Bangkok’s illicit craft brewers risk arrest under draconian laws

[Liverpool Lou]

"The Guardian".   Good grief.

[Barefootknobby]

6 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

A banana republic run by oligarchs and the mafia in uniform.

 

Very sad for the ordinary Thai 

Unfortunately the whole world is going down the same route, just open your eyes and look around taking off the rose tinted spectacles that have been places on our heads for the past few decades

[spidermike007]

If only the younger Thais were allowed to express themselves, be inventive, be creative, be industrious, and use their smarts and ambition, Thailand could have a future. Craft beer is needed here, and so are the young entrepreneurs. But, that future appears to be suppressed at every turn by dinosaurs, who only answer to money, money, and even more money. Money is the God of lesser men. The money first attitude is holding back Thailand on so many levels. 

 

Thai beer is only rivaled by Serbian beer, and the mass produced American beers, in terms of the very low quality. Poor grade of hops, barely, and the production process seems to be entirely lacking in pride. Typical of the big monopolies. Even a large production beer, like Beer Laos blows away any Thai beer, hands down. Thailand desperately needs a vital craft beer movement, and the youth are ready to mount it. If only the dinosaurs would stop protecting their "bankers" and move out of the way. In other words, allow some progress, you mindless simpletons! 

 

For some, craft beer is associated with anti-establishment politics. “It’s very similar to the French Revolution, which started from a cafe in Paris, where people drank coffee,” says Taopiphop. “The fuel of the revolution is not coffee any more, it’s craft beer.” Taopiphop adds that, after the 2014 coup in Thailand, many pro-democracy activists chose to meet in Bangkok’s craft beer bars.
 

If it’s only about money we are hopeless. If it’s about people we are hopeful. Maxime Lagacé.

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer. Jim Carrey.

The fellow that has no money is poor. The fellow that has nothing but money is poorer still. Billy Sunday.

Money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation – a passport to everywhere but not heaven. Unknown author.

There is a battle of two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth. The wolf that wins? The one you feed.

— American Indian Proverbs

Edited March 5, 2022 by spidermike007

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

effectively blocks new, small breweries from opening,

Fortunately not the case here in Cambodia. No such draconian laws. Large selections of bottled and canned craft beers and ciders can be purchased in many of the larger supermarkets. My local beer bar here in Siem Reap has a large blackboard on which are chalked the day's selection of draught craft beers. (photo taken in Phnom Penh)

 

 

https://lostplate.com/phnom-penh-craft-beer/

Edited March 5, 2022 by Burma Bill
additional information

[mtls2005]

5 hours ago, IAMHERE said:

The BIG brewers have a strangle hold on the beer industry. Why would they ever want to give up any of that power to make profits? Loosen that strangle hold and it may well lead to anarchy and chaos among the peasants. 

 

Meh.

 

You don't have to tipple at The Genius Bar to realize it's good business, for the BIG brewers, to have a thriving micro-brewing industry. Better quality, higher prices/higher margin, move a segment upscale, let the, smaller nimbler companies blaze the trail, build up a brand, then buy them out.

 

Not sure how many peasants are looking for an IPA at 200 baht, which has a unique malty flavor, moderate hoppy aroma, with notes of citrus and pine and a strong finish.

 

 

Again the challenges here are getting quality ingredients in volume on decent contract prices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, Enzian said:

The Latin phrase most used is cui bono, to whom is it a benefit? Other versions are cui prodest, whom does it profit? and ad cuius bonum, for whose good?

Two phrases: Follow the money, and who benefits?

[heybruce]

53 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Meh.

 

You don't have to tipple at The Genius Bar to realize it's good business, for the BIG brewers, to have a thriving micro-brewing industry. Better quality, higher prices/higher margin, move a segment upscale, let the, smaller nimbler companies blaze the trail, build up a brand, then buy them out.

 

Not sure how many peasants are looking for an IPA at 200 baht, which has a unique malty flavor, moderate hoppy aroma, with notes of citrus and pine and a strong finish.

 

 

Again the challenges here are getting quality ingredients in volume on decent contract prices.

You assume the big brewers are smart and far-sighted enough to work that way.

 

I assume the big brewers are making too much money with their overpriced crud to risk upsetting their privileged position.

[curlylekan]

If the government and the people really want to move away from a tourist dependent economy, this is one of the best ways to do it. The governments actions really just say to me that they don't want to move away from this tourist dependent economy and they don't want to continue building on their culture, but simply rely on their old culture to draw tourism. I think this is pretty sad. This is how you kill your country and you assure people start going to neighboring countries.

 

I would love to travel around Thailand, going to different craft breweries. In this way, I do not only get exposed to new beers, but new places, new people, new culture. The type of beer that the local people of a country or even a smaller locale make, says a lot about those people and their culture too. I think the government really doesn't see how much this could add to the Thai economy and the Thai culture through domestic spending and international spending. It's be great to travel to places other than the same old temples

[HomeinThailand]

I am a home brewer and would love to practice my hobby at home because I enjoy beer with flavor.  I'm not after a higher alcohol content, just more flavor.  The larger brewers fail to produce anything that has a decent flavor.  Allowing microbreweries to set up shop would be wonderful.  It would force the two monopolies to rethink what they produce.  I realize that is a term that is not typically associated with large Thai companies, 'rethink', but it would do them some good.   

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Fortunately not the case here in Cambodia. No such draconian laws. Large selections of bottled and canned craft beers and ciders can be purchased in many of the larger supermarkets. My local beer bar here in Siem Reap has a large blackboard on which are chalked the day's selection of draught craft beers. (photo taken in Phnom Penh)

 

 

https://lostplate.com/phnom-penh-craft-beer/

I wonder if the leaders here would be the slightest bit embarrassed to be considered infinitely less progressive than Cambodia? Likely not. Dinosaurs do not seem to mind moving backwards. 

[connda]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

hai Beverage, which produces Chang beer, and Boon Rawd Brewery, which produces Singha and Leo.

It all taste like p**s.  God only knows that Thais be allowed to drink beer that actually has taste.  But Thailand loves their wealthy monopolies. 

[cncltd1973]

15 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

A banana republic run by oligarchs and the mafia in uniform.

 

Very sad for the ordinary Thai 

this is why we can't have nice things

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

The Guardian is a notoriously left wing British newspaper mostly famous for its mistakes. I personally do not like the so called "craft beers" as they have very little to to with traditional beer or larger as most customers think of it, in fact they are more akin to crisps (chips in American English) and the multitude of flavours available. This "craft" beer is also "fashionably" very highly overpriced even before tax is added.

Thai Bev made its fortune as a distiller of Lao Khao rice whisky (which is actually more of a brandy) but gained a foothold in the beer market when they went into business with Carlsberg to build a brewery and make Carlsberg for the Thai market. Anyone interested in what happened to Carlsberg and where Chang sprang from should look it up.

 

There are several choices of beer (larger not ale that is) these days that can be found quite easily even up country, but they all taste of beer in the traditional sense.

 

I do agree though the laws need reforming for smaller brewers, but there must be strict control on ingredients and alcohol level consistency.

 

I will not be buying any myself though, even if it is durian flavour.

 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by George FmplesdaCosteedback
missing info

[robblok]

17 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

The Guardian is a notoriously left wing British newspaper mostly famous for its mistakes. I personally do not like the so called "craft beers" as they have very little to to with traditional beer or larger as most customers think of it, in fact they are more akin to crisps (chips in American English) and the multitude of flavours available. This "craft" beer is also "fashionably" very highly overpriced even before tax is added.

Thai Bev made its fortune as a distiller of Lao Khao rice whisky (which is actually more of a brandy) but gained a foothold in the beer market when they went into business with Carlsberg to build a brewery and make Carlsberg for the Thai market. Anyone interested in what happened to Carlsberg and where Chang sprang from should look it up.

 

There are several choices of beer (larger not ale that is) these days that can be found quite easily even up country, but they all taste of beer in the traditional sense.

 

I do agree though the laws need reforming for smaller brewers, but there must be strict control on ingredients and alcohol level consistency.

 

I will not be buying any myself though, even if it is durian flavour.

 

 

Oh dear I thought guys like you only existed in coffee threads but we got beer snobs too. ????

 

Its a good thing there are craft beers even if you think they are too expensive. Not everyone thinks they are too expensive maybe for guys that need to drink a lot all the time but not for people who enjoy taste over volume. 

 

Let people choose don't be a snob. 

[Pmbkk]

30 minutes ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

The Guardian is a notoriously left wing British newspaper

 

No, it isn't. I see your Mummy brought you up on the right-wing Express and Mail... 

Now be a good boy and go and read your comics..

 

BTW - Princess Diana is still dead - saves you a few years more reading..

Edited March 6, 2022 by Pmbkk

[Andycoops]

Unfortunately for real entrepreneurs, the corrupt cronies running the country keep the cartels businesses going unchallenged because of the kickbacks for doing so.

The status quo is difficult to shift in the hub of greed.

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

On 3/6/2022 at 10:30 PM, robblok said:

Oh dear I thought guys like you only existed in coffee threads but we got beer snobs too. ????

 

Its a good thing there are craft beers even if you think they are too expensive. Not everyone thinks they are too expensive maybe for guys that need to drink a lot all the time but not for people who enjoy taste over volume. 

 

Let people choose don't be a snob. 

If you had read to the end I said the laws must be reformed, so if you want to buy this product you are welcome to, but don't get smug about it.

I have to say you seem to misunderstand just who is the "snob" here. Those who want to pay exorbitant amounts of money for fashionable products usually constitute to the "snob" value of something, coffee, clothes and shoes or now what they call beer but tastes of everything other than hops and barley. You sound like a whino to me...

Sour grapes from the south side of the hill.

 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

On 3/6/2022 at 10:38 PM, Pmbkk said:

 

No, it isn't. I see your Mummy brought you up on the right-wing Express and Mail... 

Now be a good boy and go and read your comics..

 

BTW - Princess Diana is still dead - saves you a few years more reading..

Ah, I love comments from those that believe what they read in the Grauniad. Do you ever read the list of weekly mistakes and retractions? I suppose you think the Guardian represents the majority of British newspaper readers, well for your information the BBC is their biggest subscriber and the bill is paid by the TV Tax payers. You should stick to the "Little Red Book" while the communists invade Ukraine.

Nanny will change your pamper if you cry long enough after reading this like the other snowflakes in London.

 

 

 

[George FmplesdaCosteedback]

On 3/6/2022 at 10:30 PM, robblok said:

Oh dear I thought guys like you only existed in coffee threads but we got beer snobs too. ????

 

Its a good thing there are craft beers even if you think they are too expensive. Not everyone thinks they are too expensive maybe for guys that need to drink a lot all the time but not for people who enjoy taste over volume. 

 

Let people choose don't be a snob. 

I am not a snob I just have knowledge on the subject. The Craft Beer connoisseurs are the snobs who pay extraordinary prices for beer that tastes of cappuccino etc.