Thailand is the top alcohol-consuming country in ASEAN

[marko kok prong]

Finally.... #1!!!!!!

As I posted the other day...

#2 in ASEAN for teen pregnancy

#3 in the world for road deaths

All they were missing was a number one. And now... Taa-daa! Well done.

Things are finally looking up for the country.

maybe we can have a holiday to celebrate this fantastic trifecta

Why not? I'm sure you'll be PM come the Election....or just taken as some random prat who knows nothing about Thailand...

go easy i only asked if we could have a holiday,to you know ,indulge in some heavy drinking.

[HeavyDrinker]

You got the wife's vote already!

[Soi Sauce]

PTP will now promise to drop the tax on alchohol if they win the elcttion. Maybe the fact that a large bottle of beer has gone up by7 baht in 4 months is tactical.

As many Thais are serious drinkers, this should secure a few more votes. Also, when you are drunk, you do not tend to eat or move about. so the very large cost of living increase under PTP, pray Thais pray,will not be noticed by the drunks; only the fact that their booze is cheaper

Guaranteed election winner..

[rreddin]

Look at all the pissheads in the NE, and they tell us they are poor, Now we know why.

The survey does not say what is drunk, only the volume of alcohol. A small bottle of white whiskey, popular with the Isaan farmers, is cheaper than a bottle of beer. Isaan has over 30% of the population of the country and not all of them are farmers.

[bigbamboo]

7l pure alcohol is high, in par with europe

Compare this with 11.67l in the UK, 11.81l in Germany, 13.39l in Ireland, and 14.97l in Czech Republic!

You're forgetting that the countries you mention all produce decent brews.

You're also forgetting that a very large proportion of Asians lack an enzyme called aldehyde hydrogenase, which prevents them from consuming beyond a certain level due to the unpleasant physical effects this enzyme deficiency causes. In layman speak, they get drunk much, much faster and with worse ill effects than Caucasians, who generally do NOT lack that enzyme and thus can consume comparatively more before they feel drunk.

Here is an academic paper on that, in case you don't believe me: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC303676/

Given that fact, 7.1 l of PURE alcohol is an enormous consumption.

That's very interesting.

Is there a similar paper on the enzyme that prevents the Welsh from buying a drink too?

[Jim walker]

Things looking up for Thailand at last No.1 at something I’ll drink to that.

[Thai at Heart]

7l pure alcohol is high, in par with europe

Compare this with 11.67l in the UK, 11.81l in Germany, 13.39l in Ireland, and 14.97l in Czech Republic!

This makes little or no allowance for lao kao.

[Thai at Heart]

7l pure alcohol is high, in par with europe

Compare this with 11.67l in the UK, 11.81l in Germany, 13.39l in Ireland, and 14.97l in Czech Republic!

You're forgetting that the countries you mention all produce decent brews.

You're also forgetting that a very large proportion of Asians lack an enzyme called aldehyde hydrogenase, which prevents them from consuming beyond a certain level due to the unpleasant physical effects this enzyme deficiency causes. In layman speak, they get drunk much, much faster and with worse ill effects than Caucasians, who generally do NOT lack that enzyme and thus can consume comparatively more before they feel drunk.

Here is an academic paper on that, in case you don't believe me: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC303676/

Given that fact, 7.1 l of PURE alcohol is an enormous consumption.

I have heard this. I have however, in 18 years in thailand never met a thai man who was completely teetotal. Never.

It's 40c. Who wants to drink water or coke all day...there is no drink driving law enforcement. An ice cold beer is the way forward.

[DrTuner]

Cheers!

[Bluespunk]

"The report also revealed that, in a year, each regular drinker consumes 7.1 litres of pure alcohol, which is equal to 226 bottles of beer or 25 bottles of spirit."

It could be me, but 226 bottles of beer, while a large number, doesn't seem that bad, less than a beer a day. However 25 bottles of spirits, that seems like a lot.

What sort of spirits/bottle sizes are we talking about here?

Edited January 6, 2014 by Bluespunk

[thailandpeter2]

i can only say - it fits perfectly!

Finally.... #1!!!!!!

As I posted the other day...

#2 in ASEAN for teen pregnancy

#3 in the world for road deaths

All they were missing was a number one. And now... Taa-daa! Well done.

Things are finally looking up for the country.

[MMarlow]

"The report also revealed that, in a year, each regular drinker consumes 7.1 litres of pure alcohol, which is equal to 226 bottles of beer or 25 bottles of spirit."

It could be me, but 226 bottles of beer, while a large number, doesn't seem that bad, less than a beer a day. However 25 bottles of spirits, that seems like a lot.

What sort of spirits/bottle sizes are we talking about here?

It is you. The report is not saying that each drinker necessarily drinks either 226 beers or 25 bottles of spirits, it is simply providing an illustration of what would contain 7.1l of alcohol.

[Ragzilb]

Finally something I can believe in

[FalangBaa]

I noticed that the bottom graphic is wrong. If one "man" is supposed to represent 1 million people, how come Bangkok has 2.3 "men" even though the figure is given as 1.3 million, the South also has 2.3 "men" and Issan has 7.7 "men" but the figure says 6.7 million. Three errors just in one graphic... Was the person who created it drunk at the time?

[aimbc]

I wonder if this could be used to predict election outcome . Sorry one more useless comment, but couldn't resist.

[chainarong]

Is it any wounder that it would be otherwise, the direction that Thailand has travelled over the past thirty years would indicated that, the country as a whole is different, the attitudes, the unworldliness, the rampant corruption , the leaders of tomorrow are up against excellent education standards out side in neighbouring countries , so are not wanted, the continued lack of desire from the government, plus Thaskin Shinawatra , places Thailand at a disadvantage, on top of that just keep drinking fella's, it helps keep all those demons away and I love the place , so who cares. hic

[PaullyW]

I don't find it that surprising when you factor in Thais have a higher level of disposable income than many other SEA nations, and also the likes of Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei are Islamic.

Singapore?

I suspect it's a mixture of reasons - like the one you've stated along with the fact that Thais are generally lazy and fun-loving above all else. Nothing wrong with consuming lots of alcohol if you also work hard. "Work hard and play hard."

The Germans drink plenty and still get on with business. The Thais just need to figure out the work hard part. Surely Thailand is one of the least boring countries in ASEAN also.

[harada]

Cheers,Chang of course.

[doremifasol]

Love the graphics.

BTW, I just learned that at 15 Thai teenagers change their status

from dek dek to drinking adults. OUCH!

[ezzra]

'Thailand is the top alcohol-consuming country in ASEAN' and it shows in the number of road

fatalities on a daily bases, what a badge of honor Thailand...

[chooka]

Congratulations Thailand on reaching number 1. Let's celebrate cheers.

[Jack Mountain]

Finally.... #1!!!!!!

As I posted the other day...

#2 in ASEAN for teen pregnancy

#3 in the world for road deaths

All they were missing was a number one. And now... Taa-daa! Well done.

Things are finally looking up for the country.

What about the Happiness factor?

[Bluespunk]

"The report also revealed that, in a year, each regular drinker consumes 7.1 litres of pure alcohol, which is equal to 226 bottles of beer or 25 bottles of spirit."

It could be me, but 226 bottles of beer, while a large number, doesn't seem that bad, less than a beer a day. However 25 bottles of spirits, that seems like a lot.

What sort of spirits/bottle sizes are we talking about here?

It is you. The report is not saying that each drinker necessarily drinks either 226 beers or 25 bottles of spirits, it is simply providing an illustration of what would contain 7.1l of alcohol.

Again, what type of spirits? What size bottles of beer/spirits?

A bottle of spirits every two weeks seems a lot more alcohol than 8 and a 1/2 bottles of beer over the same period.

Edited January 7, 2014 by Bluespunk

[selftaopath]

FINALLY!!! #1. At something.

[Johnnie99]

partly because of high tourist volume and being cheapish (comparable with west).

but 7l pure alcohol is high, in par with europe/america

Does the graphic not specifically note that it is Thai drinkers, therefore excluding tourist drinkers?

[Johnnie99]

This explains so much. Far too much to mention in one post.

[selftaopath]

They're all teetotalers between 2-5pm though.

Yea, because that's NAP time.

[ginjag]

Finally.... #1!!!!!!

As I posted the other day...

#2 in ASEAN for teen pregnancy

#3 in the world for road deaths

All they were missing was a number one. And now... Taa-daa! Well done.

Things are finally looking up for the country.

What about the Happiness factor?

Apenisfactor...(play with words)

[Local Drunk]

I guess it's time for me to chime in... Cheers!

[robblok]

Now i know why the Brits like it so much here not to mention the Russians. Wonder who of those drink more.