Thai Alcohol Tax Rised To 4,000 Percent!

[richard10365]

Higher excises on liquors approved

Four types of distilled liquors are subject to the change - special blend, brandy, whisky and others. So far, they had been subjected to a range of

3550 <--------------TYPO

per cent of market price or Bt240 per litre of alcohol content. The new rate is

4050 <--------------TYPO

per cent or Bt400 per litre, whichever is higher.

--The Nation 2005-09-07

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think there is a typo somewhere according to what I read on the Nation website:

"Special blends, brandy, whisky and other types of distilled liquors are subject to the change. These types of liquor had been subject to a tax of between

35-50

per cent of market price, or Bt240 per litre of alcohol content. The new rate is

40-50

per cent, or Bt400 per litre - whichever is higher."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/09/07...s_18534921.html

[Mali_in_CM]

Hi richard,

Thanks for that.

Like maestro, I was thinking it was new math, where:

4050/3550 * 240 = 400

But hey. What do you expect when the Thai language ain't got no punctuation.

3550 is about the same as 35-50 or 35 to 50 or 35~50 or, well...

[vernthai]

George - me thinks you left out a critical dash... 40-50 percent - not 4050 percent.

Here is the full article:

QANTI-ALCOHOL MOVE: Excise tax raised for hard liquor

Published on September 07, 2005

Decision will affect brandy, whisky, special blends and distilled spirits. The Cabinet yesterday increased the excise tax on distilled liquor with high alcohol content while maintaining the current tax level on other drinks categories such as beer and wines, the PM’s Office deputy spokesman said yesterday.

Chalermchai Mahagitsiri said after yesterday’s roving Cabinet meeting in Phang Nga that the new taxes would take immediate effect.

“The government’s focus [in restructuring the alcohol excise tax structure] is to curb alcohol consumption. This change is enough to achieve the goal of slashing consumption and raising tax income,” Chalermchai said.

Larger players in the local liquor industry generally welcomed the new tax initiative.

Boonrawd Brewery, maker of Singha and Leo beers, earlier took out ad space in newspapers to show its support of the government’s move to raise taxes on spirits and beers.

Special blends, brandy, whisky and other types of distilled liquors are subject to the change. These types of liquor had been subject to a tax of between 35-50 per cent of market price, or Bt240 per litre of alcohol content. The new rate is 40-50 per cent, or Bt400 per litre - whichever is higher.

A Finance Ministry source said the government refused to raise excise taxes on other kinds of alcoholic drinks because those drinks were already subject to the maximum rate.

If additional taxes were to be levied, it said, the ministry would have to amend the laws governing the excise taxes.

“This will take time, so the government opted to raise taxes on those drinks that are not subject to the limit,” the source said.

Chalermchai said distilled liquor contained a higher alcohol content than other types of alcoholic products. The government believed those types of drinks had a negative impact on drinkers and they should be subject to higher taxes.

“If consumption remains high after this, we can assume that consumers will switch to products with lower alcohol content [which will be comparatively cheaper],” he said.

The Cabinet decided not to raise excise taxes on local liquors that have not yet reached their tax limit. The excise tax limit on local liquor is 60 per cent, or Bt100 per litre of alcohol content.

But in reality they pay only 25 per cent, or Bt70 per litre.

The Cabinet was concerned that if it raised excise taxes on beer, Thai Beverage Plc’s Chang beer would be the hardest hit due to its high alcohol content. Thai Beverage is currently the biggest player in both the whiskey and beer markets and it is preparing to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation said on its website at www.ias.org.uk that Thailand ranked fifth in the world in alcohol consumption, behind South Korea, the Bahamas, Taiwan and Bermuda.

Available evidence suggests that the number of alcohol drinkers is increasing. The latest survey in 2001 found that the number of drinkers increased from 13.7 million in 1996 to 15.3 million in 2001, representing an increase of 2.3 per cent per year.

Somchai Suthikulpanich, vice president of Thai Beverage Marketing Co, said the maker of Chang beer agreed it was appropriate for the government to raise the excise tax on distilled liquor with high alcohol content.

“The new tax will not have a serious impact on local liquor companies,” he said.

A source at Boonrawd Brewery said the tax hike proved that the government was serious about altering taxes to reduce alcohol consumption.

“In the past, local liquor producers have always objected when the government considered adjusting the excise tax on liquor,” he said.

Business Desk

The Nation

[sriracha john]

In defense of George, the original article published in the "Breaking News" section did NOT include the dashes...

the subsequent article published in the "Business" section DID include the dashes.

[sorensenRobert]

What is current tax on wine?? Anybody knows?

[chanchao]

Phew!! :

> The Cabinet decided not to raise excise taxes on local liquors that have not

> yet reached their tax limit. The excise tax limit on local liquor is 60 per

> cent, or Bt100 per litre of alcohol content.

Meaning: Maekhong and Sang Som are off the hook!??!

BRILLIANT NEW LAW!!!

Phew... . . . . [big sigh of relief]

[Totster]

What is current tax on wine?? Anybody knows?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too bloody much whatever it is..

totster

[quiddity]

What is current tax on wine?? Anybody knows?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too bloody much whatever it is..

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do Thais drink much wine? My girlfriend sampled some of the sweeter white wine I bought in Loei and made the funniest, cringed face I think I've ever seen. I convinced her to sample a bit more just to see the look again.

[Totster]

What is current tax on wine?? Anybody knows?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Too bloody much whatever it is..

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do Thais drink much wine? My girlfriend sampled some of the sweeter white wine I bought in Loei and made the funniest, cringed face I think I've ever seen. I convinced her to sample a bit more just to see the look again.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They seem to have a thing for SPY Wine

totster

[Galong]

Wow, the beer lobbyists have done an amazing job!

Welcome to the Police State, formerly known as Thailand.

[chuchok]

You're all a bunch of pissheads.

151 User(s) are reading this topic

[peter416]

From the BKK Post :

Utid Tamwatin, the Excise Department director-general, said the new structure did not affect tax rates on white spirits, given the government's policy to encourage rural community producers.

Does that mean Vodka stays the same price .............. ?

[barryofthailand]

from a current UK guy, soon to be expat residing in LOS and running a cafe/bar to boot (doh!) does anyone have some clarity here? For example, a bottle of 100 Pipers currently running to 300 thb?

The government here (UK) screw us everyway they can with 17.5% VAT plus a tax of around 70% (I'm guessing a bit here) on alcohol at source. Whatever, it's gonna hit the poorer locals and I would be interested if anyone has done some sums. BTW, just got back from the pub where I pay £2.50 (185thb) a pint! Good beer though! ;-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey Pikey,

let me know when you get your cafe open. I'll chek it out.

Barry

[Jai Dee]

You're all a bunch of pissheads.

151 User(s) are reading this topic

Is that the pot calling the kettle black?

[bajajvivek]

What is current tax on wine?? Anybody knows?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Doesn't make much difference buddy! gotta drink if i gotta live.

Cheers

and yes I am a pisshead anybody got problems??????????????????

[fire and ice]

In Australia beer & spirits are HEAPS more expensive off the shelf than in Thailand but wine is far far cheaper.

In fact Australia now has a "wine lake"; there is a massive surplus. Even formerly expensive wines are selling at ridiculously cheap prices & they just can't get rid of it!

The wine tax in Thailand is astronomical considering that in Thailand you pay about double the Australian "pre-wine-lake" price.

I think the TAFTA has something in it about reducing the wine tax over a number of years, or perhaps it was about removing duty for Aussie wines ... then again I may have read that TAFTA section after I'd had a few & I CBF looking it up now.

[LivinLOS]

The irony is by lowering wine excise tax to a level where it becomes more affordable and less of a nieche product its highly likely to encourage wine use and bring in more taxation in total.. Currently wine is a farang (and 'whose watching me' HiSo tax)..

Sounds like 400 baht is going onto the price of my Jamesons or Tullamore though.. Quite a hit on a 550 baht bottle !!!

[wilko]

In my wife´s village they brew anyways their own booze of rice.

They´ll only bootleg more.Unclean alcohol will worsen the situations for the poor.Smuggling will increase and strengthen financial power of the mafia.

A prohibition never solved problems either.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I drunk some moonshine during new years.. ooo potent stuff, sweet but lethal

totster

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[/quote

The cost of alcohol in relation to average income is very high in this country. Has any research been done into the effects of further raising the duty on it? This could well be going down a road where no-one wants to go ...

As the cost of such goods rises and becomes more prohibitive after a certain point the market starts looking for alternatives...e.g. moonshine, smuggling and other recreational drugs...this is bound to create as many problems as it resolves (if it will actually resolve anything anyway.)

For other examples look at tobacco duties in UK and prohibition in USA. Any potential for a large profit inevitably attracts organised crime

[otherstuff1957]

I've tried that Thai Moonshine - it's tasty, but man, what a punch it has!

[bdenner]

Wow, the beer lobbyists have done an amazing job! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Roll on 'Beer O'Clock'

Pity the consumers of hard liquor have to foot the bill for this alone

[Totster]

I've tried that Thai Moonshine - it's tasty, but man, what a punch it has! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bloody right... one sip and my cheeks flushed instantly..

totster

[Scott]

Jesus is coming.

He can turn water into wine.

We can all move to New Orleans!

[farangnoi]

ftrrfrftrfftrrftrflk c hrfuwfuwr iaouwwrfrfrhhfrajdhua, soooooooooo sssooorry

too dfrunk to read this topic...................i need a beer

[99BigLad99]

I can see first job today is go and buy some old stocks a few cases me thinks !!

[worldwalker]

Sounds like 400 baht is going onto the price of my Jamesons or Tullamore though.. Quite a hit on a 550 baht bottle !!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There seems to be quite a bit of confusion and exageration over how this will actually effect prices:

In a 750ml bottle of spirits there are usually .750 x 40% = 0.3 liters of alcohol. The 400B tax is on a liter of pure alcohol.

Under the old scheme the tax was 240B x .3 = 72B

Under the new scheme: 400B x .3 = 120.

That's a 48 baht per 750ml bottle increase in taxes, at least for the cheaper stuff. Yep, that's a hefty tax hike, but no, they're not doubling prices.

Dunno if they recategorized different spirits under the percentage of 'market value' sceme, but raising the floor from 35% to 40% means roughly a 5% increase in the price of a bottle for more expensive brands.

[BlackJack]

I sincerely hope that all politicians and those in the know had enough time to stock up on their favourite grog before the tax kicked in

[bangsaen bob]

Time to move back to the Phillipines. 7 year old rum about 40 THB a bottle. It's good that I don't drink Rum, only beer.

[cutter007]

What is current tax on wine?? Anybody knows?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wine tax I believe is a little above 250%, but I definitely know it is above 200%.

The reason for this is wine was one of the escape goats for the economic collapse in 1997. Before 1997, it was becoming quite popular for middle to upper-class Thais, to buy expensive bottles of wines as gifts.

So after the crisis the government taxed the ###### out of wine, you know it was their basic lame face saving stance, it was not our incompetence that brought this on - it was the wine!!!!

I even remember seeing an advertisement afterwards with a bottle of wine,

and blood spilling out of it.

Q. Do Thais like wine

A. Yes of course they do, even if they don't like the taste, because wine is a great way to represent your "vast" wealth, and in the land of superficial whores, know as Thailand, how could a product like wine not be liked.

[Upcountry]

Hopefully, some of this additional tax money will be used to educate to lower classes to stop drinking alcohol. Not! Oh, look, my pocket needs lining!

By the way, if you worry about drinking more beer, keep in mind that whiskey is actually more fattening than beer!

[kidtongue]

cant be per cent must be per mil

Per 10 mille, more likely, as britmaveric says, i.e. 35.5% and 40.5%

I looked up the original article in The Nation and it really gives those impossible figures of “3550 per cent” and “4050 per cent”.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Outstanding...at last someone has done something that buying judges on the SC and handing out contracts to family members and executing people on allegations has not done...created a seminal event with enough political punch to bring the government down.