In Thailand, come for the fun. Snap a selfie, though, and go to jail

[webfact]

In Thailand, come for the fun. Snap a selfie, though, and go to jail.
GlobalPost

BANGKOK: -- Jet-setting Instagrammers beware. There’s a nation where authorities have recently warned that flashing a bottle of beer in your selfies could be punishable by a year in prison.

It’s not Saudi Arabia. Nor is it Iran. Strangely, it’s a place where people from around the planet flock for boozy holidays: Thailand, among the most popular destinations in Asia.

Viewed by many as a hedonistic playground, Thailand might seem like the last place that would issue such an edict. But ever since Thailand’s army seized power in a coup last year, promising to restore happiness and virtue, authorities have issued a series of schoolmarmish rules on alcohol.

The latest injunction warns that social media posts displaying a booze brand’s logo could be interpreted as “encouraging another to consume an alcoholic beverage,” which is already forbidden under Thai law.

The maximum penalty? A $14,000 fine and a year in prison — all for snapping a selfie while downing a bottle of Carlsberg. (Ripping the label off pre-selfie, it seems, would skirt the law.)

This warning was issued after dozens of Thai celebrities’ Instagram accounts posted photos of the stars gripping bottles of Chang Beer, a hugely popular brew. The en masse posting bore the marks of an orchestrated marketing campaign funded by the alcohol firm.

Full story: http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-10-23/thailand-s-latest-booze-diktat-no-more-beer-selfies

-- PRI 2015-10-24

[puukao]

Hello all, My name is Billy Billy and I ate a watermelon today. Let me show you a picture, and a picture of me, and me smiling, and please like this post

I am super, super important. I've never worked, my dad better send his check today, and my iphone89+ cost my mom $11,000. she was cheap, but i love her.

I want to show my 298374324 friends (1 sort-of real friend) how special I am going to Thailand..

No selfie????? I WOULD HAVE NO IDENTITY!!!!

mommmmmmy!!!!!!

[AlexRRR]

I don't get paid to promote brands so my 12 friends on FB won't be bombarded with beer, car or clothes adverts....

[Fiddlesticks]

And THIS is how Thai officials spend their time. Is it any wonder that the government of this country is in the crapper?!?!?!?! Thank God there are no important issues that need to be addressed!

[gk10002000]

jesus. One of my photos I took from Thailand was me sitting at 4 am off of Walking street in that bar "complex" on the left that used to stay open late (yes 4 or 5 years ago). One of the gals from Carousel recognized me from when I was there earlier in the evening and she and girl friend joined me. We just sat around talking and drinking and there were about 6 bottle of heinekens on the table. No worries, stress free, fun vacation time. No big bar tab, no big hustle. Cool being out at 4 am and wandering about. that is what a holiday should be like. no deadlines, no schedules.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

I don't think anyone will go to jail if they post a picture with a beer bottle. That is just ridiculous. As for scummy "celebrities" who were caught advertising beer it serves them right. I'm sure though that this thread will run for dozens of pages since it is about the precious alcoholic drink.

[ezzra]

Hey TAT,,, regarding that 120 millions baht you plan to spend to attract more tourist to Thailand, there you go,

a good place to start, someone in the high places has lost his/her marbles to come up with this nonsense and

silly edict.....

[terryp]

this place is completly idiotic..so many serious problems here yet this craap is important

[jerojero]

Seriously going downhill fast. So utterly disappointing and sad.

[mikemac]

What a ridiculous notion ! This government is going to drown itself in stupid laws soon.

[robblok]

I don't think anyone will go to jail if they post a picture with a beer bottle. That is just ridiculous. As for scummy "celebrities" who were caught advertising beer it serves them right. I'm sure though that this thread will run for dozens of pages since it is about the precious alcoholic drink.

Correct the writers of this article take it out of context. This is about celebrities that are paid to promote beer. There are even celebrities that have already admitted it.

Normal people with a few face-book followers wont have a problem at all.

[Hawk]

How much longer can this country survive?

Soon the EU will be throwing out sanctions at Thailand!

[JeremyBowskill]

And THIS is how Thai officials spend their time. Is it any wonder that the government of this country is in the crapper?!?!?!?! Thank God there are no important issues that need to be addressed!

Nailed on Fiddlesticks, no need for me to comment now.

[waldroj]

Alien nation!

[TheKnave]

Hello all, My name is Billy Billy and I ate a watermelon today. Let me show you a picture, and a picture of me, and me smiling, and please like this post

I am super, super important. I've never worked, my dad better send his check today, and my iphone89+ cost my mom $11,000. she was cheap, but i love her.

I want to show my 298374324 friends (1 sort-of real friend) how special I am going to Thailand..

No selfie????? I WOULD HAVE NO IDENTITY!!!!

mommmmmmy!!!!!!

Bitter much?

[gandalf12]

Simple solution ban alcoholic drinks totally. I dont think Boonrawd will be happy about it but it will stop the "beer selfies"

[Seastallion]

Displaying the logo is no more "encouraging others to drink" than showing the logo-less bottle.

The law, or the spirit of the law, which is good in theory, is designed to prevent commercial advertising of alcohol.

What Chang (allegedly) did was try to skirt the law via social media, and they deserve to be censured.

A selfie with a bottle of beer, logo displayed or not, does not contravene the the spirit of the law because it is not commercial advertising.

Storm in a teacup and pompous "I'm important because I can interpret the law" nonsense.

There's also the fact that most selfies on social media are not promulgated to the public, but to a select group of friends, albeit that group might run in to the thousands.

[trogers]

In a normal distribution curve, we would be seeing celebrities in selfies holding different brands of beer or some other kind of alcoholic drinks.

When the curve is skewed towards a particular brand, things are no longer normal. So, what caused this anormaly?

[WhizBang]

I was of the impression that all advertizing for alcohol was banned. Yet, the other day, I witnessed a large video ad for Chang Beer on one of those large outdoor tvs. And this was on Sukhumvit, near Terminal 21.

Perhaps another investigation into Chang Beer is in order. (he says tongue planted firmly in cheek).

[silverhawk_usa]

I don't think anyone will go to jail if they post a picture with a beer bottle. That is just ridiculous. As for scummy "celebrities" who were caught advertising beer it serves them right. I'm sure though that this thread will run for dozens of pages since it is about the precious alcoholic drink.

Quoted in The Nation yesterday;

"Deputy police chief Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said their actions looked to be a clear violation of Article 26 of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act 2008, which bans ads from showing the brand label of any alcohol beverage.

He explained that it did not matter if people posted pictures of themselves drinking alcoholic drinks on social media - intentionally or otherwise and whether they were actors or others - it would still be illegal because brand labels were clearly shown. If they also added a caption suggesting the drink, it could also be a violation of Article 32."

[benbear]

I don't think anyone will go to jail if they post a picture with a beer bottle. That is just ridiculous. As for scummy "celebrities" who were caught advertising beer it serves them right. I'm sure though that this thread will run for dozens of pages since it is about the precious alcoholic drink.

Correct the writers of this article take it out of context. This is about celebrities that are paid to promote beer. There are even celebrities that have already admitted it.

Normal people with a few face-book followers wont have a problem at all.

Celebrities going to prision ? NO CHANCE

[Seastallion]

So, are they going to prosecute all movies that show a bar scene and there's a glimpse of a bottle label? Or ban the movie?

In a previous thread on this topic, I asked about T-shirts.

The law is about advertising, not about real life.

Product placement by alcohol companies.

Selfies are not product placement.

[onni4me]

Normal people with a few face-book followers wont have a problem at all.

And how do you know?

I don't know which is worse, knowing from an image when it is posted promoting something or not or the fact that some see laws as merely something that can be waved at someone when they feel like it?

If there is a law, shouldn't it be followed through with same consequences to all? Or what are you trying to say? Some are more guilty than others? Four legs good, two legs bad? War is peace? Laws do not apply to everyone?

[sawadee1947]

there was time that you had to put your bottle into a paper bag, just to hide what you're drinking. So come on...back to ancient times...! Move forward Thailand!

[mikemac]

I don't think anyone will go to jail if they post a picture with a beer bottle. That is just ridiculous. As for scummy "celebrities" who were caught advertising beer it serves them right. I'm sure though that this thread will run for dozens of pages since it is about the precious alcoholic drink.

Quoted in The Nation yesterday;

"Deputy police chief Pol General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said their actions looked to be a clear violation of Article 26 of the Alcohol Beverage Control Act 2008, which bans ads from showing the brand label of any alcohol beverage.

He explained that it did not matter if people posted pictures of themselves drinking alcoholic drinks on social media - intentionally or otherwise and whether they were actors or others - it would still be illegal because brand labels were clearly shown. If they also added a caption suggesting the drink, it could also be a violation of Article 32."

........................"If they also added a caption suggesting the drink"..........................

What, like - "Come on you sexy, hansum man, you know you want to drink me...........come on baby, drink me, drink me.............."

[NCC1701A]

In a normal distribution curve, we would be seeing celebrities in selfies holding different brands of beer or some other kind of alcoholic drinks.

When the curve is skewed towards a particular brand, things are no longer normal. So, what caused this anormaly?

"Unknown Mr. Spock. Should I launch a probe?"

[dominique355]

Take a picture of yourself drinking "kao lao", you know the booze, which has no label but 50% alcohol and no tax on it, on you don't break that law.

Tha's called "Fighting alcoholism the Thai way".

[Chang_paarp]

So, are they going to prosecute all movies that show a bar scene and there's a glimpse of a bottle label? Or ban the movie?

In a previous thread on this topic, I asked about T-shirts.

The law is about advertising, not about real life.

Product placement by alcohol companies.

Selfies are not product placement.

You have not seen much Thai television or been to the movies in Thailand to encounter the dreaded pixelation of alcoholic beverages. Some of the timing of the pixelation is amusing. Watch and be educated, don't worry about not being able to understand the dialogue, that is the last of your worries.

[Calach]

Beer or no beer, selfie SHOULD BE punished by prison.

[DrTuner]

The TAT spin: Get to enjoy Thai prison hospitality, just for the price of a selfie!