Thai government cuts local alcohol tax to zero to boost tourism and economy

[webfact]

The Thai government has announced a tax reduction on local alcohol as part of a wider review of laws hindering domestic tourism and economic growth.

 

Revealed on January 2 at the Government House, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin stated that the restructuring of excise and various national taxes, including reducing domestic alcohol tax to 0%, formed part of their strategy to stimulate the tourism and economy of the country.

Ministry of Finance Secretary Lawan Saengsanit reported the department is ready to announce measures to promote Thailand as a central hub for tourism and spending.

 

The initiatives include adjusting the tax structure on alcoholic beverages and local spirits, as well as considering the abolition of duty-free shops at all inbound airports. The aim is to encourage Thai citizens and foreign tourists to spend and purchase more within the country, rather than from duty-free shops.

 

For the fiscal year 2023, the excise department collected a total of 177,596 million baht (US$5.19 million) in alcohol, beer, and beverage taxes. This was broken down into 64,168 million baht (US$1.8 million) from alcohol tax, 86,480 million baht (US$2.5 million) from beer tax, and 26,948 million baht (US$788,654) from beverage tax.

 

by Nattapong Westwood

Photo courtesy of เศรษฐา ทวีสิน - Srettha Thavisin (Facebook)

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-03

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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[ukrules]

That's not much tax for a while year, this is pennies to a central government.

[HappyExpat57]

<sarcasm>

 

This will work just as well as "trickle down economics." Consumers will JUMP at the chance of visiting Thailand now with such a financial boon.

 

</sarcasm>

[ChipButty]

Okay they reduce the tax but will they reduce the price? I think not 

[flyingtlger]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

reducing domestic alcohol tax to 0%, formed part of their strategy to stimulate the tourism and economy of the country.

LOL, more like stimulating the local alcoholic of the country.....

[2baht]

So what incentive are you offering non drinkers or are you only trying to attract pi$$ heads???  

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai government has announced a tax reduction on local alcohol as part of a wider review of laws hindering domestic tourism and economic growth.

More drunks on the road... great.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ministry of Finance Secretary Lawan Saengsanit reported the department is ready to announce measures to promote Thailand as a central hub for tourism and spending

Hasn't it always?

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

including reducing domestic alcohol tax to 0%, formed part of their strategy to stimulate the tourism and economy of the country.

So lets wait and see if prices to the end customer drop by that amount?

[2baht]

Tax free alcohol till 4.00am, they are so innovative! 42 road fatalities per day on average, let's shoot for 50! 

[DudleySquat]

For those who did not read the article, they also want to close duty-free shops in all airports.  Great idea. Not.

[loong]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

For the fiscal year 2023, the excise department collected a total of 177,596 million baht (US$5.19 million) in alcohol, beer, and beverage taxes. This was broken down into 64,168 million baht (US$1.8 million) from alcohol tax, 86,480 million baht (US$2.5 million) from beer tax, and 26,948 million baht (US$788,654) from beverage tax.

Why do they mess up simple calculations so often in these news items? The conversion to $ should be in billions, not millions.

[loong]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Ministry of Finance Secretary Lawan Saengsanit reported the department is ready to announce measures to promote Thailand as a central hub for tourism and spending.

If they are ready to announce measures , why don't they just announce the full details?

Edited January 2 by loong

[morrobay]

53 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

So lets wait and see if prices to the end customer drop by that amount?

Wouldn't drink this domestic aldehyde ,I mean  wine, if it was free 

Edited January 2 by morrobay

[ikke1959]

It would be much better to lower the tax on imported wine and beverages, as the local stuff is undrinkable

[RobU]

Absurd, nearly 3000 arrests for Drunk Driving over 3 days and they want to make alcohol cheaper locally.

[drgoon]

FFS...  no more to say

[quake]

4 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

It would be much better to lower the tax on imported wine and beverages, as the local stuff is undrinkable

 Beer and sprits are ok in Thailand.

Drink enough of it,  and you get used to it.

But give nearly all the wine a miss. 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

in other news:

 

 

[ChrisY1]

Cutting tax on HongThong, LaoKoh, Sangsong(?) will be a treat for Thais...and a real boost for the road toll.....Foreigners don't touch this crap...except dedicated faring pi** heads!

Edited January 3 by ChrisY1

[HappyExpat57]

59 minutes ago, DudleySquat said:

For those who did not read the article, they also want to close duty-free shops in all airports.  Great idea. Not.

 

IDK . . . if booze was the same price as in the duty free's, I'd be more inclined to tipple a little.

[Skipalongcassidy]

1 minute ago, HappyExpat57 said:

 

IDK . . . if booze was the same price as in the duty free's, I'd be more inclined to tipple a little.

555... Booze is the same price in the duty free shops... you missed the reports of Thai duty free shops being a ripoff

[Deez]

Any tourist this appeals to is probably not the ones you are looking for.

[steve187]

1 hour ago, DudleySquat said:

For those who did not read the article, they also want to close duty-free shops in all airports.  Great idea. Not.

inbound duty free shops, i don't understand why they have them anyway, maybe to keep king power and its owners happy

[quake]

Nice to see the rich falangs looking down there noses at the poor people of Thailand

shame on you lot. 

 

 

[stoner]

17 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

It would be much better to lower the tax on imported wine and beverages, as the local stuff is undrinkable

here we go another poster attacking thailand :)

[sammieuk1]

And nothing could possibly go wrong in happy land 🤔

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

Tax free alcohol till 4.00am, they are so innovative! 42 road fatalities per day on average, let's shoot for 50! 

According to UN the average is 50. But now Thailand is on the way - with no tax on alcohol- to hit this number by far. Maybe 60 or 70 is the next target??🥴

[HappyExpat57]

10 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

555... Booze is the same price in the duty free shops... you missed the reports of Thai duty free shops being a ripoff

 

I trust "reports" as much as I trust US politicians (both sides of the aisle are crooked as a dog's hind leg). I believe my own eyes, and when I fly back from family visits, I go to the duty free and it's ALWAYS significantly less expensive.

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, quake said:

7 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

 

I trust "reports" as much as I trust US politicians (both sides of the aisle are crooked as a dog's hind leg). I believe my own eyes, and when I fly back from family visits, I go to the duty free and it's ALWAYS significantly less expensive.

 Come on, his one of the good guys.

 

 

 

 

guess you missed the part where he said BOTH sides. please post a picture of the other geriatric good guy.