Thailand Adjusts Excise Taxes on Local Liquor to Boost Tourism

[madmitch]

If the wholesale price of a box of beer goes down what effect will this have on prices in bars?

 

I'd guess precisely zero.

 

But when it goes back up to the original price again the bars will probably put their prices up!

 

There's no chance of this boosting tourism. Even if duty on imported wine reduces this won't affect tourism numbers, it''s just that more of them might order a bottle or glass of wine with dinner.....but only if restaurants actually reduce prices.

[BenStark]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

However, Mr. Thanakorn Kuptajitti, the adviser to the Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association, stated that the new tax reduction would only benefit a certain group of people.

 

Yes the importers only

[proton]

2 hours ago, SpaceKadet said:

In my understanding that refers to lao khao, Sang Som, Leo, Chang beer, and such.

 

They will never lower the duties on their cash cow, the imported wine.

 

Sang Som went up a few weeks ago, if it comes down it will still cost more than it did

[sambum]

12 minutes ago, Negita43 said:

That's what cheap wine does for you! - of course you are correct - and sober I hope

 

Always! (During the daytime!)

[Will B Good]

Prices will remain the same.....tax take will go down....tourists won't give a monkey's.

[Bundooman]

2 hours ago, MadMac said:

Fruit wine. Check the label for the small print.

For your information, grapes are also fruit.

At Thai prices, even the plonk is mega-expensive. I refuse to pay extortionate prices, so I too prefer to buy the odd cheapy.

It's a far cry from my UK cellar of 400 + bottles of laid down, matured wines from the continent, yet I don't really miss that these days.

But then again, I don't sneer at others who also try to keep the cost down by buying what is available - despite the quality!

 

 

[LatPhrao]

My 2 cents...  If the government was really interested in relieving the consumer the burden of the taxes and putting it into immediate effect, they should / could rebate the duties and taxes  of the wines (my topic) to the wine companies that are holding, and able to prove, stock that entered Thailand under the 'old' system of taxies and duties.  That would / should allow the drop in prices to show immediately versus wine merchants needing to sell off their current,  taxed and levied, wines.  Until the merchandise on hand sells through the new pricing won'  / can't show up on the retail shelves and restaurant wine lists.                                   To a couple of other points - 'fruit wine' - this is a category and device that allowed lower taxation. My contention is that no fruit was ever added to imported wines - it was just a device latched onto by savvy marketers and exporters by adding the words or suggesting fruit or fruit aroma / flavors on the label. Further I think the Thai government latched onto this idea, way back when wines started gaining a market here, by looking to China which was importing a lot of wine and also had  domestic wines from Chinese vineyards that the Chinese like to "juice up" with fruit juices and aromatics.    And last, wines from Chile or other origins that are cheaper, due to a tax agreement or entering as 'fruit wine' taxation scheme  are not plonk wines. Very good, unadulterated, good value table wines.     Praying they eliminate the no buying hours in stores and restaurants. Seems like I always want to buy wine during those hours and a bloody nuisance cannot.

[sambum]

12 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

Yes the importers only

 

Since when are importers affected by " the adjustment of excise taxes and duties structures on local liquor ?

[tonypattaya]

Of those who drink, Thailand attracts the beer drinking tourists

For those who like dining with good wines and champagne, Thailand is a no no place for tourists.

Vietnam (and practically anywhere else) a much better choice.

[Dave1954]

Trying to attract the dedicated piss heads

[sambum]

8 minutes ago, LatPhrao said:

My 2 cents...  If the government was really interested in relieving the consumer the burden of the taxes and putting it into immediate effect, they should / could rebate the duties and taxes  of the wines (my topic) to the wine companies that are holding, and able to prove, stock that entered Thailand under the 'old' system of taxies and duties.  That would / should allow the drop in prices to show immediately versus wine merchants needing to sell off their current,  taxed and levied, wines.  Until the merchandise on hand sells through the new pricing won'  / can't show up on the retail shelves and restaurant wine lists.                                   To a couple of other points - 'fruit wine' - this is a category and device that allowed lower taxation. My contention is that no fruit was ever added to imported wines - it was just a device latched onto by savvy marketers and exporters by adding the words or suggesting fruit or fruit aroma / flavors on the label. Further I think the Thai government latched onto this idea, way back when wines started gaining a market here, by looking to China which was importing a lot of wine and also had  domestic wines from Chinese vineyards that the Chinese like to "juice up" with fruit juices and aromatics.    And last, wines from Chile or other origins that are cheaper, due to a tax agreement or entering as 'fruit wine' taxation scheme  are not plonk wines. Very good, unadulterated, good value table wines.     Praying they eliminate the no buying hours in stores and restaurants. Seems like I always want to buy wine during those hours and a bloody nuisance cannot.

 

"Seems like I always want to buy wine during those hours and a bloody nuisance cannot."

 

WELL SAID!!!

[BenStark]

6 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

Since when are importers affected by " the adjustment of excise taxes and duties structures on local liquor ?

I missed that one.

In a previous article about a month ago was stated that it would also be on imports. So in fact they, they backtracked again, and are only strengthening their local monopolies?

[sambum]

17 minutes ago, proton said:

Sang Som went up a few weeks ago, if it comes down it will still cost more than it did

Depends on how much it comes down surely?

 

But I would hazard a bet, as you say,  that the price will be more than it was "a few weeks ago" in spite of the tax cuts.

[sambum]

2 minutes ago, BenStark said:

I missed that one.

In a previous article about a month ago was stated that it would also be on imports. So in fact they, they backtracked again, and are only strengthening their local monopolies?

 

Sounds about right! 🙂 

[Dogmatix]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is wrong, this will not have any effect on tourism, a big zero. What might have an effect on tourism would be lowering the import wine tax on fine wines, and growing that part of the industry. Perhaps that would help to attract the wealthier tourists that Thailand keeps droning on and on about. Tourists who have very deep pockets are highly offended when they come here and try to order a bottle of wine that they pay $100 for at home, and it's $500 to $600, or it's just not available. And nobody knows anything about them because the wine industry is so severely oppressed due to the heinous taxation issues.

 

This administration needs to start getting some smarts, and exercising their brains rather than behaving like buffalo, and passing one policy after another which make no difference. 

 

I agree the impact on tourism will be negligible, partly because the supply chain won't pass on much of the tax reduction to consumers anyway. I don't notice any feasibility studies done by the government to project loss of tax revenue from wine vs incremental tax revenue from more tourists and/or more expenditures per head.  Do the Chinese come to Thailand to get pissed?

 

 

[Dogmatix]

If they believe they are going to attract more boozers, they should offset the loss of revenues from stoners after recriminalize weed.

[dinsdale]

14 minutes ago, BenStark said:

I missed that one.

In a previous article about a month ago was stated that it would also be on imports. So in fact they, they backtracked again, and are only strengthening their local monopolies?

I posted that article. Is was from Jan 8. See pg 2 of this thread for my post.

 

[crazykopite]

The way I read this is a tax reduction on the local Thai alcohol not the imported stuff so those who benefit will be able to drown there sorrows with the cheap Thai gut rot  whiskey those of us who enjoy a good high  quality drink will e paying what we were paying before this announcement 

[arick]

Local liquor why not just get rid of the duty-tax on the proper stuff that's imported?

[arick]

Local liquors not even worth paying the price it is already down to.

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, crazykopite said:

The way I read this is a tax reduction on the local Thai alcohol not the imported stuff so those who benefit will be able to drown there sorrows with the cheap Thai gut rot  whiskey those of us who enjoy a good high  quality drink will e paying what we were paying before this announcement 

Yes it is only the local stuff but they did say also imports previously (see above post of the article from Jan 8). Seems they've backtracked on the most important part. As for the local stuff well lets wait and see what happens and as for the local wine IMO to call it wine is a very, very big stretch.

[proton]

4 minutes ago, arick said:

Local liquors not even worth paying the price it is already down to.

Kulov Vodka and Regency brandy are ok

[dinsdale]

12 minutes ago, proton said:

Kulov Vodka and Regency brandy are ok

Regency sends me crazy. Brandy always has bad brandy more so. I stay well away from that stuff. The vodka is hangover city so that was taken off the shopping list. Hong Thong and Blend 285 signature are ok for me though.

Edited February 26 by dinsdale

[proton]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Renency sends me crazy. Brandy always has bad brandy more so. I stay well away from that stuff. The vodka is hangover city so that was taken off the shopping list. Hong Thong and Blend 285 signature are ok for me though.

 

Hong tong blended spirits 35% poor product and Blend 285 is another weak one, at least it does have some real whisky in it

[dinsdale]

2 minutes ago, proton said:

 

Hong tong blended spirits 35% poor product and Blend 285 is another weak one, at least it does have some real whisky in it

Alas beggars can't be choosers. I'm not paying the money they want for anything decent. Also you can see I said Blend 285 Signature. Definitely better than the 285. I don't drink that.

 

Edited February 26 by dinsdale

[Dionigi]

The pattaya news article shows changes only to alcohol produced in thailand and does not show beer.

 

[dinsdale]

3 minutes ago, Dionigi said:

The pattaya news article shows changes only to alcohol produced in thailand and does not show beer.

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh😔 So it's only for the rot gut. Very, very disappointing.

[proton]

There's alway yha dong from the market, no tax on that!

[dinsdale]

8 minutes ago, proton said:

There's alway yha dong from the market, no tax on that!

Yadong is lao khao infused with some sort of herbs and stuff. I got drunk on that once and had a hangover for 3 days.

Edited February 26 by dinsdale

[Korat Kiwi]

Didn't notice an increase in Sang Som... still 295 at local Lotussss for the 700 size bottle.