10% of Thais Engage in Heavy Drinking, Report Finds

[webfact]

 

A recent report by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has uncovered a worrying trend: about 10% of Thailand's population, which translates to roughly 5.73 million individuals, have engaged in heavy drinking over the past year. Regions in the North and Northeast hold the highest rates of excessive alcohol consumption.

 

Alarmingly, this trend has made alcohol the second primary cause of death in Thailand, just behind smoking. The report highlights significant health risks associated with heavy drinking, most notably liver diseases.

 

These include hepatitis, fatty liver infiltration, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer, driven by elevated liver enzymes signaling abnormal liver function.

 

The World Health Organization's December 2023 AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) reinforced the severity of this issue. It found that over 31% of participants were at heightened risk of liver disease. Among these at-risk individuals, nearly 25% had abnormal liver enzyme levels upon consenting to liver function tests.

 

Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Director of ThaiHealth, emphasized the critical need to curb alcohol consumption to minimise liver damage. Symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the eyes, jaundice, and discomfort under the right rib cage signal severe liver damage, potentially leading to cirrhosis if untreated.

 

Despite the grave findings, there is a silver lining. The liver's innate ability to heal itself provides hope. According to ThaiHealth, ceasing alcohol consumption can allow the liver to recover within one to three months, restoring normal function.

 

This report underscores the essential need for public health interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and highlights the significant impact lifestyle changes can have on liver health and overall mortality rates in Thailand.

 

Picture courtesy: National News Bureau of Thailand

 

-- 2024-07-17

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Ralf001]

how many of the population took part in the study.... 12% ?

[daveAustin]

Of those that come forward. Reckon it’s a lot higher than that. Thais are bigger pissheads nowadays than my own ‘brethren’. 

[Geoffggi]

57 minutes ago, webfact said:

This report underscores the essential need for public health interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and highlights the significant impact lifestyle changes can have on liver health and overall mortality rates in Thailand.

Possibly linked to how they perceive their outlook on life & future expectations given financial limitations.

[ikke1959]

Probably a result of the lower alcohol taxes since March

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

A recent report by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has uncovered a worrying trend: about 10% of Thailand's population, which translates to roughly 5.73 million individuals, have engaged in heavy drinking over the past year. Regions in the North and Northeast hold the highest rates of excessive alcohol consumption.

over the past year yesterday. 

[Gsxrnz]

I reckon Somtam kills more than alcohol.

[MarkBR]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

A recent report by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has uncovered a worrying trend: about 10% of Thailand's population, which translates to roughly 5.73 million individuals, have engaged in heavy drinking over the past year. Regions in the North and Northeast hold the highest rates of excessive alcohol consumption.

 

Alarmingly, this trend has made alcohol the second primary cause of death in Thailand, just behind smoking. The report highlights significant health risks associated with heavy drinking, most notably liver diseases.

 

These include hepatitis, fatty liver infiltration, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer, driven by elevated liver enzymes signaling abnormal liver function.

 

The World Health Organization's December 2023 AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) reinforced the severity of this issue. It found that over 31% of participants were at heightened risk of liver disease. Among these at-risk individuals, nearly 25% had abnormal liver enzyme levels upon consenting to liver function tests.

 

Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Director of ThaiHealth, emphasized the critical need to curb alcohol consumption to minimise liver damage. Symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the eyes, jaundice, and discomfort under the right rib cage signal severe liver damage, potentially leading to cirrhosis if untreated.

 

Despite the grave findings, there is a silver lining. The liver's innate ability to heal itself provides hope. According to ThaiHealth, ceasing alcohol consumption can allow the liver to recover within one to three months, restoring normal function.

 

This report underscores the essential need for public health interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and highlights the significant impact lifestyle changes can have on liver health and overall mortality rates in Thailand.

 

Picture courtesy: National News Bureau of Thailand

 

-- 2024-07-17

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

I am not surprised, with lots of rice production it is easy to make lao khao (hope that is spelt correctly).  Ubiquitous in northern Thailand.

[bkk6060]

Many with no futures or financial security.   Why not drink your troubles away.

[herfiehandbag]

9 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Many with no futures or financial security.   Why not drink your troubles away.

The Lao Khao pension.

No retirement pension, a bottle of Lao Khao a day, oblivion.

[Tropicalevo]

Less dangerous than drugs?

[lordgrinz]

I filmed a couple 2 days ago outside my daughters school, the wife and child walking towards her husbands car, the husband was standing by the car drinking a large beer and stumbling. He then guzzled the beer down and put the bottle up on wall of the school.......I screamed at him and his wife, they finally grabbed the bottle and put it in the car. I mean what kind of father shows up to pickup his kid from school, while stumbling and drinking a 40oz beer on a Monday?!?!

[jaywalker2]

Since the time limits on alcohol sales obviously aren't working, get rid of them!

[Pouatchee]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Alarmingly, this trend has made alcohol the second primary cause of death in Thailand, just behind smoking.

 

Just wonderful. This just goes to prove that booze and ciggies cause way more damage than weed, yet they want to make weed reclassified. Great job pukethai. Casinos, booze, smoke... nice to see ya got your prerogatives straight...

[Pouatchee]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

I mean what kind of father shows up to pickup his kid from school, while stumbling and drinking a 40oz beer on a Monday?!?!

 

Your average lo so thai father. But i have also seen quite a few foreign fathers show up to schools drunk to pick up their kids

[nobodysfriend]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

roughly 5.73 million individuals, have engaged in heavy drinking over the past year. Regions in the North and Northeast hold the highest rates of excessive alcohol consumption.

 

Excessive consumption of anything is definitely not good .

But in the case of alcohol it is dangerous for other persons , too .

 

[brianthainess]

10% what utter BS more like the other way round

4 hours ago, webfact said:

A recent report by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) has uncovered a worrying trend: about 10% of Thailand's population, which translates to roughly 5.73 million individuals, have **NOT** engaged in heavy drinking over the past year.

 

 

There I fixed it.

[nobodysfriend]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

I screamed at him and his wife, they finally grabbed the bottle and put it in the car.

 

You should be more careful .

That could have ended badly for you .

Not your business ...

[lordgrinz]

25 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

You should be more careful .

That could have ended badly for you .

Not your business ...

 

LOL.....I'm not actually someone anyone wants to piss off.

[nobodysfriend]

Just now, lordgrinz said:

 

LOL.....I'm not actually someone anyone wants to piss off.

 

Good for you .

But many thais are armed and some are easily offended ... but anyway ...

[lordgrinz]

Just now, nobodysfriend said:

 

Good for you .

But many thais are armed and some are easily offended ... but anyway ...

 

I wish them good luck then, lets hope they don't hesitate.

[neverere]

2 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

I filmed a couple 2 days ago outside my daughters school, the wife and child walking towards her husbands car, the husband was standing by the car drinking a large beer and stumbling. He then guzzled the beer down and put the bottle up on wall of the school.......I screamed at him and his wife, they finally grabbed the bottle and put it in the car. I mean what kind of father shows up to pickup his kid from school, while stumbling and drinking a 40oz beer on a Monday?!?!

Tuesday's just as bad.

[nowhereman]

That's a serious underestimate. Unfortunately. 

[nowhereman]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

 

LOL.....I'm not actually someone anyone wants to piss off.

I am sure you're someone who's visa can be easily and quickly revoked. Chill man. Don't get in any trouble is the best way for foreigners in Thailand.  

Edited July 17 by nowhereman

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, nowhereman said:

I am sure you're someone who's visa can be easily and quickly revoked. Chill man. Don't get in any trouble is the best way for foreigner in Thailand.  

 

Believe me, I tell myself that every day while here, but I told my wife it's just a matter of time before a very dumb Thai pushes the wrong button. I prefer to stay far away from most Thai's and especially the questionable ones, so far, so good.

[billd766]

It could equally have been said, according to the report, that 90% of Thais do not drink heavily.

 

Of course if it had been put that way nobody would have reported it and it would not have been featured on AN as click bait.

[Celsius]

Forum survey pls

[BigStar]

Be interesting to see a similar study of expats.

[BigStar]

3 minutes ago, billd766 said:

It could equally have been said, according to the report, that 90% of Thais do not drink heavily.

 

Of course if it had been put that way nobody would have reported it and it would not have been featured on AN as click bait.

 

True. And we could put the study in context with other countries, notably the UK. But that would be off-topic, so let's not go there and continue our Thai bashing.

[jwest10]

14 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

True. And we could put the study in context with other countries, notably the UK. But that would be off-topic, so let's not go there and continue our Thai bashing.

10% you really are joking and what about mixing it with drugs!!!