Taopiphop Limjittrakorn: The home brewer turned MP shaking up Thailand’s liquor industry

[webfact]

 

A young man’s passion for craft beer has taken him to heights most Thais can only dream of – a seat in Parliament where he is now fighting to break the virtual monopoly in Thailand’s alcohol market.

 

“I am making good on my election promise,” said Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, who was arrested for brewing craft beer without a license in early 2017, before being elected under the Future Forward Party’s banner two years later.

 

In the run-up to the general election, he bicycled door to door through Bangkok’s Constituency 22 to inform voters about his plan to change laws that favor giant brewers and make craft beer easily available.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/taopiphop-limjittrakorn-the-home-brewer-turned-mp-shaking-up-thailands-liquor-industry/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-02-26

 

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[Will B Good]

Well now there is a law against torture and enforced disappearances he stands a chance of making something of it.

[mahtin]

More power to his drinking elbow.

He would have my vote, did I but have one here.

[JoePai]

I'll vote for him !

 

Power to the Home Brewers

[ezzra]

I have already cracked a stubby open in his honour...

[Misterwhisper]

He is fighting an impossible battle. Thai Bev and Boonrawd are not going to simply give in. They have more than enough 1,000-baht bills up their sleeves to ensure that the market continues to be theirs - and theirs only.

[hughrection]

36 minutes ago, ezzra said:

I have already cracked a stubby open in his honour...

Assuming you are here in Thailand - you are drinking beer at 10 in the morning.

 

You Sir, have a ploblem!

 

Only one mouth and 2 hands. ???? Enjoy. ????

[mahtin]

17 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

He is fighting an impossible battle. Thai Bev and Boonrawd are not going to simply give in. They have more than enough 1,000-baht bills up their sleeves to ensure that the market continues to be theirs - and theirs only.

Just look at what CAMRA achieved in the UK.

Impossible is not French, as the French say.

 

Footnote: CAMRA is/was  the Campaign for Real Ale.

https://camra.org.uk

Edited February 26, 2022 by mahtin
add url

[mtls2005]

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

I have already cracked a stubby open in his honour...

Growler might be be apropos?

 

 

The biggest challenge to home-brewing here, besides the legality thing, and the supplies, is the ambient temperature.

 

Yes you can run AC, or rig a fridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

In the run-up to the general election, he bicycled door to door through Bangkok’s Constituency 22 to inform voters about his plan to change laws that favor giant brewers and make craft beer easily available.

He's got my full approval.

[spidermike007]

Thaopipob Linjittkorn, or Thao as he is more popularly known, a lawyer and homebrewer, was very publicly arrested in 2017 for making beer. He used that publicity to win an election to Parliament in 2019, along with 80 other members of the Future Forward Party. This progressive, pro-democracy party included in its platform a detailed plan to deregulate the beer industry, as well as a proposal for the legalization of marijuana, citing both as ways of putting money into the pockets of small businesses and local farmers. 
 
The opposition that Future Forward was up against is a military-backed, hardline government that supports the duopoly with strict regulations that allow it to control over 99% of Thailand’s estimated 180 billion baht ($5.8 billion) beer industry. The duopoly was originally made untouchable with the first Thai Liquor Control Act in 1950, a law which has been amended several times since to push legality even further out of reach of any small brewer. Prayuth's administration has done much to reinforce the isolationist and nationalistic policies that Phibul established in the 1940s and ’50s, and has called again and again for citizens to display a certain level of “Thainess,” which the PM defines in part as unquestioning loyalty to the government. Do not be disobedient! 
 
For small breweries, it requires production of at least 100,000 liters (852 barrels) but no greater than 1,000,000 liters (8,520 BBLs), and stipulates that all beer must be sold on the premises. At the same time, the minimum amount for an industrial license was increased from one million liters to 10 million liters (85,200 BBLs) per year, as well as requiring that the brewer demonstrate available capital of at least 10 million baht ($320,000).
Just to make sure small brewers were thoroughly intimidated, the rewrite also increased inflated penalties. Fines were increased from their original, almost quaint 200 baht ($6) for possession of bootleg alcohol to 10,000 ($300). For actually brewing without a license, fines were increased from 5,000 baht ($150) to a range of 50,000–100,000 baht ($1,600–$3,200), plus jail time. Reporting in 2017, The Bangkok Post estimated that in order to meet the new regulations, a brewer would need to have a billion baht—around $30 million—in start-up capital. 

 

Will he be able to erase the toxic, corrupt, and harmful monopolies two beer companies, who produce very low quality beer, have on this nation, Prayuth, and it's politicians? Go, Thao go! Wrestling with dinosaurs is good for everyone. 

Edited February 26, 2022 by spidermike007

[davidst01]

whats the name of this guys craft beer? and where can one buy it?

[marcho]

 

He is my sort of guy, good luck. ????

[maddermax]

Good luck to him. We need a lot more variety in the wines that are available, amongst other things.

PS. I'm getting p****ed off seeing Nick Faldo continuously!

[MrJ2U]

It would be great to see choice and lower prices for the masses.

 

I'm not a drinker but monopolies are no good and drag down the economy as a whole.

 

 

[mran66]

Actually very interesting to see how this will go at the end, knowing that the current license holders esp ThaiBev is major sponsor of the Junta, and also guess supports all coalition parties' MPs in appropriate manner... I recall some of recent house sessions to handle the proposed law went nowhere due to lack of quorum - likely thick envelopes to MPs to stay home from ThaiBev. Odds are badly against him.

 

His fight not much different from Zelensky's fight in Kiev...except no support from other countries

Edited February 26, 2022 by mran66

[James Falang Lao]

Vote this fella in !!!

I don’t understand the attitude in Thailand to craft beer.

In other countries the big breweries allow small breweries to prosper, then just buy them out.

Simple!

Win win for big breweries, craft beer breweries  and craft beer drinkers.

The govt is still going to make the money in taxing the beer.

Might attract more tourists as well, who are interested in enjoying the taste of handcrafted locally sourced ales etc, and supporting local industry.

There is Thai craft beer but is brewed in Australia and Korea !!??

If I could brew my own Beer legally or go to a locally owned craft brewery in Thailand I would be moving back there for sure.
Love Thailand, love the food, hate the beer ( and wine)

Soke  dee der

[kingstonkid]

Why couldn't the home brewers join forces. Establish a company that produces beer the law says that you have to sell x amount of beer it does not say anything ythe brands.

In Canada Molson's brews a <deleted> load of beer under too many labels to mention.

[thailand49]

If I could vote he would have to have a much larger platform than brewing beer for the little guy with all the problems here. ????

[zzaa09]

Free, open and competitive markets needn't be overlorded by suppressive politics.

 

[SiSePuede419]

+1 For getting terminology correct: craft beer

 

Of course, the USA is the world leader in craft breweries.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breweries_in_the_United_States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Elkski]

The passage of this law or not will determine the future viability of living in Thailand or it's doom.   Is coruprion so great it can prevent the competition of this monopoly that every Thai person is aware of and effects so many.   Considering how cheap labor is Thai beer should be lower cost than the USA.  I can buy decent hoppy IPA cans for under 33 baht.  And it blows any local made Thai beer out of the ranks.   

I see the cost of cooling the fermentation tanks and no local barley or hops as a partial cost driver.  No telling how much rice and other non beer chemicals are in Thai beer.   To me chang is deadly swill. 

[scorecard]

5 hours ago, SiSePuede419 said:

+1 For getting terminology correct: craft beer

 

Of course, the USA is the world leader in craft breweries.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_breweries_in_the_United_States

 

 

Your link only mentions the industry in the USA.

 

It doesn't mention/show coparisons/data re other counries, and in fact craft beer is very big in many other countries. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[superal]

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Thaopipob Linjittkorn, or Thao as he is more popularly known, a lawyer and homebrewer, was very publicly arrested in 2017 for making beer. He used that publicity to win an election to Parliament in 2019, along with 80 other members of the Future Forward Party. This progressive, pro-democracy party included in its platform a detailed plan to deregulate the beer industry, as well as a proposal for the legalization of marijuana, citing both as ways of putting money into the pockets of small businesses and local farmers. 
 
The opposition that Future Forward was up against is a military-backed, hardline government that supports the duopoly with strict regulations that allow it to control over 99% of Thailand’s estimated 180 billion baht ($5.8 billion) beer industry. The duopoly was originally made untouchable with the first Thai Liquor Control Act in 1950, a law which has been amended several times since to push legality even further out of reach of any small brewer. Prayuth's administration has done much to reinforce the isolationist and nationalistic policies that Phibul established in the 1940s and ’50s, and has called again and again for citizens to display a certain level of “Thainess,” which the PM defines in part as unquestioning loyalty to the government. Do not be disobedient! 
 
For small breweries, it requires production of at least 100,000 liters (852 barrels) but no greater than 1,000,000 liters (8,520 BBLs), and stipulates that all beer must be sold on the premises. At the same time, the minimum amount for an industrial license was increased from one million liters to 10 million liters (85,200 BBLs) per year, as well as requiring that the brewer demonstrate available capital of at least 10 million baht ($320,000).
Just to make sure small brewers were thoroughly intimidated, the rewrite also increased inflated penalties. Fines were increased from their original, almost quaint 200 baht ($6) for possession of bootleg alcohol to 10,000 ($300). For actually brewing without a license, fines were increased from 5,000 baht ($150) to a range of 50,000–100,000 baht ($1,600–$3,200), plus jail time. Reporting in 2017, The Bangkok Post estimated that in order to meet the new regulations, a brewer would need to have a billion baht—around $30 million—in start-up capital. 

 

Will he be able to erase the toxic, corrupt, and harmful monopolies two beer companies, who produce very low quality beer, have on this nation, Prayuth, and it's politicians? Go, Thao go! Wrestling with dinosaurs is good for everyone. 

Just wondering how the Pullman hotel in Khon Kaen managed to comply with the amount of beer produced cos it was nowhere near your figures  but their German beer was the best beer I have tasted in Thailand . Not sure but I think I read somewhere that the Pullman is closed now ?

Who ever made the brewing laws must have been influenced by the big breweries because what difference does it make on how much you produce ? More important would be the compliance with hygiene control / QA/ QC within the production of beer  and plant maintenance . 

 

[StevieAus]

19 hours ago, maddermax said:

Good luck to him. We need a lot more variety in the wines that are available, amongst other things.

PS. I'm getting p****ed off seeing Nick Faldo continuously!

I don’t see any shortage of varieties of imported wine in Chiang Mai, the only issue is that due to the tax regime it is at least double the price that you would pay in other countries.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, superal said:

Just wondering how the Pullman hotel in Khon Kaen managed to comply with the amount of beer produced cos it was nowhere near your figures  but their German beer was the best beer I have tasted in Thailand . Not sure but I think I read somewhere that the Pullman is closed now ?

Who ever made the brewing laws must have been influenced by the big breweries because what difference does it make on how much you produce ? More important would be the compliance with hygiene control / QA/ QC within the production of beer  and plant maintenance . 

 

Yes, it is about unbridled corruption on the part of the senate, who can be bought and paid for easily. It is a protectionist racket. Pure low level mafia stuff. Let us hope this guy will have some success in outing the thieves, and establishing some semblance of civility here. A nation without great beer is of questionable value. LOL. 

[AlbionBob]

Where I have my condo in Pratumnack Pattaya on the Thappraya Road, a former restaurant that has been vacant for about 5 years is being fitted out, a large sign reading Seeland Breweries has just been erected, with another sign hanging outside that states that they are recruiting staff.  Seems a strange name if it is not in fact going to brew beer !  Anyone have any knowledge of what they are going to do ?   Alas, can't keep you posted on developments as I am going back to UK tomorrow for three months ! 

[kickstart]

13 hours ago, Elkski said:

The passage of this law or not will determine the future viability of living in Thailand or it's doom.   Is coruprion so great it can prevent the competition of this monopoly that every Thai person is aware of and effects so many.   Considering how cheap labor is Thai beer should be lower cost than the USA.  I can buy decent hoppy IPA cans for under 33 baht.  And it blows any local made Thai beer out of the ranks.   

I see the cost of cooling the fermentation tanks and no local barley or hops as a partial cost driver.  No telling how much rice and other non beer chemicals are in Thai beer.   To me chang is deadly swill. 

Beer brewed in your country like mine ,uses barley and hops grown in the country ,here in Thailand it all has to be imported ,that is where your Thai Bev etc win ,they would buy their barley by the boat load ,and hops by the multi container load. 

As spidermike said the cost of getting the paper work sorted is off-putting ,a craft beer set up would have to buy his barley and hops by a container load ,in bags with the cost of shipping  containers going up ,it would not just be viable to make a craft beer. 

[Enzian]

Part of my reaction to the high import prices and lack of local quality and value has been to just cut back on my consumption, because anything one consumes here supports some form of corruption or unfair competition or mindless excessive taxation. As a result I feel better (and more horny much of the time). In fact I could never understand a place where for many people the two big activities were sex and drinking alcohol, which are antithetical.

[itsari]

Good luck to the man in his goal . 

However he has a uphill battle to change government policy on beer sales as we all should  know the reason why . 

The reason why is the richest citizens of Thailand control the present Government and also the beer producing companies in Thailand .

The company producing Chang is registered in Singapore but dont let that fool you .