Dr Samarn: Beer gardens are against the law

[ezzra]

Over charging to the hilt, cheating and price gouging foreign tourist is also against the law,

done any one doing anything about it beside talk and more talk?

In Thailand the implementing the law is selective and at the whims of who ever his turn to

make noises about the law...

[asdecas]

While I am a beer lover - more precisely, a beer lover from Belgium, I do agree that the aggressive advertising for beer should stop.

And I do support anti alcohol campains.

But what this "official" is saying, is at best 19th century paternalism, if not 1930s fachism.

I agree with you, but there is a strain of evangelical do-gooder in Thailand determined to push his or her version of what is morally right and good for you. The Dear General could perhaps be cited in the same breath. They are generally not the hottest phriks in the somtam.

I think you'll agree that every country has 'em.

[charmonman]

Everything's against the law theses days.

It's starting to become like blighty.

And didn't we escape the old country to get aways from rules and regs for everybloodything?

The Thais are busy legislating away everything that made their country a uniquely enjoyable place to start with. I have a number of friends who are very long time residents of this country who have moved back to their home countries because they are just sick and tired of the stupidity and small mindedness that seems to have been slowly taking over here over the past decade plus.

[DrTuner]

One day, Thais will once again be able to decide for themselves what it is they want and need.

Might take a while. The neighbour is just now coming out from under the rule of a Junta, after 50 odd years.

[Sydebolle]

Make sure this is news which never will make it to Germany. Imagine Bavaria without beer gardens, infidel pork knuckles and Pretzel.

But yes, if the country is influenced by such morons like Dr Samarn Futrakul who has to prove the (un-)necessity of his office, then you can only promote that "for fun go elsewhere" slogan to be introduced by the TAT anytime soon.

I have to go now to ensure now that my four year old grandson is not sneaking out of pre-nursery to have that cold one off the tap between 11am and 2pm at the beer garden next door.

This country is steamrollering itself into stone age with such idiots at the helm. But while you're busying the electorate with such bull the really big hat tricks take place out of public sight!

[anotheruser]

So they will also have to ban watching Everton football matches???? or will they have a team to pixelate all the players running around??

Could somebody inform this poor soul of what he is over looking here?

[realenglish1]

I don't get it If I own a restaurant and have a parking lot that is empty and then set up a beer garden serving multiple brands then

they see that as advertising

Rubbish

[BestBitterPhuket]

Close them down or change the laws. Beer is not the problem in Thailand, it's the cheap liquor and strong alcohol. You can buy a bottle of 40% laokao for just a few baht more than a bottle of beer. Actually, they should make beer cheaper and add 200% in liquor tax.

[charmonman]

Get rid of all advertising especially the crap that TAT puts out

Couldn't agree with you more ! A day spent in Bangkok is a day spent under a barrage of annoying promotions and advertising, on the streets, on the skytrain, everywhere you look. Huge billboards on the sides of building advertising the latest pretentiously named condo development, or useless skin whitening cream, or overpriced smartphone.

Yet, in a beer garden, where presumably everyone present is there to willingly drink beer, display of a simple beer logo to identify the brand of beer you can expect to get under a certain tent is somehow illegal! I am really getting sick of this place ( and I used to love it).

[piersbeckett]

While I am a beer lover - more precisely, a beer lover from Belgium, I do agree that the aggressive advertising for beer should stop.

And I do support anti alcohol campains.

But what this "official" is saying, is at best 19th century paternalism, if not 1930s fachism.

What aggressive marketing? Celebrities on Facebook?

Yes, for example, and in general ALL aggressive, marketing.

The marketing that equals alcohol with happiness, often disguised.

The "you never drink alone" type marketing, the "real men" type marketing, the "drink and be successful" type marketing. The "hidden persuaders" type marketing.

I love beer, but marketeers that force their ideas on us are just as disgusting as this Doctor No.

Beer is one of the pleasures of life, not less, not more, it does not need to be pushed onto us.

Some how your "indoctrination" was okay and you made a choice because you know better?

They advertise to keep the BRAND in sight, they know people will drink the stuff.

Interesting arguement; I think my favourite was that 'in denial' "hidden persuaders" ad' for a port: "one instinctively knows when a thing is right" where the advertiser is telling you that it's not a question of you being told the product is right, you will know, yourself, if you taste it. Reinforcement comes in the guise of a butler serving the stuff to a gent in solubrious surroundings!

Equally effective, I'd say', would be an ad' for 'special brew' or 'tenants super' featuring a tattooed skin-headed chav coming out of a council flat holding a benefit card and accompanied by a killer dog and a caption like 'beer that don't mess'.

I think personal recommendation/word of mouth or just trial and error often finds folk their favourite tipple but advertising undoubtedly pays; that all important presence in the brand war.

[alanrchase]

Everything's against the law theses days.

It's starting to become like blighty.

The anti alcohol group are bringing a "Mary Whitehouse" feel to the country.

[NongKhaiKid]

Close them all down, the law is the law.

Yeah, you should not even be allowed to say the word beer because somebody might actually hear you say it. Yesterday it was bike lanes and beach chairs. Today it is beer gardens. Moving at a rapid pace. This all could have never happened under an elected government.

Actually, all this nonsense started under an elected government. Do a google search on Purachai, who was Thaksin's Interior Minister and who at one time said he wanted all bars to close at 10:30PM. At least some of the laws being used by the current crop were introduced by that elected government - not put to a vote mind you, simply "approved by cabinet". It really was not much different from the way they run things now.

Oh Yes and I remember when he used to personally lead ' secret ' raids against nightspots but funny thing, the television film crews were always there first to record his arrival.

[charmonman]

Over charging to the hilt, cheating and price gouging foreign tourist is also against the law,

done any one doing anything about it beside talk and more talk?

In Thailand the implementing the law is selective and at the whims of who ever his turn to

make noises about the law...

Are you sure cheating and price-gouging foreign tourists is against the law? I thought it was part of national policy.

[NextStationBangkok]

Bar council should protect beer gardens!

[SABloke]

I don't get it If I own a restaurant and have a parking lot that is empty and then set up a beer garden serving multiple brands then

they see that as advertising

Rubbish

I think he's talking about brand specific beer gardens e.g. Singha outside Fortune, Heineken at Major Ratchayothin etc. They don't sell multiple brands and their logos are on all umbrellas tents etc. Of course it's as clear as mud what he's talking about.

[freebyrd]

Everything's against the law theses days.

It's starting to become like blighty.

And didn't we escape the old country to get aways from rules and regs for everybloodything?

The Thais are busy legislating away everything that made their country a uniquely enjoyable place to start with. I have a number of friends who are very long time residents of this country who have moved back to their home countries because they are just sick and tired of the stupidity and small mindedness that seems to have been slowly taking over here over the past decade plus.

You're spot on, I left 10 years ago when it was no longer uniqely enjoyable. I chose not to go back to England, I'm in a neighbouring country where there is none of this - yet! By the way, I'm not a drinker.

[nidieunimaitre]

The next advertising to be banned is the colourful labels on the bottles in the 7/11 fridge....

We will have to guess which beer is which and buy it "blind"

I would not have a problem with that.

Actually, I wonder why they bother to put labels on Thai beer.

They all taste the same.

[brewsterbudgen]

there is very little reason to visit thailand anymore

But only if your sole reason for visiting is for the beer gardens.

[jmccarty]

This Doctor is a quack! Get with the rest of the free world Einstein!

[Time Traveller]

Dr Samarn said that? Sounds like something Dr Numnut would say

[madmitch]

Mr Piti Bhirompakdi, advertising manager of Boonrawd Brewery said in his Facebook page that he did not agree with Dr Samarn’s interpretation

And why would he $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$......

Surly having an advertising manager for a Brewery must be illegal. His job is to promote beer and that is against the law.

It's becoming one of the most creative jobs in Thailand, involving plenty of out of the box thinking.

Last time I came through Suvarnabhumi International there were TV screens in the luggage area and before immigration advertising Singha Beer. The collaboration with English Premier League teams works well as even the Thais haven't worked out how to blur perimeter advertising during live games. The concept of branding water and soda is an excellent way to get around the rules and the corporate logo with the words SIngha Corporation and not Singha Beer is seen in many places.

I think he and his team, and his counterparts at Chang, do a very good job in a testing environment.

[Estrada]

Did I hear the word fachism?

No you didn't as the word is fascism.

[chrisinth]

I have always found it difficult to trust the words of any man in authority with decissions to make who has images of kittens etched into his office furniture.

Maybe just me.......

[bkkcanuck8]

While I am a beer lover - more precisely, a beer lover from Belgium, I do agree that the aggressive advertising for beer should stop.

And I do support anti alcohol campains.

But what this "official" is saying, is at best 19th century paternalism, if not 1930s fachism.

What aggressive marketing? Celebrities on Facebook?

Yes, for example, and in general ALL aggressive, marketing.

The marketing that equals alcohol with happiness, often disguised.

The "you never drink alone" type marketing, the "real men" type marketing, the "drink and be successful" type marketing. The "hidden persuaders" type marketing.

I love beer, but marketeers that force their ideas on us are just as disgusting as this Doctor No.

Beer is one of the pleasures of life, not less, not more, it does not need to be pushed onto us.

Now you are being silly. Beer is just like any other product, you advertise to get your name across and to try and sell your brand over someone else's brand.

Next you will be making sure that all "beer servers" dress in dowdy clothes and make sure not to smile since that can be perceived as "pushing beer".

Advertising is advertising - it is meant to push a product / any product at the expense of your competitor....

If I don't want to drink beer and advertisement is not going to get me to drink beer.

Of course sanity is not necessarily in great supply -- they banned "advertising" of political parties etc. because it might push the wrong political ideas on people

[taony]

So they will also have to ban watching Everton football matches???? or will they have a team to pixelate all the players running around??

Could somebody inform this poor soul of what he is over looking here?

What's he overlooking? When Simpsons reruns are shown and Homer lights up a cigarette, it gets pixelated!!

I get your point its happening in a foreign country. But the matches are shown here. Just like the Simpsons are produced abroad and shown here.

Edited November 5, 2015 by taony

[ggt]

I no longer drink beer...so I have no dog in this fight...

But as a bystander...I have to ask myself...where the hell do they get these pious con artists?

Edited November 5, 2015 by ggt

[JAG]

That guy looks like he needs a beer...

Looking at the picture at the beginning of the thread, I'd say that guy looks like a zealot who sees the opportunity to force his beliefs upon everyone else.

[willyumiii]

Everything's against the law theses days.

It's starting to become like blighty.

Laws mean nothing when they are not enforced.

Mai Pen Rai...

[aslimversgwm]

Close them all down, the law is the law.

So you're a lawyer then?

[louse1953]

While I am a beer lover - more precisely, a beer lover from Belgium, I do agree that the aggressive advertising for beer should stop.

And I do support anti alcohol campains.

But what this "official" is saying, is at best 19th century paternalism, if not 1930s fachism.

What aggressive marketing? Celebrities on Facebook?

Yes, for example, and in general ALL aggressive, marketing.

The marketing that equals alcohol with happiness, often disguised.

The "you never drink alone" type marketing, the "real men" type marketing, the "drink and be successful" type marketing. The "hidden persuaders" type marketing.

I love beer, but marketeers that force their ideas on us are just as disgusting as this Doctor No.

Beer is one of the pleasures of life, not less, not more, it does not need to be pushed onto us.

I have always been against advertising,but only the weak minded let ideas be forced on them.Make up your own mind.