Thailand's booze regulator warns public on 'instant beer'

[webfact]

Booze Regulator Warns Public on 'Instant Beer'
By Teeranai Charuvastra
Staff Reporter


Samarn Footrakul, in uniform, raids a Tesco Lotus Express yesterday to look for brands running afoul of the latest alcohol restrictions he helped introduce.

BANGKOK — Thailand’s top anti-alcohol crusader pre-emptively warned the public today about a product most have likely never heard of.

Samarn Footrakul, head of the Alcohol Control Board, warned that imports of so-called “instant beer” will require permits from both the Customs and Excise Tax departments because it is considered a “special good” under the 2008 Alcohol Control Act, which places broad restrictions on the sale, labeling and advertisement of alcohol.

Samarn, the chief architect of several anti-booze laws, said he became aware of the innovation by watching an online video in which a group of Chinese-speaking men try out a packet of instant beer.

Samarn said he’s unaware of the product being sold anywhere in Thailand. However, he’s worried that Thai tourists visiting other countries may return with some. In that case only a small amount for personal use is acceptable, he said.

“If they don’t appear to have a commercial purpose, they may be exempted,” he said of anyone bringing it into the kingdom. “But it depends on the quantity.”

Samarn said he’s concerned it may be the beginning of “a new form of alcoholic product” and said officials are “monitoring the news.”

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1445340020&typecate=06&section=


-- Khaosod English 2015-10-21

[daoyai]

If they "research" further they may find this novelty product is expensive to produce, and is not that new. ' thunderf00t 'has a good youtube video explaining the science behind it. ... maybe he could have looked a little deeper before making a statement. what a clown. ....I just read the whole khaosod article, very interested to know what is printed on the offending products .... maybe the fact that Chang is labeled as "classic" when the taste and alc. content has been changed?

Edited October 20, 2015 by daoyai

[Rooo]

Is the jug distorting?

[Seastallion]

So, is Singha, Leo, More, and Crown going to be in the firing line for sneaky advertising in a "news story" photo?

[Bluespunk]

All the beer I buy is instant.

I open the bottle and I get beer.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Bluespunk

[impulse]

All the beer I buy is instant.

I open the bottle and I get beer.

Everyone knows beer is rented- never bought. Very short term at that...

[NongKhaiKid]

Now if someone could only come up with instant Lao Kao.

[tx22cb]

Instant beer?

The founders of CAMRA** would be figuratively rolling in their graves.

(** = Campaign for Real Ale for non-UK readers)

[jlwilliamsjr18]

If Boon Rawd can't own, nobody can.

[doggie1955]

Next they will be selling instant water!.......hmmm?.......Wait, maybe I can sell this to the Arab countries?

Edited October 21, 2015 by doggie1955

[taff33]

Thai version of Mary Whitehouse.

[jpb1963]

Gee I hope that they catch all the miscreants that are flouting this incredibly important law, its not like there are more important matters pressing.

As Bluespunk so aptly pointed out I really did think beer was already instant - go to a bar ask for a beer, instantly you get one, buy take away open it and you instantly have beer, take beer home open same result when you open it - I struggle to come up with a beer that is not instant....

[KevWaters]

I have never heard of Instant Beer...

...but it must be life threatening to warrant such close attention.

(let's be honest... he was snapped by papz buying it at the counter).

Edited October 21, 2015 by KevWaters

[smotherb]

Instant coffee has been around for years; it still sucks. Do you really expect anything more from instant beer?

[AlQaholic]

You can buy a pack of beer and drink it instantly, that's instant beer. Then just connect a tube to your dick and connect the other end to your mouth, that is recycled beer, much cheaper.

Questions:

1. why was he looking at those Chinese guys on Youtube and what search term would have gotten him to that video?

2. Why is he staring so intently at a box of cheap local rum/wiskey?

Edited October 21, 2015 by AlQaholic

[godden]

That's it, i'm leaving.

[asdecas]

Never understood the concept of draught beer in bottles either, m'self.

[AlQaholic]

I have an idea for instant water, you have this powder in a sachet, and all you have to do is dissolve it in a glass of water, and then you get....instant water! Now we need to come up with a marketing campaign and crowd funding.

[DrTuner]

Nice, so where can I buy some for picnics?

[Emster23]

Thailand: solving non-existent problems to return happiness!

[Kasset Tak]

And what's shown in that video would clearly be non-alcoholic content as it's a freeze-dried powder and not a syrup (you can't freeze-dry alcohol)!
If using Pat's instant beer (that I guess is the only brand today) it would be a whooping $76 (2400 Baht) for your first 12 beers...

[Seastallion]

And what's shown in that video would clearly be non-alcoholic content as it's a freeze-dried powder and not a syrup (you can't freeze-dry alcohol)!

If using Pat's instant beer (that I guess is the only brand today) it would be a whooping $76 (2400 Baht) for your first 12 beers...

I forgive you for thinking that way, I did so myself.

But Google is your friend!

This technology (invented in 1966 in Japan!) actually encapsulates the liquid alcohol molecules, and dries the tiny capsules...it is indeed alcoholic. The added water hydrates the outside of the micro-capsule and releases the alcohol part of the "beer".

[canopus1969]

Samarn needs to get a life !

[IAMHERE]

What kind of water would I use if I wanted to make it 'lite instant' beer ? If I use less water will it have a higher alcohol content? If I don't finish my beer can I let it evaporate in the sun and then use the powder to remake the instant beer ? Could I do the same with 'used beer ' ?

edit: I see this in Thailand I"m gonna point and take a picture for social media.

Edited October 21, 2015 by IAMHERE

[zaphod reborn]

Anything to protect domestic pee-water from real competition.

[zaphod reborn]

Anything to protect domestic pee-water from real competition.

[hkt83100]

Some time (years) ago we were joking about Hei***** being instant beer because of the lousy taste...

[bamukloy]

What kind of water would I use if I wanted to make it 'lite instant' beer ? If I use less water will it have a higher alcohol content? If I don't finish my beer can I let it evaporate in the sun and then use the powder to remake the instant beer ? Could I do the same with 'used beer ' ?

edit: I see this in Thailand I"m gonna point and take a picture for social media.

the question im asking is if you dissolve the instant beer in real un-instant beer, will you get double beerness and double alcohol?

[northernphil]

Next they will be selling instant water!.......hmmm?.......Wait, maybe I can sell this to the Arab countries?

Yep , this is the way things are going, water now comes in smaller bottles as it comes diluted . The only way to make it last longer.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This article is a classic case of what journalists call "burying the lead." The important part of this article isn't the stupid opening part, the only part quoted in the thread here, about instant beer.

Rather, it's the part further down in the Khaosod article that wasn't quoted in the thread:

Samarn’s comment came as his agency further curbs the visibility of alcohol in the country. Just yesterday Samarn led officials to raid a Tesco Lotus Express in Nonthaburi province to ensure that new regulations enacted by his office are being enforced.

The regulation, which came to effect yesterday, bans alcohol producers from making certain statements on labels of their beverage, such as promises of “success in social or sexual life” and any remarks that lead to "degradation of the national culture" or "division or loss of unity among the people."

Violation of the regulation carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a 100,000-baht fine.

In yesterday’s raid, officials found five brands of alcoholic beverages they said violated the new rules, Samarn said, without elaborating on the specific nature of their offense.

The offending products were from three of the biggest domestic beer brands: Singha, Cheer and Leo, as well as two whiskey brands: Crown and One More. Officials confiscated them from the supermarket as evidence for prosecution of the companies, Samarn said.

W-T-F kind of regulation is this new one about, and where did it come from? Beer labels that degrade the national culture or cause loss of unity among the people? Really???

Maybe I'm drunk. But somehow, going after CP, the owners of the Thai 7-11 franchise, and the huge and influential Thai alcoholic beverage conglomerates like Boon Rawd Brewery that brew Singha and Leo doesn't seem like much of a recipe for political success or longevity.

Edited October 21, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK