...

 

...but it sure contributes.

From craft beer?

[Benmart]

7 hours ago, Snig27 said:

 

Maybe you need to see someone for help?

It appears you may have misunderstood his post?

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

while they are unable to sell their product freely

 Something to do with Thai protectionism by both Singha Coporation and Thai-Bev, also an active Thai Temperance Society????

[Slain]

Shouting over loud music or even the general noise level of a drinking establishment will enable small particles from your mouth to spread far more than is normal. Also it is a known drug to make people more touchy feely and want to be closer to others like many other drugs do.

Early on UK, the government shut the pubs at 21.00.  So folks went home to continue drinking with thier friends after this. So very probable it made little difference to the spread of covid. They had to have proper lockdown before the virus rate slowed down enough.

 

So yes its not the drug so much, as the social effects.

Edited February 2, 2021 by Slain
addition

[mikeymike100]

8 hours ago, Snig27 said:

 

Maybe you need to see someone for help?

Yes and rather urgently!!

[ChrisKC]

8 hours ago, DLock said:

 

No one dies on the roads, gets beaten up, gets pregnant, wakes up with a ladyboy or falls asleep behind a dumpster from drinking beer either...

 

...but it sure contributes.

Which of those consequences reflect your own experience(s)?