Thailand Legalises Alcohol Advertising After House Approval

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Freepik

 

In a significant move, Thailand's House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new Alcohol Control Act, which paves the way for the advertising of alcoholic beverages such as beer and spirits.

 

At the parliamentary session, chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Pichet Chuamuangphan, members reviewed the draft legislation, which includes 38 articles. This was achieved during the second and third readings after extensive debate.

 

Journalists reported that during the session, there was considerable debate over Article 34. This article grants officials the discretion to issue warnings for violations rather than mandating business closures.

 

Concerns were raised by Chulapong Yuakate, a member of the People’s Party, who warned this discretion could lead to corruption. He argued that officials might demand bribes to issue warnings instead of closures, thus creating a potential loophole for corruption.

 

Representatives of the commission clarified that the law intends to provide general authority to officials, ensuring compliance with defined criteria.

 

 

 

The shift from mandatory closure to issuing warnings replaces a previous order, aimed at alignment with various agencies' opinions. They assured that all actions must comply with established legal frameworks to mitigate corruption.

 

In the final vote, 365 members supported the overall Alcohol Control Act, with no objections and three abstentions. A separate vote on a recommendation by the commission saw 356 votes in favour, with just two objections.

 

A key feature of the legislation involves the amendment of Article 32, initially aimed at banning all forms of alcohol advertising intended to promote or entice consumption. However, this restriction was lifted with 371 votes against it, effectively allowing alcohol advertising to proceed, reported Prachachat.

 

-- 2025-03-20

 

 

[dinsdale]

One tiny, tiny leap forward. Now get rid of the stupid prohibition hours.

[JoePai]

warned this discretion could will lead to corruption

[ricklev]

Microbreweries and good beer?  Nope!

[Emdog]

Why? Not enough alcoholics?

[Tropicalevo]

5 minutes ago, Emdog said:

Why? Not enough alcoholics?

 

Banning the advertising of alcohol does nor stop people from becoming alcoholics.

Nor will there suddenly become a rush of alcoholics if adverts for alcohol appear.

I suspect that everyone in Thailand is aware of alcohol being available 24 hours a day - somewhere.

It was just a repressive control to allow for arresting and fining some people.

Do people really believe that the millions of signs advertising Singha are really for their mineral water?

[SABloke]

Does this mean no more massive "CHANG mineral water" billboards around Thailand  🙄 

[RupertIII]

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

One tiny, tiny leap forward. Now get rid of the stupid prohibition hours.

Looks as if that could be on the way https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/03/20/new-alcohol-law-which-ushers-in-a-new-liberal-era-allowing-for-advertising-and-lifting-drinking-bans/

[dinsdale]

5 minutes ago, RupertIII said:

Looks as if that could be on the way https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/03/20/new-alcohol-law-which-ushers-in-a-new-liberal-era-allowing-for-advertising-and-lifting-drinking-bans/

Interesting. Cheers. I wonder why AN failed to mention this rather important detail.

"Certainly, another major change in the new bill is the abolition of Thailand’s long-standing 2-5 pm alcohol sales ban."

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/03/20/new-alcohol-law-which-ushers-in-a-new-liberal-era-allowing-for-advertising-and-lifting-drinking-bans/

Pity that once again there is no mention of the midnight to eleven prohibition. If they want to cut off sales at midnight ok but I think an 8 or 9 am start to sales would be reasonable.

 

 

[petedk]

2 hours ago, ricklev said:

Microbreweries and good beer?  Nope!

 

I thought I read in another report somewhere that microbreweries would be allowed or maybe it was just a suggestion.

[petedk]

9 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Interesting. Cheers. I wonder why AN failed to mention this rather important detail.

"Certainly, another major change in the new bill is the abolition of Thailand’s long-standing 2-5 pm alcohol sales ban."

https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2025/03/20/new-alcohol-law-which-ushers-in-a-new-liberal-era-allowing-for-advertising-and-lifting-drinking-bans/

Pity that once again there is no mention of the midnight to eleven prohibition. If they want to cut off sales at midnight ok but I think an 8 or 9 am start to sales would be reasonable.

 

 

 

It's only places like 7-11 that can't sell alcohol after midnight. Pubs near us are open to 6 or 7 am.

[dinsdale]

1 minute ago, petedk said:

 

It's only places like 7-11 that can't sell alcohol after midnight. Pubs near us are open to 6 or 7 am.

Sure but not every one has a bar or pub near them charging well over the odds and simply want a can or two of beer to take home. My point is more about the 11:00 am end to the overnight prohibition. 8-midnight or 9-midnight seems far more civilized and reasonable IMHO. 

[Bday Prang]

There is a very thinly disguised ad for Regency on TV every night, and has been for years,  How do they get away with that?

[KhunBENQ]

1 hour ago, SABloke said:

Does this mean no more massive "CHANG mineral water" billboards around Thailand  🙄 

No more turning the labels away when taking a picture at a dinner table? 😁

[petedk]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

Sure but not every one has a bar or pub near them charging well over the odds and simply want a can or two of beer to take home. My point is more about the 11:00 am end to the overnight prohibition. 8-midnight or 9-midnight seems far more civilized and reasonable IMHO. 

 

I know. I was being sarcastic as these pubs really annoy us. Girls outside screamming and shouting all night long.

[spidermike007]

It seems like a step forward now let's get rid of the 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. prohibition window and then let's go a step further and encourage the production of microbrews. 

 

Just to make sure small brewers were thoroughly intimidated, the rewrite back in 2017 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. 

 

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 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.

[Marco100]

So what use has this overwhelming  decision  for Thailand 😂 ? 

[NorthernRyland]

Looking forward to the Lao Kao commercials romanticizing being a drunken rice farmer in the backwoods of Isaan.

[rumeaug]

As if advertising booze was necessary to get people to leave their " clueless hyper-sober comfort zones" and discover alcohol. Right. 

[milesinnz]

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

One tiny, tiny leap forward. Now get rid of the stupid prohibition hours.

I guess you don't know that Alcohol is the most damaging drug to society ???? but then it would seem you don't care.. says a lot..

[JimHuaHin]

See what happens when businesses own governments.

[Colki]

You are correct Petedk, microbreweries now approved just think not gazetted

[rwill]

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

There is a very thinly disguised ad for Regency on TV every night, and has been for years,  How do they get away with that?

Advertising is allowed.  However you can not use images of the product.  Only your logo is allowed.  

[rwill]

Is it actually legalized now?  

Does the senate also have to pass it?

Has it been published in the gazette?

[terryofcrete]

Lots of brown envelopes involved as well I'd say...the advertising budgets the big brewers and distillers have is breathtaking. They like to spend it too.

[Scottie12]

This government couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery.

[KireB]

5 hours ago, dinsdale said:

One tiny, tiny leap forward. Now get rid of the stupid prohibition hours.

I would prefer more prohibition hours. Alcohol is arguably the worst drugs in the world together with benzos. The withdrawals are killing.
 

[PumpkinEater]

Farangs advertising nationwide with their “Chang” tank tops already…

Do we really need more?

 

How about promoting meditation in schools and awareness for the ecology?

Electric motorbikes please!

Get rid of noise pollution…

[Bannoi]

Great bring back the serving wenches in their skimpy Chang & Leo dresses.

 

[dinsdale]

51 minutes ago, milesinnz said:

I guess you don't know that Alcohol is the most damaging drug to society ???? but then it would seem you don't care.. says a lot..

You are of course entitled to your sanctimonious moralistic opinions but using it as a personal attack? Wow! Or should I say wowser.