Tough new crackdown on alcohol promotions in Thailand

[MobileContent]

I am a huge supporter of the coup and all the good that it has done/is doing for Thailand. When they say they want to encourage tourism, and then they come up with stupid ass decisions to discourage tourism it makes me really angry. It's like they don't understand what brings people to Thailand.

It feels like the leadership of the country doesn't communicate with all of the other parts of the government. For instance, tour guides reported Russian tour agents to the government and this was dismissed because it was decided that these Russian tour guides provide a good service for tourists. The next day they are talking about inspecting all tour agencies to make sure they are in compliance with all laws. It just makes me shake my head. The same goes for immigration crackdowns and then loosening because it was a bad decision. Please can we just understand that this crackdown is a bad decision before they implement it? Please. Please Please.

With the greatest of respect, you supported authoritarian rule, now you have it. A bit late to start complaining now.

I really don't expect you to understand this, but I love Thailand. I supported the coup not because I like the general, or the army or Suthep by any means. I supported the coup because for the first time in my tenure here, someone was in power that wasn't in it for themself. They wanted to do something positive and lasting for the country in the long term.

Positive and longterm should include thoughts of the future and how Thailand can progress to even better places than it is currently. These laws will turn off tourists from coming here. That directly affects my business - yes, but more importantly to me, it affects Thailand progressing.

I want the best for Thailand, and if anyone thinks that souring tourists from coming here is going to help this country, then in my opinion they are wrong.

Right now is when foreigners are planning their vacations for next high season in Thailand. This type of crackdown will discourage tourists from coming here. That will hurt Thailand. It will not just hurt farangs living here or Thais living here, but all of Thailand.

I know that I am not alone when I say that Thailand is where I planned to live out my life. I know that I am not the only business owner looking at Thailand's policies and wondering how long I can afford to live here.

You can criticize me all you want. I am just sharing my feelings from the perspective of someone who loves Thailand and doesn't want to see it decline for reasons that could have been avoided.

Even a Thai person I spoke to tonight when I explained everything in this press release, said that Thailand is going back to the jungle.

I am just hoping that clearer minds precede and they take a different stance on this subject. Like immigration, it all should be done, but should be done in baby steps. Trying to go from 100mph to 0mph in one second will make you skid out. Take stances but don't go from one extreme to the other.

I work for a company as a consultant that brings around 200-250k of tourists per year on package tours to Thailand, but we will not loose much business as they are on a package tour and if they drink they will normally have a beer or a glass of wine in the resort or hotel they will be staying. Families that visit Thailand will also not feel the clampdown.

Those tourists will not be that much hurt with the current clampdown that seems to start in Chiang Mai and might soon hit Bangkok and Pattaya.

The only people that will feel the clampdown are the Single travellers and of course the Thais.

Since you supported the Coup this is what you get.

I posted in May already that this coup is different and it is just a matter of time before they start with visa crackdowns and as well start closing the prostitution places. Trust me their will be no election next year and Nana, Cowboy, Walking Street will be gone in a few years time.

Yes, I love Thailand too and my lady and son are Thais. I lived under Gen. Prem, Gen Chatchai, Gen. Suchinda, Anan, Gen. Chavalit, Chuan Lekpai, Thaksin S., Gen. Sonthi, Gen. Surayud, Abhisit, Yingluck S. and now Gen. Prauyth. It's all same same

Edited August 26, 2014 by MobileContent

[Tokay]

I guess that explains why the policeman told me just 3 hours ago that my Chang Beer t-shirt that I bought at the night market was "no good" and "must to change." I honestly thought he was just having a go at me for a laugh, but he was serious.

This is probably just the beginning. The PM wants Thailand to return to it's "old ways" whatever that means. Thai values. Smoking next. Then prostitution. Then dress code.

What's the old saying... If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. In this case, the hammer is a military government.

For those of you who don't have a Plan B, if this isn't a hint that you should be getting one, I don't know what to tell ya.

[Tanlic]

Let's look at this sensibly.

• No more "beer girls" That's a great idea...... should put a few more young girls out of a job..
• Health warnings on all alcohol products. Waste of time people who drink more than they should are usually too drunk to read anything.
• No old bottles of wines or beer can be used to decorate a business.........That one bamboozles me. What on earth is the difference betweeen an old bottle and a new one ?
• No happy hours promotions..........No problem scrap happy hour and replace it with "Our standard for a beer is 80 Baht until 9pm after which time we have a 50% surcharge"
• Promoting alcohol through word of mouth is also illegal..........I can just imagine your friend is in Thailand for the first time and asks do you know a good bar?........Sorry can't tell you it's against the law
• No alcohol logos are allowed on glasses, ashtrays and other paraphernalia ......Great idea only problem is the only people who can see these logos are people who came in for a drink in the first place
• Punishments of up to six months in jail for various offences.........No comment law's the law even if you disagree with it.
• All promotion of alcoholic consumption is illegal.............Does this apply to all Thai companies who export beer wordwide? or do morals in Thailand not stretch that far?

I suppose we can now expect futher price increases in al drinks. No more freebies from suppliers to the bars.

Bar owners will have to replace every beer mat they have. These come free from companies like Chang etc. The bill holders will need to be replaced, many ashtrays signs and beer glasses all adding to the cost of running a bar.

Prices go up again, less toursits come and so it goes on.

What about the print companies who get their businss or the people who make the ashtrays and glasses etc for them....what do they do when their biggest customers are no more. Close down lay off staff more unemployment?

What about the orders already in place?......millions of baht down the drain

No happy hour alot of people will lose their jobs as well.

Unemployment goes up people get desparate and turn to crime. Already a few people hiding in the shadows selling things illgally on lower Sukhumvit during the day.

It's about time we heard some news about creating jobs for the less fortunate instead of creating laws that will lead to more peoverty for the poor who depend on their jobs to live.

Edited August 26, 2014 by Tanlic

[RedQualia]

If I understand this correctly, all imported alcoholic products will also have to be relabeled somewhere along the line. I assume that means each and every bottle of imported beer, imported wine.

Does this temple get to stay, or must it be torn down? http://www.weather.com/news/science/buddhist-temple-made-15-million-beer-bottles-20130702

[nicolas18]

First, alcohol... Next, prostitution?

One can only dream. Forget about visa changes, THAT would really clean up the country of all sorts of undesirables.

[IAMSOBAD]

As dumb a law as the CANT BUY NOW afternoon lunacy.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I don't see any news on these supposed restrictions coming out of Bangkok...

But, the supposed rules do look a lot like the ABCA law regulating alcohol promotion and sales enacted in 2008.

https://www.amchamthailand.com/asp/view_doc.asp?DocCID=1891

The ABCA prohibits the use of price discounts, as well as
offering a gift or other benefits in exchange for purchasing
an alcoholic product (or for returning the label or container
of such product). Furthermore, alcoholic products may not
be actively hawked or peddled, regardless of the location,
nor may they be sold via automatic vending machines.

Advertisements may not include an image of the
alcoholic beverage itself or its container, name or mark, in
any manner that boasts of the product’s efficacy or in a way
that is meant to induce others to consume such beverage.
The limits appear to apply to all forms of advertising, including
television, newspapers, magazines and billboards.

Edited August 26, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[true blue]

what about Thai beer sponsoring UK football, Chang is Everton anywhere else?

will make sure i wear my everton shirt every time i go to a bar,

Everton who are they I'll be wearing an AUFC shirt.

AUFC.jpg

who the heck are aufc,whats are name.

[Tanlic]

I missed this: No drinking is allowed after midnight in bars or restaurants

There goes your young tourism trade.

20 year olds to 45 year olds who want to have a 2 week holiday and party won't come within a million miles of the place.

I know when I used to book holidays the firt thing I wanted to know is when does everything close.

[true blue]

Tawan Daeng in CM was going strong at 2am. In fact, it does not really even get packed until midnight. The tourist bars were locking up even before midnight. You just need to know the right places.

went there friday night and near impossible to get a table,and that place is not big, its huge its like a converted old cinema, Edited August 26, 2014 by true blue

[SMSinBangkok]

Cambodia getting closer

Jesus Christ, I moved to Thailand five years ago to escape one of the worst nanny states in the world, Norway. I smoke cigarettes and I love to drink and party in my offtime in the weekends. I spend all my money, which is a descent Norwegian salary, in Thailand.

I just spent two weeks of my summer holiday in Phnom Penh Cambodia. Had a great time. I work online so it´s easy for me to move.

Getting closer and closer to saying bye bye Thailand.

You'd live in Cambodia just to get cheap booze?

Have you ever thought of AA?

I suggest you read my reply one more time.

regards

Martin

[bluecheesefan]

When I first read the original post I had the initial impression that this was an effort to reduce alcohol based accidents, but after reading the actual article I get the sense this is also targeting underage drinking. I am at a loss though at how many of these changes in advertising will have the desired impact. Removing logos from ashtrays in a bar seems to have no correlating factor to whether a person drinks or not. I mean, you are already in a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol. I understand limiting television advertising. That was done in the USA long ago. I have to believe regulating the advertising is going to be a much larger and more costly effort than promoting a campaign based on the impacts of alcohol. Changing a beer girl's uniform will also have no effect that I can see. She isn't there for the alcohol product, she is there as a sexual image. The connection to the alcohol will be implied whether the logo is present or not. As for closing bars early, if this applies to tourist bar areas, it will simply kill the industry (along with removal of all "symbols" of alcohol in alcohol serving establishments). I present now a few suggestions for things that might work:

- Require ID for the purchase of alcohol. Put the responsibility on the store, bar and/or server for serving underage customers. No store, bar or server wants to get fined and lose money out of their own pockets for selling a beer to a minor.

- Set up road check stops after 1 am and do sobriety tests.

- Set up a license system for bars that clearly states the hours that they are able to operate. Don't have a one rule for all bars policy which is then negotiated with local police.

- Don't stop all advertising, but instead make advertisers describe the impact that their products can have. They continue to pay to advertise, but now must take a part in educating. The same applies to advertisements on ashtrays, t-shirts, etc.

There are many more things that can be done that would be more effective than simply stopping all advertising. The fact remains that most people learn to drink based on what happens within the family circle. If the family drinks, the child will probably eventually drink or at least has a greater propensity for developing the habit. This is about breaking the cycle and advertising in my opinion is not the driver of the problem.

[bronco10250]

I'm going to go off on a little rant here... sorry....

Thailand is such a joke you know? I mean, seriously... such a joke. They come up with these new laws all the time... and its not just like a law like some basic new alcohol law like "labels must show nutritional information"... They go 100% balls out... They ban every aspect of alcohol to the point where the only thing left to ban is alcohol itself... its going 0-100 in 1 second flat.

And they dont just do this with alcohol, they do it with everything in this country. Could you imagine legitimate countries like America, England, Australia and other first world countries coming up with new, ridiculous laws every other week... like going 100% balls out, out of no where on these laws.... then a few weeks later just pretending like it never happened...

What a joke...

Its clearly all about money. Of all the things Thailand needs to go 100% balls out on, like corruption, medical care, education, poverty, crime, hell... the government itself for christ sake... It is going to focus on something like this. Its obviously all about money.

My theory is some police chiefs got together with a brain storming exercise to find a way to make some extra cash since they "lost" so much during the military coup..... What better way than this? Ride around all the bars every night, walk in, collect a few thousand baht and pull up to the next bar and do the same thing. The cops will make hundreds of millions off of this.

Exactly! And thats how it will work IF implemented... still hoping they row back!

[media]

Yet Another CRAZY Ridiculous bunch of BS. I hope that this turns out to be hot wind.

[connda]

To all those who claim Thailand is not a "nanny state," how do ya like them apples?

They're starting to follow the lead of their Western Big Brothers. Give them time - they'll catch up.

[bluecheesefan]

I don't see any news on these supposed restrictions coming out of Bangkok...

But, the supposed rules do look a lot like the ABCA law regulating alcohol promotion and sales enacted in 2008.

https://www.amchamthailand.com/asp/view_doc.asp?DocCID=1891

The ABCA prohibits the use of price discounts, as well as

offering a gift or other benefits in exchange for purchasing

an alcoholic product (or for returning the label or container

of such product). Furthermore, alcoholic products may not

be actively hawked or peddled, regardless of the location,

nor may they be sold via automatic vending machines.

Advertisements may not include an image of the

alcoholic beverage itself or its container, name or mark, in

any manner that boasts of the product’s efficacy or in a way

that is meant to induce others to consume such beverage.

The limits appear to apply to all forms of advertising, including

television, newspapers, magazines and billboards.

What is unclear to me is the idea of a "gift" for "returning the label or container". Does this mean you can't sell bottles back for recycling? Just a confusing idea that someone returns a label or container.

[mekongsailor]

The rules of this crackdown CAN and WILL be used by the terrorists in The South to justify their actions. Bombing bars, stores, etc.... The end is nigh.......

[changsinghleo]

Straws! The next culprit to be axed, and about time. Doesn't everyone know why Thais use them for drinking beer? No? Okay, here's the lowdown, and incidentally, hide all your straws because they will be on the no-no list very soon. Sucking the suds up thru a straw increases the volume of alcohol that goes to your head. (Or, something to that effect.) Have you ever noticed the surprises on their faces when we Farang refuse the straw? I'd hate to be a straw salesman or woman in Thailand. They'll soon be looking for a new vocation!

[bluecheesefan]

Straws! The next culprit to be axed, and about time. Doesn't everyone know why Thais use them for drinking beer? No? Okay, here's the lowdown, and incidentally, hide all your straws because they will be on the no-no list very soon. Sucking the suds up thru a straw increases the volume of alcohol that goes to your head. (Or, something to that effect.) Have you ever noticed the surprises on their faces when we Farang refuse the straw? I'd hate to be a straw salesman or woman in Thailand. They'll soon be looking for a new vocation!

I thought it was just so the girl could get you to buy her another drink faster... DOH!

Edited August 26, 2014 by bluecheesefan

[changsinghleo]

Will this crackdown on alcohol somehow improve the conditions of urinals? I'm referring to the odors as well as visible cleanliness. Just asking, okay!

[wellred]

First, alcohol... Next, prostitution?

One can only dream. Forget about visa changes, THAT would really clean up the country of all sorts of undesirables.

The p4p scene for foreigners is tiny compared to that which caters for locals. And it's the oldest occupation in the book so really don't think it can be stamped out altogether. Can it?

[Friendly Stranger]

To all those who claim Thailand is not a "nanny state," how do ya like them apples?

I have to admit, this has raised my eyebrows. So last call for alcohol is midnight? Wow, this has taken me by surprise. Not to be a kill joy, is drinking in public next as I"d thought they would do this before what has been mentioned?

Interesting to see where this goes..

Edited August 26, 2014 by Friendly Stranger

[bluecheesefan]

It all seems pretty silly, but I guess it could be worse. At least they aren't trying prohibition.

I consider alcohol different than tobacco.

Tobacco is good for nobody and ZERO tobacco is the best thing for everybody.

Alcohol in moderation is something pleasurable and even arguably health promoting for the majority of people IF they can avoid excess.

Of course not everyone can avoid excess and some people are probably genetically vulnerable to become alcoholics.

On the other hand, I've never heard of anyone killing a family of four because he happened to be driving after smoking a pack of Marlboros, or of anyone getting any fistfights while under the influence of nicotine.

True but second hand smoke does kill.

So people get hurt by it but it's less immediately visible.

Risible comparison.

I had to look up "risible".

ris·i·ble

ˈrizəbəl/

adjective

1. such as to provoke laughter.

   "a risible scene of lovemaking in a tent"

   synonyms: laughable, ridiculous, absurd, comical, comic, amusing, funny, hilarious,humorous, droll, farcical, silly, ludicrous, hysterical; More

   • rare

     (of a person) having the faculty or power of laughing; inclined to laugh.

[mrfaroukh]

Welcome to the Islamic State of Chiang Mai

[Greer]

Utterly ridiculous.

[Tokay]

Prayuth famous words : "This is Thai Style democracy" .

Welcome to paradise

Which looks more and more like a Burmese style democracy.

[Tokay]

First, alcohol... Next, prostitution?

One can only dream. Forget about visa changes, THAT would really clean up the country of all sorts of undesirables.

Sums it up perfectly. You want to get rid of the riff raff, get rid of the boozers and mongers.

I'm not saying I want that to happen, just pointing out that what you said is correct. Get rid of that stuff and this place will clear out quickly.

[Thai at Heart]

On one hand they are building a new airport and crying out for tourists. On the other, let's close the bars at 12.

[IsaanUSA]

I have to admit, this has raised my eyebrows. So last call for alcohol is midnight? Wow, this has taken me by surprise. Not to be a kill joy, is drinking in public next as I"d thought they would do this before what has been mentioned?

Interesting to see where this goes..

Last call would NOT be midnight. It says no consumption of alcohol after midnight at a bar or restaurant. So at 11:59pm you would need to dump your drink on the ground or risk a ticket.

I forsee private member's only clubs, where you pay 100 baht for a one night membership which gives you one free beer.

[Makhao]

Erm, first of april was already this yeah, or not?