Amid pandemic, alcohol sellers in Thailand grapple with longer-term restrictions

[webfact]

Shelves holding alcoholic beverages sealed off with plastic in a Bangkok grocery store in May 2020.PHOTO: EPA-EFE

 

OPINION

 

Tan Hui Yee

Indochina Bureau Chief

 

BANGKOK - A small crowd forms in the Bangkok hypermarket as a staff member hauls out boxes of beer. The customers - all wearing masks - are so restless that another employee has to hold them back while the pallet truck is being wheeled down the aisle.

 

All restraint disappears as soon as the boxes are put in place. Eager men and equally determined women lunge at the boxes, tearing off their shrink wrap. They jostle to the front of the scrum and lug away the closest available box. In less than a minute, all the beer is gone.

 

This scene, captured in a video that was circulated widely online, unfolded in May last year after the lifting of a weeks-long ban on the sale of alcohol that was imposed to contain Thailand's first coronavirus outbreak.

 

Bemused Thais joked about their countrymen's love for booze. "Our country doesn't race for toilet paper, but whiskey and beer," Twitter user @justmemoir posted.

 

These days, amid creeping and more lasting restrictions on alcohol, the mood is somewhat heavier. Drinkers and alcohol enterprises allege that prohibitionists are using the pandemic to push their agenda, and fear that ongoing changes to laws will kill small alcohol enterprises altogether.

 

Full story: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/amid-pandemic-alcohol-sellers-in-thailand-grapple-with-longer-term-restrictions

 

-- © The Straits Times 2021-07-21

 

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[RichardColeman]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

Bemused Thais joked about their countrymen's love for booze. "Our country doesn't race for toilet paper, but whiskey and beer,"

Yeah, but you can clean yourself with a bum gun , you can't get drunk with it.

[ezzra]

This country can use a short hiatus from all sorts s of dying manners owing to over consumption of beer and alcohol i would say...

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

fear that ongoing changes to laws will kill small alcohol enterprises altogether.

 

Here we have the real reason. The Junta removing the competition so the Billionaire families can further tighten their grip on the industry.

 

Bringing happiness to the people. 

[mrfill]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Here we have the real reason. The Junta removing the competition so the Billionaire families can further tighten their grip on the industry.

 

Bringing happiness to the people. 

Is it competition though? These 'small alcohol enterprises' sell the very stuff made by the corps owned by the billionaires. Why would they want most of their outlets closed down? You can't buy booze from a closed down shop.

[JayClay]

52 minutes ago, mrfill said:

Is it competition though? These 'small alcohol enterprises' sell the very stuff made by the corps owned by the billionaires. Why would they want most of their outlets closed down? You can't buy booze from a closed down shop.

I think they're referring to small enterprises that sell craft and other import beers. I'm not sure I believe the conspiracy myself, though. The extreme tax on such drinks means the market must be so small as to barely make a dent in the big boy's balance sheets.

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

Is it competition though? These 'small alcohol enterprises' sell the very stuff made by the corps owned by the billionaires. Why would they want most of their outlets closed down? You can't buy booze from a closed down shop.

They may not be competing with the booze manufacturers, but they are competing with the likes of 7/11, Lotus, Big C. Who are owned by...

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, mrfill said:

Is it competition though? These 'small alcohol enterprises' sell the very stuff made by the corps owned by the billionaires. Why would they want most of their outlets closed down? You can't buy booze from a closed down shop.

I'm not talking about mom and pop shops (although they compete with 711 who are owned by CP) I am talking about the micro breweries. It's not a lot of competition now, in part thanks to the legislation to make it so difficult to compete.

 

However, you don't wait for your competition to become a major player before you take them out. The same as in the private sector, large companies sometimes buy small companies just to terminate them. It's often referred to as a 'killer acquisition'. In Thailand of course, you don't need to do that if you are chummy with the Junta.

[ArcticFox]

The government has relentlessly showered the public with the propaganda that 'Alcohol spreads Covid'. 
That's one of the many truism that have appeared in the last 18 months as the Ministry of Morality uses Covid to outlaws every vestige of fun that Thais enjoy. 
Dystopias love crushed, dispirited people.  The boot will be stomping on the face of humanity for a long time unless the public finally says, "That's freaking enough."

Thais love peace,

but aren't afraid to fight.

That one line out of Chart Thai that I know is true.  These people can be repressed for a long long long time. 
Then when the lid blows off........

[gk10012001]

Ridiculous.  Absolutely ridiculous.  One can only guess what the real motivation for this ban is.  Prohibition lesson from the USA is lost to history .

[robblok]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I'm not talking about mom and pop shops (although they compete with 711 who are owned by CP) I am talking about the micro breweries. It's not a lot of competition now, in part thanks to the legislation to make it so difficult to compete.

 

However, you don't wait for your competition to become a major player before you take them out. The same as in the private sector, large companies sometimes buy small companies just to terminate them. It's often referred to as a 'killer acquisition'. In Thailand of course, you don't need to do that if you are chummy with the Junta.

Obviously they are not that chummy with the junta as they are suffering too. So no conspiracy at all. To see a small micro brewery as a competition of the big boys is to see a mosquito as an danger to a elephant. Just not true. 

 

People who like craft beers will not switch to the bad beers available. There will always be a market for it. The stupid online not buying rule should be scrapped otherwise it will be hard for craft beers to ever make it in Thailand. 

Edited July 21, 2021 by robblok

[JonnyF]

5 minutes ago, robblok said:

Obviously they are not that chummy with the junta as they are suffering too. So no conspiracy at all. To see a small micro brewery as a competition of the big boys is to see a mosquito as an danger to a elephant. Just not true. 

 

People who like craft beers will not switch to the bad beers available. There will always be a market for it. The stupid online not buying rule should be scrapped otherwise it will be hard for craft beers to ever make it in Thailand. 

Like most things, you obviously don't understand the way large companies remove the competition. The pharmaceuticals do it all the time. Using you're lame analogy, it's much easier to remove them when they are a mosquito, so why let them grow bigger? Presumably you'd advise them to let the competition get really well established before trying to remove them, which is why nobody asks you for advice on competition and corporate governance.

 

Since your heroes in the Junta stole power (with your very vocal approval) in 2014 the wealth gap in Thailand has widened. It was already huge, but they've managed to increase it even further. Laws against SME's competing with huge companies owned by Thailand's richest families is one example of how they've done it. I'm not surprised you don't see it though. Just write it off as a conspiracy, pure coincidence. Ignorance is bliss and it's all a bit complicated really. Maybe best to stick to your private gymbunny parties in the middle of a lockdown caused by an airborne pandemic ????. 

 

https://www.aseantoday.com/2019/01/thailands-wealth-inequality-is-the-highest-in-the-world-what-does-this-mean-for-upcoming-elections/

 

 

[Scouse123]

39 minutes ago, ArcticFox said:

The government has relentlessly showered the public with the propaganda that 'Alcohol spreads Covid'. 
That's one of the many truism that have appeared in the last 18 months as the Ministry of Morality uses Covid to outlaws every vestige of fun that Thais enjoy. 
Dystopias love crushed, dispirited people.  The boot will be stomping on the face of humanity for a long time unless the public finally says, "That's freaking enough."

Thais love peace,

but aren't afraid to fight.

 

They aren't afraid to fight,usually when they feel the odds are stacked in their favour !

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, JayClay said:

The extreme tax on such drinks means the market must be so small as to barely make a dent in the big boy's balance sheets.

Bingo! That is exactly how they keep the small independent brewers at bay. Tax them out of the market. Thai craft beers are not allowed to be brewed in Thailand so are brewed in neighbouring countries, and when brought into Thailand by a Thai brewer it is subjected to import tax that the giants in the business do not have to pay.

 

On the plus side, in the last year or two the big brewers have diversified and the choice has expanded from Singha or Chang or Leo. Some of their products are not bad at all, up to a point, such as Tapper and Siam Weizen and even Leo 8. I tried Black Dragon this week, described as a malt beer. I don't normally like dark beers but thought I'd give it a try as the only other beer with any real taste, Beer Lao IPA which was in a limited edition, appears to have finished. I could only ever find that in one 7-11 anyway. Black Dragon, weak at 4%, wasn't as heavy as I expected and will be on the shopping list in future as a replacement for Beer Lao IPA.

We're still light years away from UK pubs though, where any pub you go into will have several beers you've never seen before. In Thailand it's always and only about five choices in almost every bar. You can have any beer you want as long as it's Singha, Chang, Leo, Heineken, Tiger or Thai produced San Miguel (way inferior to the real thing).

[Bangkok Barry]

44 minutes ago, ArcticFox said:

These people can be repressed for a long long long time. 
Then when the lid blows off........

They riot to little effect, other than to see tanks come onto the streets to 'discourage' them. What have the tens of thousands of protesters in the past year achieved? Absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. Even when the lid blew off in 2010 and large parts of Bangkok were closed off and shopping malls and other buildings burned down nothing was achieved. The army always has and always will be in charge in Thailand, 'elected' or not.

[fulhamster]

6 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Here we have the real reason. The Junta removing the competition so the Billionaire families can further tighten their grip on the industry.

 

Bringing happiness to the people. 

Absolutely correct

[robblok]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Like most things, you obviously don't understand the way large companies remove the competition. The pharmaceuticals do it all the time. Using you're lame analogy, it's much easier to remove them when they are a mosquito, so why let them grow bigger? Presumably you'd advise them to let the competition get really well established before trying to remove them, which is why nobody asks you for advice on competition and corporate governance.

 

Since your heroes in the Junta stole power (with your very vocal approval) in 2014 the wealth gap in Thailand has widened. It was already huge, but they've managed to increase it even further. Laws against SME's competing with huge companies owned by Thailand's richest families is one example of how they've done it. I'm not surprised you don't see it though. Just write it off as a conspiracy, pure coincidence. Ignorance is bliss and it's all a bit complicated really. Maybe best to stick to your private gymbunny parties in the middle of a lockdown caused by an airborne pandemic ????. 

 

https://www.aseantoday.com/2019/01/thailands-wealth-inequality-is-the-highest-in-the-world-what-does-this-mean-for-upcoming-elections/

 

 

Oh you keep bringing up the past perhaps to justify the fact you have no good arguments and a lack of drinking time. I have told you countless times i revised my support. Unlike people like you can revise an opinion when im wrong. Something you have a hard time doing. Its ok I know what kind of person you are. You did see your post about the gym were deleted. Now boy go back to to your corner and engage your brain. So frustrated you can't drink must be hell for you. Your in every alcohol topic.

 

Do you see microsoft go after small software companies (i mean sure upcoming ones but not as the really small ones). You cannot compare craft beer output with that of the Thai companies. 

 

Also its a different market, craft beer is not the same market (i know perhaps your education is lacking) but the markets just don't overlap. People who like craft beers will not switch to the <deleted> the Thai producers make. 

 

Next time argue the facts instead of dragging all kind of idiotic stuff into it then maybe you get a more civil reply too.

[herfiehandbag]

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I'm not talking about mom and pop shops (although they compete with 711 who are owned by CP) I am talking about the micro breweries. It's not a lot of competition now, in part thanks to the legislation to make it so difficult to compete.

 

However, you don't wait for your competition to become a major player before you take them out. The same as in the private sector, large companies sometimes buy small companies just to terminate them. It's often referred to as a 'killer acquisition'. In Thailand of course, you don't need to do that if you are chummy with the Junta.

Do you remember the occasion, several years ago, that a very senior police officer, who completely coincidently happened to enjoy a monthly "retainer fee" from one of the big brewing conglomerates, as an "advisor", ordered a successful craft brewery and pub closed down because he deemed that there were sometimes more people in there than the floor could bear? All ascertained from the back seat of his staff car as he was driven by! 

 

Much cheaper than acquiring the business.

 

That is how the game is played. Any competition, however minor, must be squashed - and corruption is a favourite tool.

 

Now I am not suggesting that is what is behind this pandemic, (that is a much bigger debate, on the international stage, about which I shall keep my own council)  but I am suggesting that for those in Thailand to whom the authorities are beholden ("in hock" is an old fashioned but appropriate description) the pandemic and the measures to counter it present a significant opportunity!

[robblok]

5 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Do you remember the occasion, several years ago, that a very senior police officer, who completely coincidently happened to enjoy a monthly "retainer fee" from one of the big brewing conglomerates, as an "advisor", ordered a successful craft brewery and pub closed down because he deemed that there were sometimes more people in there than the floor could bear? All ascertained from the back seat of his staff car as he was driven by! 

 

Much cheaper than acquiring the business.

 

That is how the game is played. Any competition, however minor, must be squashed - and corruption is a favourite tool.

 

Now I am not suggesting that is what is behind this pandemic, (that is a much bigger debate, on the international stage, about which I shall keep my own council)  but I am suggesting that for those in Thailand to whom the authorities are beholden ("in hock" is an old fashioned but appropriate description) the pandemic and the measures to counter it present a significant opportunity!

Of course its much easier to do what you describe but JonnF will not understand that. He is so set in his thinking that he will never admit he is wrong.

 

Just look at the losses the big boys are making, far easier to use corruption and that stupid no online sales to damage them.

 

But its much nicer to see a secret conspiracy behind everything. especially if its against the hated (als by me) government. However i still think logic rules.

[JonnyF]

22 minutes ago, robblok said:

Oh you keep bringing up the past perhaps to justify the fact you have no good arguments and a lack of drinking time. I have told you countless times i revised my support. Unlike people like you can revise an opinion when im wrong. Something you have a hard time doing. Its ok I know what kind of person you are. You did see your post about the gym were deleted. Now boy go back to to your corner and engage your brain. So frustrated you can't drink must be hell for you. Your in every alcohol topic.

 

Do you see microsoft go after small software companies (i mean sure upcoming ones but not as the really small ones). You cannot compare craft beer output with that of the Thai companies. 

 

Also its a different market, craft beer is not the same market (i know perhaps your education is lacking) but the markets just don't overlap. People who like craft beers will not switch to the <deleted> the Thai producers make. 

 

Next time argue the facts instead of dragging all kind of idiotic stuff into it then maybe you get a more civil reply too.

Yeah Microsoft never buy small companies ????

 

Maybe checkout the list in the link below, you might learn something for once. It takes quite a bit of scrolling though to get to the bottom of the list though. So hopefully you're not too tired from your group gym sessions where you and your gymbunny mates from outside your household huddle together in a small home gym getting sweaty together. Very responsible during a pandemic...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Microsoft

 

You can also check out the history of coups and their successes and failures. Maybe then you won't support the next one? Until then, just keep on defending your mate Prayut as he ruins Thailand and makes the poor even poorer.

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by JonnyF

[robblok]

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

Yeah Microsoft never buy small companies ????

 

Maybe checkout the list in the link below, you might learn something for once. It takes quite a bit of scrolling though to get to the bottom of the list though. So hopefully you're not too tired from your group gym sessions where you and your gymbunny mates from outside your household huddle together in a small home gym getting sweaty together. Very responsible during a pandemic...

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Microsoft

 

You can also check out the history of coups and their successes and failures. Maybe then you won't support the next one? Until then, just keep on defending your mate Prayut as he ruins Thailand and makes the poor even poorer.

 

Of course microsoft aquires small companies but not as small as a craft beer producer. The size of those companies is far bigger. I have yet to see Microsoft buy something that small in comparison. 

 

Look at the size of the Thai alcohol giants and then at the size of those craft beer companies. The difference is just huge.  You don't buy up things that are so much smaller. You buy up possible competitors or companies that add to your value. Not insignificant ones. 

 

Do you actually have an education in the economy field ?

[Saltire]

2 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Bingo! That is exactly how they keep the small independent brewers at bay. Tax them out of the market. Thai craft beers are not allowed to be brewed in Thailand so are brewed in neighbouring countries, and when brought into Thailand by a Thai brewer it is subjected to import tax that the giants in the business do not have to pay.

 

 

Well I learned something today, I did not know that about craft beers, but it would explain why the only restaurant I know that i've seen a fridge full of craft beers, sells them at about 300-400 baht a small bottle. SAme with wine, I won't be extorted.

 

Also my pretty remote villlage is now selling alcohol according to 7/11 rules, unless you take your own non transparent bag for your beer.

 

[DefaultName]

Have I missed something?  I thought we could still buy beer for drinking at home?

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, DefaultName said:

Have I missed something?  I thought we could still buy beer for drinking at home?

You can.... and have missed nothing,

[The Hammer2021]

Alcohol  has a limited shelf life. Bars are giving it away or dumping it to save on refrigerator costs.

[johng]

4 minutes ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Bars are giving it away

Where ?   I'll go get some free beer right away

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, robblok said:

Look at the size of the Thai alcohol giants and then at the size of those craft beer companies. The difference is just huge.  You don't buy up things that are so much smaller. You buy up possible competitors or companies that add to your value. Not insignificant ones. 

 

Why would they need to buy them up? ???? That's what happens in advanced Democracies in the West that actually have proper laws and legal systems and regulatory bodies.

 

In corrupt countries run by tin pot Juntas there's no need to spend money buying these small companies. You just get your mates that stole power in 2014 to tax and legislate them out of business as I stated in my first post of the thread. 

 

 

[ChipButty]

1 hour ago, The Hammer2021 said:

Alcohol  has a limited shelf life. Bars are giving it away or dumping it to save on refrigerator costs.

I fell for that a few weeks ago, I forgot to go to makro in the given time so I bought a couple of bottles from the shop in the soi, sheeeeet I suffered the following day