webfact Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Singha Heir Denies Grudge Against Chang BeerBy Teeranei CharuvastraStaff ReporterBANGKOK — When controversy erupted earlier this month involving celebrities, social media and beer, the public had an unlikely source to thank for the full-blown media convulsion that ensued.The man who brought the possibly illegal use of Instagram to promote Chang Classic to public attention, a scion of the archrival Singha Beer conglomerate, said through a rep today however that his actions were not driven by competition.“This deliberation by law enforcement officials will set a standard for alcoholic beverage business operators in the future, about what can and cannot be done,” Chatchai Wiratyosinond told the Alcohol Control Board today on behalf of Piti Bhirombhakdi. “This is not about an issue between Chang and Singha.”On Oct. 10, the Alcohol Control Board and police launched an investigation into 30 actors, actresses and singers who posted to Instagram photos of themselves with Chang Classic, a recently introduced beer line from Chang’s brewery, ThaiBev.The investigation came after Piti, an executive at Singha brewer Boon Rawd, posted on Facebook that the celebrities may have violated the 2008 Alcohol Control Act, which forbids advertising alcohol by even showing brand logos or “enticing” others to drink.Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1445241976 -- Khaosod English 2015-10-19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder26 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Chang is a solid competitor at the moment. The bottles look like Heineken bottles and Chang tastes better than Heineken. I predict Heineken sales will drop a lot and those who used to drink Leo will shift to Chang Classic as it is a better beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toybits Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I like the packaging of the competitor. Looks very refreshing. Hope I did not violate any laws by posting this comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catterwell Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Khun Piti is of course just acting as good citizen to instigate the full force of the law against his main local competitor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prbkk Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Khun Piti is of course just acting as good citizen to instigate the full force of the law against his main local competitor. They promote beer the old-fashioned way....calendars of naked women as per those handed out by Chitpas at government house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catterwell Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Khun Piti is of course just acting as good citizen to instigate the full force of the law against his main local competitor. They promote beer the old-fashioned way....calendars of naked women as per those handed out by Chitpas at government house I don't have anything against naked women, at least not right now this moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisY1 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Why do they even bother.......... These brewers are beyond reproach.........their management are right up there among the elite............! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangrak Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Chang is a solid competitor at the moment. The bottles look like Heineken bottles and Chang tastes better than Heineken. I predict Heineken sales will drop a lot and those who used to drink Leo will shift to Chang Classic as it is a better beer. Chang classic better than Leo? That could be what your tastebuds tell you, wonder what damaged them to that point... (Not saying that Leo is a premium lager, what it isn't at all, as to taste better than Heineken in Thailand, I don't know which other even overaged lager doesn't..., but hey, that's just my opinion as a former professional beer, mostly lager, taster...). N.B.: what a shame the people at Chang have lost the expertise from the Carlberg brewers, which allowed their company to grow big at the time, greed, Thainess...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangrak Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Whether organised or not (IMO it must have been, in some un-official Thai way), it is, according to the restrictive Thai laws, an illegal promotion for Chang, period! Why would someone from Singha need to apologize for denouncing it, whenever he did it, or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangrak Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Khun Piti is of course just acting as good citizen to instigate the full force of the law against his main local competitor. They promote beer the old-fashioned way....calendars of naked women as per those handed out by Chitpas at government house Here we have the opinion of an un-biased and a-political contributor (NOT). Let me guess what your reaction would have been had the situation been the exact opposite... Kept your Thai grenadine coloured mouth shut then, for once? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockatoowho Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Chang is a solid competitor at the moment. The bottles look like Heineken bottles and Chang tastes better than Heineken. I predict Heineken sales will drop a lot and those who used to drink Leo will shift to Chang Classic as it is a better beer. As a 50 years plus beer drinker, I can assure you that all the beers you mentioned are absolute crap, especially the new Chang brew of which I have to drink because Heineken, Leo and Singh are absolutely rancid. Bring back Carlsberg or let Kirin (#1 Japan) move in now they have taken over the biggest brewer in Burma. Problem is if they do, the rest will be history. This country is so pathetically bent, they only allow two brewers and they dictate that the government to make it illegal to home brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockatoowho Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Must have been a great payday for the BIB, being paid to follow up the complaint and then greased again to make it go away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Chang is a solid competitor at the moment. The bottles look like Heineken bottles and Chang tastes better than Heineken. I predict Heineken sales will drop a lot and those who used to drink Leo will shift to Chang Classic as it is a better beer. As a 50 years plus beer drinker, I can assure you that all the beers you mentioned are absolute crap, especially the new Chang brew of which I have to drink because Heineken, Leo and Singh are absolutely rancid. Bring back Carlsberg or let Kirin (#1 Japan) move in now they have taken over the biggest brewer in Burma. Problem is if they do, the rest will be history. This country is so pathetically bent, they only allow two brewers and they dictate that the government to make it illegal to home brew. Carlsberg is back since a long time....you are in the wrong supermarkts (not in 7/11) Problem the brewer families are all corrupt and protect their monopoly..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Khun Piti is of course just acting as good citizen to instigate the full force of the law against his main local competitor. They promote beer the old-fashioned way....calendars of naked women as per those handed out by Chitpas at government house That sounds like an open minded liberal (no I don't mean liberal how it is used in US politics at the moment) mind.... I always liked her.....sorry she won't marry me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tx22cb Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Of course the authorities would back the Singha beer owners - the family name "Bhirombhakdi" is very old-establishment and blue blooded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
15Peter20 Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 (edited) I wonder how many would turn their backs on beer if they knew every purchase was propping up the 'educate people' who run the country and keep the military in their pockets to do what is necessary when push comes to shove in the main arena.... Tough choice - personal joy tonight versus political future of Thailand. Should we give it one more day? Edited October 19, 2015 by 15Peter20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubbaJohnny Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 I like the packaging of the competitor. Looks very refreshing. Hope I did not violate any laws by posting this comment. National Socialism and the Volstead Act and my wife looked attractive. Hindsight is a teacher esp with froth and piss.If German,Czech and Belgian beers were readily availbale taxed at same level as local they would dominate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Loh Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 No grudge? I doubt it when Chang muscled their way into the dominant beer market replacing Singha as the market leader. ThaiBev has always being 2 steps ahead of Singha in terms of market savviness and aquisition. And taste much better too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I wonder how many would turn their backs on beer if they knew every purchase was propping up the 'educate people' who run the country and keep the military in their pockets to do what is necessary when push comes to shove in the main arena.... Tough choice - personal joy tonight versus political future of Thailand. Should we give it one more day? The beer companies, CP, the big banks, the big car manufacturer hand out money to everyone....military, PTP, Democrats, Red Shirts, Yellow Shirts, etc etc....They cover themself to be on the right side no matter who gets in power. If you look at the politics over the last decades you'll see that no one want to hurt them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halloween Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I wonder how many would turn their backs on beer if they knew every purchase was propping up the 'educate people' who run the country and keep the military in their pockets to do what is necessary when push comes to shove in the main arena.... Tough choice - personal joy tonight versus political future of Thailand. Should we give it one more day? The answer is nobody, because the connection is too tenuous to bother considering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaidream Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Chang almost put Singha out of business through its relationship with the Mom and Pop shops. Chang produced a high alcohol beer, undercut Singha considerably on price, and told the shops that if you don't sell Chang you won't get access to the Thai whiskey and white spirits. Chang then grabbed huge market share and forced Singha to re brand itself. I assure there is no love lost between the two. As to which one tastes better- that is an individual choice. The best beers I ever had were in Germany and Eastern Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaidream Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Check out the history of ThaiBev and its wealthy owner Khun Charoen who not only owns Chang but Archa and has distilleries all over Europe. He also owns Panthip Plaza and a major hotel in New York City. In addition, he has big connections in Thailand. His empire is untouchable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgking Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) KIRIN which is brewed by San Miguel here in Thailand, has been in my Foodland for more than a year. However, it is somewhat disappointing when compared to the bottles I use to drink in Tokyo. The Carlsberg (brewed in KL) is currently my 'best' choice for beers in LOS. Edited October 20, 2015 by lgking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai at Heart Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Not a grudge, just an obvious business interest.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IamNoone88 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I switched from Chang to Leo after the new branding and bottle shape as the Export was discontinued. I think many people did...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baerboxer Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Chang is a solid competitor at the moment. The bottles look like Heineken bottles and Chang tastes better than Heineken. I predict Heineken sales will drop a lot and those who used to drink Leo will shift to Chang Classic as it is a better beer. As a 50 years plus beer drinker, I can assure you that all the beers you mentioned are absolute crap, especially the new Chang brew of which I have to drink because Heineken, Leo and Singh are absolutely rancid. Bring back Carlsberg or let Kirin (#1 Japan) move in now they have taken over the biggest brewer in Burma. Problem is if they do, the rest will be history. This country is so pathetically bent, they only allow two brewers and they dictate that the government to make it illegal to home brew. Kirin - salty piss water. The problem with all the big brands is they brew locally and therefore, quality and taste varies. Doing something for 50 years doesn't necessarily make you an expert. You have your preferences based on your tastes. I guess you like the lager type of beer rather than a bitter, stout, mild, IPA etc. I find Heineken and Carlsberg crap. The Guiness brewed in Malaysia used to taste like barley wine - it was strong in alcohol and sweet, nothing like the real stuff. San Miguel is awful too. Kingfisher in India is highly variable can be o k or downright awful especially when the add glycerine. Best beers I've drunk in Asia - Tiger, Tsing Tao, some draught in Osaka, and imported Paulaner in Thailand. A German friend recently asked what my favorite beer was. Incredibly difficult to answer, if you like drinking the different type of beer. I could only pick favorites in categories - Guiness, Koelsch, Paulaner, Director's Bitter. A Canadian friend asked me if I knew what a "Black & Tan" is. He drinks that in the Irish pups in BKK. Most Thai industries and businesses are controlled by one or a few families. Breaking that up, and creating a competitive market isn't going to happen until some significant other changes. In the meantime, they will do all they can to prevent foreign businesses and products entering or gaining market share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedro01 Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Chang is a solid competitor at the moment. The bottles look like Heineken bottles and Chang tastes better than Heineken. I predict Heineken sales will drop a lot and those who used to drink Leo will shift to Chang Classic as it is a better beer. The new Chang is a terrible beer. It's too sweet. The old stuff was better, the new stuff tastes like fizzy p*ss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinediscoking Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 I love bad new about chang! Their business practices are a perfect example of why to not trust a thai partner after what they did to Carlsburg. Carlsburg partnered with them before they even made beer, then after seeing the success they came out with Chang (a copy of carlsberg elephant). Then they charged carlsberg for distribution basically delivering chang for free off the back of carlsberg. Carlsberg called a board meeting and sacked the owners of chang, chang sued but some Judge in Ayutthaya sided with the thai partners of course and banded carlsberg from thailand for 5 years. I could not taste the difference between chang export and carlsberg. I am guessing chang losing popularity abroad now as do most trends. I also think it was too costly to brew and distribute the many different chang beers in thailand thus now only chang classic being sold. Thus the paying of celerberies to pose with it. Seems chang is proud of the new bottle which is a complete copy of carlsberg. Carlsberg returned after the ban being imported from Vietnam and in the last few months Carlsberg draft has returned after a long absence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mankondang Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 (edited) Could anyone provide information on the following: What is the amount of percentage alcohol per volume of the common beer bands? What are the comparative price of these beers? With reference to the above questions. Your opinions on, what is the selected choice of buying a particular brand of beer based on; Taste, value for money or "more bang for the buck"? I do not drink lager beers (Ales yes) and this is not a troll, but mere an interested onlooker seeking knowledge and opinion. NB, I always thought that the Chang v Singha family feud was an urban myth, but have heared that some Thais will only drink one or the other based upon which political colour "shirt" they support. Myth or fact? Today, so much complexity over beer. As a youngster, I drank for the party effect...reason was simple then. Edited October 20, 2015 by mankondang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike324 Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Chang almost put Singha out of business through its relationship with the Mom and Pop shops. Chang produced a high alcohol beer, undercut Singha considerably on price, and told the shops that if you don't sell Chang you won't get access to the Thai whiskey and white spirits. Chang then grabbed huge market share and forced Singha to re brand itself. I assure there is no love lost between the two. As to which one tastes better- that is an individual choice. The best beers I ever had were in Germany and Eastern Europe. Singha lost market share mostly due to price and higher alcohol content. It was the choice of drinks for low income earners who were price sensitive. The sons of Chang and Singha were in the same MBA class at Chula years ago, they talked about their own family business and strategies, I wasn't there but my friend told me about it, it was interesting to have two rivals sit in class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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