Went to the booze shop as I fancied a whisky for a change

[JesseFrank]

But when I saw the prices on the shelves my lust for alcohol disappeared faster than I could think about.

The least drinkable I would consider, a Clan Gold whisky, is now 430 Bht where it was less than 6 months ago 315 Bht for the same thing.

A drinkable brandy starts now around 600 Bht,. even a Blend285 chemical spirit sells now for 265 Bht compared to 198 Bht early 2013. I think a bottle of Black is now 1600 Bht.

That are all price rises by more than 30% over less than a year, where I thought the price increase was 5 - 10%. Am I missing something.

I remember if I went to walking street 3 - 4 years ago I would have fun drinking till morning and take some luggage home as well, and I would have a hard time to spend 4000 Bht all included.

If I go to walking street these days with 5000 Bht in my wallet, I will call the police before midnight as i think someone must have pick pocketed me.

Since we all know that 80% of the tourist in Pattaya don't come here for the temples and national parks, what do you think is happening now.

Are all tourist millionaires these days or are we seeing the end of days in this compartment of the tourism sector ?

[CharlieH]

We can hope !

[arthurwait]

It could be the wage hike, but more likely the old Thai business sense. If you haven't got enough customers willing to pay your existing prices raise them.

[CryWolf]

In Norway a bottle of whiskey cost around 2000 thb. When I'm in Thailand i must admit i feel like a millionaire

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[WitawatWatawit]

It's Somchai's Law. When tourist numbers increase, put up prices. When they plummet, put up prices. Simple, really.

[Goompa]

Since we all know that 80% of the tourist in Pattaya don't come here for the temples and national parks, what do you think is happening now.

The niche' market is becoming " Franchised ".

[jackr]

Blame T and the wage rise. It will get worse. Don't buy any more alcohol or make your own...hit em where it hurts.

[wym]

These days the vast majority of fine imported spirits would be consumed by relatively wealthy Thais, and for them the more expensive the better for face.

Just as with the best local women, the global long-term trend is we honkeys will become more and more the poor relations, while demand driven by the elite of Asia will drive prices for our finest goods above what we can afford.

Perhaps it's time to consider abstaining?

[The Deerhunter]

Just asking? Why the reference to "Somchai's law"? Is that an old expat joke Parkinson's law, Sod's law etc, or is it a reference to the civil rights lawyer who disappeared?

[saakura]

In Norway a bottle of whiskey cost around 2000 thb. When I'm in Thailand i must admit i feel like a millionaire :)Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A bottle of good whiskey in thailand will also cost about the same. Unless you are comparing it to the local spirits like Sang Som, Siam Sato etc

[JesseFrank]

In Norway a bottle of whiskey cost around 2000 thb. When I'm in Thailand i must admit i feel like a millionaire :)Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A bottle of good whiskey in thailand will also cost about the same. Unless you are comparing it to the local spirits like Sang Som, Siam Sato etc

Good whiskey's, and than I'm talking about single malts, start from 3000 Baht these days

[jkinbkk]

If you like a Brandy then try Meridian.

Up country its only THB360 for a 0.70Lt bottle and no ill effects the following morning.

[WitawatWatawit]

Just asking? Why the reference to "Somchai's law"? Is that an old expat joke Parkinson's law, Sod's law etc, or is it a reference to the civil rights lawyer who disappeared?

A play on Sod's law. Would never disrespect a guy like Somchai Neelapaichit and his family.

[thehelmsman]

If you like a Brandy then try Meridian.

Up country its only THB360 for a 0.70Lt bottle and no ill effects the following morning.

If we have a planned night of drinking I usually get a bottle of Regency (Brandy) about 600 baht for the VIP mat and Blend for us common folk.

[JesseFrank]

If you like a Brandy then try Meridian.

Up country its only THB360 for a 0.70Lt bottle and no ill effects the following morning.

Haven't tried Meridian and are also quite hesitant to try a Brandy produced by a Thai company, though it was over 400 Baht today at friendship in Pattaya.

I have tried the Noble knight Napoleon brandy, which is classified as an X.O. and produced in Vietnam, and is the only brandy still available below 400 Baht, and I'm sure paint thinner tastes better.

[RandomSand]

Mid 2013, the alcohol beverage tax ceiling was raised to 2,000 baht a litre per 100% alcohol content.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/665571-thailand-alcohol-excise-taxes-raised/

[JesseFrank]

Mid 2013, the alcohol beverage tax ceiling was raised to 2,000 baht a litre per 100% alcohol content.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/665571-thailand-alcohol-excise-taxes-raised/

Effective on September 4, the excise taxes on liquor, beer and wine will go up by 7- 15 per cent.

What we see on spirits isn't 7 - 15 % but more than 30%.

The prices I gave are not taken out of thin air, they are the same all over Thailand.

The Clan gold whiskey which was 315 and now 430 Bht goes for 499 Baht at Big C for example.

The point I tried to make also is that with prices like this they are discouraging a large part of the potential tourist as they come here to party, but there are far cheaper places for like for like entertainment these days I think.

Edited January 19, 2014 by JesseFrank

[RandomSand]

Previously tax was 400 baht a litre per 100% alcohol content or 50% of the value, whichever is higher.

Now 2,000 baht a litre per 100% alcohol content.

0.7L Clan Gold @ 40% alcohol. You say was B315 now B430...

Was B 112 tax based on alcohol content. Or: B 157.5 based on value (which is higher). That gives us a pre-tax price for 0.7L Clan Gold of B 157.5.

Now B 560 tax based on alcohol content. That means B 430-499 is too cheap OR you've got a bigger bottle than 0.7L ?

Edited January 19, 2014 by RandomSand

[JesseFrank]

Previously tax was 400 baht a litre per 100% alcohol content or 50% of the value, whichever is higher.

Now 2,000 baht a litre per 100% alcohol content.

0.7L Clan Gold @ 40% alcohol. You say was B315 now B430...

Was B 112 tax based on alcohol content. Or: B 157.5 based on value (which is higher). That gives us a pre-tax price for 0.7L Clan Gold of B 157.5.

Now B 560 tax based on alcohol content. That means B 430-499 is too cheap OR you've got a bigger bottle than 0.7L ?

I think you are mixing up things. The 2000 baht a liter per 100% alcohol is the ceiling. Keyword = ceiling

That mean that the concerned ministry can raise the taxes at their own discretion without having to change the law, until they have reached that ceiling.

In the link you provided before is said that the decided to raise 7 - 15 % for now.

If the calculation in your post would be correct that would mean that any alcoholic drink of 0.70l and 40% alcohol content, Thai or foreign, would carry a tax of 560 Bht and would cost more than 600 Baht for the cheapest crap spirit on the market.

[wym]

I doubt if many tourists, other than alcoholics, will take the local price of imported booze into account in deciding where to take their holidays.

Such issues are simply not important to normal people.

[JesseFrank]

I doubt if many tourists, other than alcoholics, will take the local price of imported booze into account in deciding where to take their holidays.

Such issues are simply not important to normal people.

Have you ever seen normal people in Pattaya ?

As I said everyone knows why tourists come to Pattaya, their biggest expense is entertainment . They may even not be aware of the local price when booking their holiday, but they probably will at the end of it as their expense this year might be a lot higher than last year.

Keep in mind that in walking street it isn't only the price of drinks that has risen out of the pan, " other " entertainment has completely lost all touch with reality.

I had a regular here just over the new year, who comes 3 times a year for the past 10 years or so, and he was complaining about the extreme price rises since last holiday .

And I don't think that one who has a 12 Million baht holiday home on the outskirts of Pattaya can be considered a cheap charlie or short of cash.

Edited January 19, 2014 by JesseFrank

[edwardandtubs]

Clan Gold is a grotesque excuse for a whisky. Why on earth would you want to drink that? Perhaps they're trying to reposition that foul industrial waste product as a "luxury brand" in Thailand. I haven't noticed significant price increases in other drinks.

Edited January 19, 2014 by edwardandtubs

[RandomSand]

Keep in mind that in walking street it isn't only the price of drinks that has risen out of the pan, " other " entertainment has completely lost all touch with reality.

It's a free market subject to the laws of supply and demand.

If you don't agree with the prices then don't buy it.

..But wait.. You will buy it at these prices which proves that the laws of supply and demand are functioning correctly and the price is not high enough (for you) until you actually refuse to pay-up.

The price is right or too cheap for you, yet.

Edited January 19, 2014 by RandomSand

[MAJIC]

In Norway a bottle of whiskey cost around 2000 thb. When I'm in Thailand i must admit i feel like a millionaire :)Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A bottle of good whiskey in thailand will also cost about the same. Unless you are comparing it to the local spirits like Sang Som, Siam Sato etc

Good whiskey's, and than I'm talking about single malts, start from 3000 Baht these days

Exactly! Personally I don't consider Jonny Walker at 1600 BAHT (£31) a bottle in Thailand worth buying,neither is it quality Scotch,IMO.

[wym]

Have you ever seen normal people in Pattaya ?

No you're right, even if they're normal elsewhere they certainly aren't while they remain within that area.

And I don't think that one who has a 12 Million baht holiday home on the outskirts of Pattaya can be considered a cheap charlie or short of cash.

Well I personally would consider them - well can't think of how to say it politely, so we'll just leave it at that.

In any case I stand by my assertion that this is much ado about nothing important.

[CryWolf]

In Norway a bottle of whiskey cost around 2000 thb. When I'm in Thailand i must admit i feel like a millionaire :)Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

A bottle of good whiskey in thailand will also cost about the same. Unless you are comparing it to the local spirits like Sang Som, Siam Sato etc

Chivas Regal 18 year-old will cost 3650 thb. That is for 70cl, so 1 liter would be at 5200 thb

Of course now we're talking good whiskey...

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[JesseFrank]

Keep in mind that in walking street it isn't only the price of drinks that has risen out of the pan, " other " entertainment has completely lost all touch with reality.

It's a free market subject to the laws of supply and demand.

If you don't agree with the prices then don't buy it.

..But wait.. You will buy it at these prices which proves that the laws of supply and demand are functioning correctly and the price is not high enough (for you) until you actually refuse to pay-up.

The price is right or too cheap for you, yet.

Again you seem confused. Did you see the first line in my OP ?

But when I saw the prices on the shelves my lust for alcohol disappeared faster than I could think about.

Which indicates that I don't agree with the these prices, in fact I went outside empty handed .

And I'm not alone, I've heard from other people that it's getting over the top. Did you notice by the way how the assortment of alcoholic drinks in most liquor shops has decreased ?

There was recently a sign up in Big C, I think it was about the Beaujolais 2014, that they decided NOT to stock it since the new excise taxes made it unsellable.

[wym]

Outrageous! I reckon we should get out en masse and protest, block the streets, shut down Bangkok!

[CryWolf]

Keep in mind that in walking street it isn't only the price of drinks that has risen out of the pan, " other " entertainment has completely lost all touch with reality.

It's a free market subject to the laws of supply and demand.

If you don't agree with the prices then don't buy it.

..But wait.. You will buy it at these prices which proves that the laws of supply and demand are functioning correctly and the price is not high enough (for you) until you actually refuse to pay-up.

The price is right or too cheap for you, yet.

Again you seem confused. Did you see the first line in my OP ?

But when I saw the prices on the shelves my lust for alcohol disappeared faster than I could think about.

Which indicates that I don't agree with the these prices, in fact I went outside empty handed .

And I'm not alone, I've heard from other people that it's getting over the top. Did you notice by the way how the assortment of alcoholic drinks in most liquor shops has decreased ?

There was recently a sign up in Big C, I think it was about the Beaujolais 2014, that they decided NOT to stock it since the new excise taxes made it unsellable.

If the government wants to make people drink less, due to the coast of too many alcoholics ending up in the gutter, well then they have succeeded. Afterall, you left empty handed

[JesseFrank]

Keep in mind that in walking street it isn't only the price of drinks that has risen out of the pan, " other " entertainment has completely lost all touch with reality.

It's a free market subject to the laws of supply and demand.

If you don't agree with the prices then don't buy it.

..But wait.. You will buy it at these prices which proves that the laws of supply and demand are functioning correctly and the price is not high enough (for you) until you actually refuse to pay-up.

The price is right or too cheap for you, yet.

Again you seem confused. Did you see the first line in my OP ?

But when I saw the prices on the shelves my lust for alcohol disappeared faster than I could think about.

Which indicates that I don't agree with the these prices, in fact I went outside empty handed .

And I'm not alone, I've heard from other people that it's getting over the top. Did you notice by the way how the assortment of alcoholic drinks in most liquor shops has decreased ?

There was recently a sign up in Big C, I think it was about the Beaujolais 2014, that they decided NOT to stock it since the new excise taxes made it unsellable.

If the government wants to make people drink less, due to the coast of too many alcoholics ending up in the gutter, well then they have succeeded. Afterall, you left empty handed

Yes they have succeeded in my case because I'm a foreigner and don't have the right connections, but the Thai population which they target get their booze on the black market these days, since smuggling booze from neighboring countries has reached never seen levels.

Others drink self produced booze, so in reality they only succeed with foreigners but fail big time with the target Thai population, which I suspect is the least desirable result.

Edited January 20, 2014 by JesseFrank