Why are wines made in Thailand so expensive?

I would expect that they are cheaper than imported wines.

Some of the local wines are decent. Had a couple of weekends in recent times visiting the Khao Yai vineyards and drinking their wines which were very good, and if they were a lot cheaper and readily available I'd buy them often. 

So why exactly are local wines so expensive? 

It is a simple matter of taxation, Both imported and locally produced whines are subject to the same extremely high excise duty.

1 hour ago, damascase said:

It is a simple matter of taxation, Both imported and locally produced whines are subject to the same extremely high excise duty.

If whines were taxed most members of this forum would be broke. JK...

Yeah, tax is a killer here at 400% excise tax for locally produced wine- but the other part is it's a pretty new commodity. Thailand only started producing wine in the 90's and started producing drinkable (to our standards) wine in the early 2000's

4 hours ago, damascase said:

It is a simple matter of taxation, Both imported and locally produced whines are subject to the same extremely high excise duty.

I now see my typing error - why do I always spot them immediately in other people’s text and not in my own, I wonder????????

Just now, damascase said:

I now see my typing error - why do I always spot them immediately in other people’s text and not in my own, I wonder????????

Great set up though!

30 minutes ago, damascase said:

I now see my typing error - why do I always spot them immediately in other people’s text and not in my own, I wonder????????

maybe you had too much whine already

4 hours ago, damascase said:

I now see my typing error - why do I always spot them immediately in other people’s text and not in my own, I wonder????????

You need a fresh eye to proofread. You can't proofread your own work!????

Please send me a sample of this ok wine from Thailand quickly and I will send you my vomit 

13 minutes ago, arick said:

Please send me a sample of this ok wine from Thailand quickly and I will send you my vomit 

Not all Thai wines are decent for sure.

I've tried the white wines at HH, Pattaya and Khao Yai. Wasn't impressed by the wines from Silverlake. PBs wines were decent, but we REALLY enjoyed this one from Gran Monte

 

 

Why does the Government want to kill the Thai wine industry. I can understand them stopping imports with high taxes. Is it the beer lobby that doesn't want any competition.

On 3/20/2021 at 3:09 PM, damascase said:

It is a simple matter of taxation, Both imported and locally produced whines are subject to the same extremely high excise duty.

But, if so, which in understandable, why are Thai wines more expensive than some imported ones? Other than that, don't you think that in order to encourage consumption of local wine, as opposed to imported one, which would assist local industries, not only the actual wineries, the tax on local wine should be considerably reduced?

The Government considers wine as a "luxury item " it is taxed heavily imported or local.

 

 

Rich man's drink, mostly falangs ⇒ tax tax tax.

20 hours ago, damascase said:

I now see my typing error - why do I always spot them immediately in other people’s text and not in my own, I wonder????????

Hard to say. I had to reread yours and 2530Ubon's post 3 times before I saw your first error. Maybe send your comments to 2530 for proofing first, he's got a good eye. ????

A complement!!! WOW

43 minutes ago, abrahamzvi said:

But, if so, which in understandable, why are Thai wines more expensive than some imported ones? Other than that, don't you think that in order to encourage consumption of local wine, as opposed to imported one, which would assist local industries, not only the actual wineries, the tax on local wine should be considerably reduced?

Probably because say Australian wines are produced more efficiently and are better than Thai wines ,local couldn’t compete. Trade agreements with Australia probably prevent them having import duties imposed so they dampen demand with excise duty on 'wine' . Without it much more wine would be drunk ...and it wouldn’t be Thai wine!

because they know if you have real money you'll pay?

21 hours ago, damascase said:

I now see my typing error - why do I always spot them immediately in other people’s text and not in my own, I wonder????????

I thought you were 'whining' about TV members!!! 5555????????????????

They need an educated finance minister, who understands basic economics. All wine tax is too high here. Domestic taxes are high.

 

Import taxes are stupid. No doubt the import wine duty was about a small lobby, that paid a senator to pass anti-imported wine legislation, to promote a handful of very inferior domestic wineries. A myopic policy, that staggers the imagination. To think of the hundreds of billions of baht the country is losing every year. If the duty was only 80%, the wine industry here would explode. It would benefit tourism, but attracting a far higher level of tourist, (the rich ones they want to attract, but can't for a dozen good reasons) the hotel industry, restaurants, and the people, and ex-pats, who could choose from good wine, at fair prices. As it stands now, a decent bottle here costs in excess of 1,000 baht, and up. And at the restaurants, the prices of good wine is downright silly. I have seen house wines, that cost 1,500 baht, that are available in Los Angeles for $4. Like Gato Negro. Utter swill. Good wines that I pay $30-40 for in LA, cost 6,000 baht here, if you can find them. And who is going to pay that kind of money for a wine that is 80% less overseas? It is a bit like an ignorant hi-so guy paying 15,000,000 baht for a Porsche 911 here, that cost $120,000 in the US.

I have not found any wine made in thailand that is drinkable.

49 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It is a bit like an ignorant hi-so guy paying 15,000,000 baht for a Porsche 911 here, that cost $120,000 in the US.

Or an ignorant Californian paying 10 bucks for coconut water... same same, but different .

54 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

They need an educated finance minister, who understands basic economics.

Are you implying that the current finance minister's masters in economics from a U.S. university as being undereducated?

2 hours ago, abrahamzvi said:

why are Thai wines more expensive than some imported ones?

 

I guess that really was my question (not why they are so expensive but why are so more expensive than imported wines). The government should be backing the local wine producers, local coffee and tea producers, etc, to allow them to not only compete with imports but be more appealing costwise.

13 minutes ago, mikebike said:

Are you implying that the current finance minister's masters in economics from a U.S. university as being undereducated?

 

Well, there is an education that pays off, and then there is one that goes entirely to waste. Anutin, Pipat, Prayuth, and Tantivorawong are in so far over their heads. None of them would be up for the task of what they are responsible for doing under normal circumstances. With the kind of emergency they are facing, they are so far beyond their capabilities. It is apparent everywhere we look.  

 

It would be in the best interests of the nation for the entire administration to admit they have failed miserable, and resign in disgrace. 

2 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Rich man's drink, mostly falangs ⇒ tax tax tax.

Years back they used to say Thais wouldn't eat pizza, wouldn't drink milk, but they do. 

 

Years back you couldn't find a place to buy coffee beans or a coffee and look how that exploded. 

 

Wine in many countries isn't expensive or a rich man's drink. Subsidise the local wine growing industry and loads more Thais would be drinking it.

I just see that the Thai wine producers are playing on that the imported wines have so much import taxes  ใ

5 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Not all Thai wines are decent for sure.

I've tried the white wines at HH, Pattaya and Khao Yai. Wasn't impressed by the wines from Silverlake. PBs wines were decent, but we REALLY enjoyed this one from Gran Monte

 

 

do you still have battery left?

The Joys of living near the Lao Border ---(when Covid isn't around) All Californian/French/Oz Wines at a decent price. Cost a Thai next to nothing to walk across. While she & friends run around the shop with the mobile. I sit on the other side looking at it all & trying to decide.

1 hour ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Years back they used to say Thais wouldn't eat pizza, wouldn't drink milk, but they do. 

 

Years back you couldn't find a place to buy coffee beans or a coffee and look how that exploded. 

 

Wine in many countries isn't expensive or a rich man's drink. Subsidise the local wine growing industry and loads more Thais would be drinking it.

 

Millions of Thais would be drinking wine, if it was decent, and well priced. As it currently stands, Thai wine is absolutely awful, and expensive. Not an attractive combination to anyone. And with import wines priced so ridiculously, few drink them. It is a lose, lose scenario for everyone, that only a spectacularly incompetent, corrupt, and hugely non-visionary government could impose, and it is equally dumb and regressive, for each subsequent administration to retain. 

The only wine i drink in Thailand comes out of a demijohn - and a suitable period of fermentation......

Look at the names behind Thai vineyards.  When it's Singha, Chang, CP or the like, Thai wines will become affordable.  Until they get their hooks into the wine market, the taxes will be horrendous.  They'd rather have you drinking their beers.