Thailand: Non-alcoholic beverages to be taxed

[tkramer]

"why don't they just tax the air that we breathe"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzLe8R1bL4c

Edited November 13, 2014 by tkramer

[fullcave]

No delete function? Brilliant...

Edited November 13, 2014 by fullcave

[tartempion]

They never learned About the Laffer Curve.

[Suradit69]

Ok. Will drink only beer and wine.

A good idea, as sugary drinks have created an obese nation in the west and Thailand looks like they will follow suit. I do hope they make them more expensive than wine or beer.

"created an obese nation in the west"

Just the one?

Definitely nanny state mentality if you think lack of personal control over what you eat & drink is to blame on the availability of things that are unhealthy to consume and should be controlled by "the authorities" through laws and taxes.

Just say "No."

Edited November 13, 2014 by Suradit69

[Time Traveller]

Not a bad idea to be fair , The consumption of sugary drinks is s big factor in childhood obesity

I don't really understand why your lazy lard ass kids is justification for me paying more taxes for something. Could you explain?

[inquisitive]

Here's the thing I don't understand: since corruption was eating up over 30% of all money flowing through the government, and since corruption has now ended, then why isn't the government awash in money right now? What part of this equation am I missing?

[toooa]

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Ok. Will drink only beer and wine. alt=w00t.gif>

A good idea, as sugary drinks have created an obese nation in the west and Thailand looks like they will follow suit. I do hope they make them more expensive than wine or beer. alt=biggrin.png>

It looks like this is a tax drive primarily, not a health drive. They want more money, not better health although that might be used as an excuse to get more money.

Also sugar doesn't make you fat, fat makes you fat. If you eating regular diet, you're most likely getting all the fat you need in your diet and plenty more. In that case, if you're also smashing in the calories from sugar, you'll get fat. But a high consumption of sugar (natural unprocessed plant sugars are best) without the high fat intake doesn't make you fat. Look at the Kenyans... loads of rice and sugar in their diet, low fat, and they're stick thin. Simple sugars are the fuel for our cells. Our cells must convert complex carbs and proteins down to simple sugars before our bodies can use the molecules for energy. We can't use protein, except to break it down to it's amino acid constituents and then rebuild our own proteins or to convert it to sugars which can then be used. All our cells run on sugar. Sugar is our fuel and friend not a foe.

High fat diet and sedentary lifestyle is why Westerners are so fat.

[ukguyinthai]

I dont know a thai on any farm or any market or small shop,or self employed laundry, tailor ,taxi,etc who pays tax.They have got to get it from somewhere.

[Puccini]

It makes sense, doesn’t it? The government levies an excise tax, sometimes called “sin tax”, on items that are considered dangerous to the health, for example alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, in order to reduce their consumption. When this aim is achieved and as a result the income from the excise tax falls, this tax gets applied to additional items to increase the tax revenue again. It is happening also in some European countries.

[toooa]

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Are they looking to maximize the tax RATE, or the tax REVENUE? Sometimes a lower tax rate generates higher tax revenues.

For example, my favorite beer used to cost an already ridiculous 120 baht a bottle in Thai supermarkets, which already included around 70 baht in taxes (based on the actual cost of the beer, which is less than 30 baht per bottle in Germany, plus transport costs.) In spite of this ridiculous price, I used to still buy a bottle of it every now and then. But then they raised the tax again - making a bottle of this beer cost 170 baht now. At the current outrageous price of 170 baht per bottle, I buy exactly zero bottles of beer anymore. So their beer tax revenue from me went down from ridiculously high - to zero.

Since their excise tax revenue fell short of expectations, perhaps I'm not the only one who is saying enough is enough. Sometimes, when you ask for less, you end up with more. I would suggest that they cut down on wasting tax revenues through their populist vote-buying schemes/scams (like the rice pledging one that just today announced losses of 682 BILLION baht), and which I'm having to pay for by not being able to afford my favorite beer anymore.

Unfortunately though, rather than curtail their waste, they choose instead to just tax more kinds of beverages. Sick.

Nailed it.

For the love of Mike! Even common far king sense should make this plainly obvious, but I hear common sense is a bit of a scarcity in the halls of power. They've got a surplus of greed and ludicrous ideas though, if they taxed those they'd clean up...

[gemini81]

I dont know a thai on any farm or any market or small shop,or self employed laundry, tailor ,taxi,etc who pays tax.They have got to get it from somewhere.

Exactly. Poor policy following the fact only about 8 million pay personal income tax. Laughing stock of the world when it comes to tax policy and (mis)management.

[thurien]

Certainly doesn't assist those at the bottom of the societal pile who find their finances squeezed once again

oh yes it will - benefit their state of health! It is a world-wide phenomenon that obesity based on 3rd class quality food and drinks which are amber- liquid (coz of the sugars in them) comes with the bottom of society - look at all those tons of excessive weight walking about e.g. in Mexican slums or any lowly area of the U.S. ... or the U.K. ... or BKK for that...

[Sviss Geez]

.

Edited November 13, 2014 by Sviss Geez

[GrantSmith]

I'm sure the Japanese company Oishi is going to be well pleased... despite its being produced in Thailand.

I'd like to see 100% tax on Red Bull.... exported world wide......... for a certain unknown reason.

Given that Oishi is a Thai company, I'm sure the Japanese aren't too concerned...

But I'll bet the farm that a certain beer company named after the Thai word for Elephant is none to impressed...

Given that Oishi had only a 22% stake owned by F&N, which was bought outright by Japan's KIRIN Holdings in 2010... believe as you like! There are Japanese stakes involved here behind the scenes.

Why would Chang not be impressed?

Oishi is majority owned by ThaiBev... Kirin sold it's shares in F&N to ThaiBev.. ThaiBev owns F&N, sometime around last year I think the mega deal was finalised...

[Time Traveller]

I dont know a thai on any farm or any market or small shop,or self employed laundry, tailor ,taxi,etc who pays tax.They have got to get it from somewhere.

Ever heard of the VAT levied on everything you buy? Ever heard of the excise duties on Fuel? Ever heard of the 30% taxes on new cars all the way up to 300% for imported cars?

Do I need to go on? Trust me, they are paying tax. It might make those simpletons you hang around feel good that they are "cheating the system". but they are paying taxes.

[bangon04]

Will syrups,etc, used, to mix with water also be taxed at the 30-50%

they propose,or will they be left as a loophole.

regards worgeordie

"re-regulation of raw materials from nature used in the mixture of the beverages."

not a lot of natural materials in Coke products, so probably not..

[Andre0720]

It contains alcool, well then just tax it......

It does not contain alcool, well then just tax it....

[Jungle Jim]

The booze tax needs to go up even more maybe 200% even 300 %. Just think of the millions of foreign alcoholics that would either have to leave their booze paradise or clean up their act. My hunch is they would leave. Not a bad thing really. Far fewer accidents, fights, deaths, and very questionable foreigners. No more Full Moon Party morons. What would Thailand do without their non stop drunks ?

[Robert2006]

Signs of parasitic infection; Chronic Fatigue (must work extra hours), Digestive problems and Irregular bowel movements (don't have enough money for food), Feeling down, Suffer with restlessness and anxiety, excessive amount of bacterial or viral infections.

It seems government causes many of the same symptoms as a parasitic infection.

[gchurch259]

I'm sure the Japanese company Oishi is going to be well pleased... despite its being produced in Thailand.

I'd like to see 100% tax on Red Bull.... exported world wide......... for a certain unknown reason.

Since you chose to mention Red Bull, Where is the Red Bull HeirTwerp that killed the Policeman ??

[notmyself]

It makes sense, doesnt it? The government levies an excise tax, sometimes called sin tax, on items that are considered dangerous to the health, for example alcoholic beverages and tobacco products, in order to reduce their consumption. When this aim is achieved and as a result the income from the excise tax falls, this tax gets applied to additional items to increase the tax revenue again. It is happening also in some European countries.

Figures from the UK some 6-7 years back showed that 10% of the revenue generated from tobacco sales went into health. The lower the number of people smoking the higher the tax will be on non smokers. The same will happen here with sugary drinks.

[Trouble]

There is not 1 drink in that picture I would drink, crack on with that lot if they wish.

Kind of a selfish attitude, isn't it? Tax products others use but don't tax products I use.

[me313]

Since no one can protest the tax hikes, it will be part of the peace and happiness agenda, but how can people swallow the bitter guile without any sweet succor beverages?

[jacko45k]

Not a bad idea to be fair , The consumption of sugary drinks is s big factor in childhood obesity

It won't stop it though. Most obese kids I see have food near their mouths all the time.

And a 'smart device' nearby.

[englishoak]

Not a bad idea to be fair , The consumption of sugary drinks is s big factor in childhood obesity

Indeed and the logical thing to do to cure that problem at the same time would be to levy tax on drinks and items depending on the sugar content... with 0 tax on water going up to 50% for products with the highest sugar content.

Instead this sends no message at all other than all drinks will go up a high %

[JeremyBowskill]

There is not 1 drink in that picture I would drink, crack on with that lot if they wish.

Kind of a selfish attitude, isn't it? Tax products others use but don't tax products I use.

Like I make the rules! You expect me to be outraged about something I couldn't care less about?

Edited November 14, 2014 by JeremyBowskill

[tingtongtourist]

The government merely looking to reap more tax from the people under the guise of regulating

the stuff for health issues, rubbish... they need to cove a huge hole made my the fiendish rice scheme

that emptied the government's coffers...

well i would be all ok paying more for drinks if the government coffers were emptied into the farmers pockets.

same old in every country for rich and powerful and politician..lady in charge of a certain Australian bank reportedly made pay of nearly 14 million last year

[chooka]

Then go after the coffee shops peeling cafine. With the number of coffee vendors around the country there would be billions to be made if the increased taxes on cafine by 10 - 50%. Cafine apparently is not good for you either.

[samuijimmy]

opps wrong forum!

Edited November 14, 2014 by samuijimmy

[Micbozy]

...while the rich keep on with their tax evasion and high rank officials keep putting the money in their own pockets.