Thai politics: The highs and lows of the battle over beer gardens

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
The highs and lows of the battle over beer gardens
Sasithorn Ongdee

BANGKOK: -- Another episode of the saliva war over alcoholic drinks, between a beer maker and the alcohol control agency, is brewing.

When Piti Bhirombhakdi, an executive of a leading beer company, recently hit out at Dr Samarn Futrakul, director of the Alcohol Control Committee Office, on his Facebook page, Piti slammed Samarn's remarks that "beer garden" activities were likely breaking the alcohol control law on advertising as insane.

Also, celebrities or singers who join the "beer garden" events might also be in breach of the law on advertising, according to Samarn.

Piti argued on his Facebook page that beer gardens, which are held annually to celebrate the New Year, were legal. If the Office considers them illegal, they should provide more details. Stopping the beer gardens, which are held nationwide during festivals, would affect thousands of waiters and waitresses, he argued.

Piti vowed to continue holding the "beer garden" events and hire both movie stars and singers to join the activities, while also challenging Samarn, saying it remains to be seen who's going to leave and who's going to stay.

The beer maker's argument got the thumbs up and was cheered by many who seemed to overlook the substance of the issue.

What we are focusing on is "violation" of Article 32 of the Alcohol Control Act BE 2008 on advertising prohibition, which forbids several activities. It prohibits liquor companies from hiring public figures, including movie stars, singers and celebrities, for their product advertisements.

Of course, there is a blurred line between a "place" for alcoholic drinks and a "marketing event". What a beer garden is needs to be defined.

From a marketing perspective, one cannot deny that a "beer garden" event, with mini concert, and promotion and marketing activities is a kind of the below-the-line advertising, focusing on specific groups of target consumers. It is different from above-the-line advertising where mass media, including conventional media like television, radio, and print as well as Internet, is used to promote brands and reach out to the consumers.

Liquor companies know that by law, they are not allowed to advertise their products through any media except between 11pm and 5am, but only words not related to the products are allowed. The logos and labels of the products are not allowed to be shown.

So, a "beer garden" should be considered a place only for selling and drinking alcoholic beverages if there are no signages of alcohol products, their logos or labels around the event and celebrities are not promoting and advertising the products or inducing other people to try the products.

Thai society is open to every kind of festival happening all year round and they normally involve consumption of alcoholic beverages. Every year, we see a burgeoning number of beer gardens across the country during the New Year, as if it is a beer festival.

Perhaps, we cannot distinguish one from the other.

Beer gardens are not banned by law, but they are banned from being used as "media" to advertise liquor products to boost sales.

What if celebrities, who were hired to join the beer garden event, posed with the signage of the beer product? Would this be called a kind of advertising? What if the celebrities took pictures of themselves posing with the beer products and then posted those pictures on their social media, could it be called advertising?

Would this action be similar to the recent case in which more than 30 celebrities were accused of violating the alcohol control act when they posted photos of themselves with a beer product on their social media?

The answers are too obvious to the questions on why there is concern about alcoholic drinks and why celebrities are more strictly prohibited than general people.

How about the liquor companies taking "real" social responsibility?

It should be interesting to see who is going to stay and who's going to leave.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/The-highs-and-lows-of-the-battle-over-beer-gardens-30272359.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-06

[Somtamnication]

One of the most ridiculous laws ever created by man. Thailand really is going backwards.

[jonclark]

If you hold an 'event' you advertise it and promote it. Stands to bloody reason. Making people aware of an event allows them to decide if they want to attend - they are not being forced to.

Going to a beer garden doesn't mean you must drink beer! Soft drinks, shakes and water etc, as well as food are also available, whilst you watch the evenings entertainment.

The pious and righteous are becoming increasingly indignant with every passing day.

Edited November 6, 2015 by jonclark

[arfurcrown]

Are you aware of this piece of history below?

Thailand's going the same way.

[Lorn]

If you hold an 'event' you advertise it and promote it. Stands to bloody reason. Making people aware of an event allows them to decide if they want to attend - they are not being forced to.

Going to a beer garden doesn't mean you must drink beer! Soft drinks, shakes and water etc, as well as food are also available, whilst you watch the evenings entertainment.

The pious and righteous are becoming increasingly indignant with every passing day.

A garden that is run by a bar or pub that sells all kinds of alcohol is fine. You can advertise and market that event.

If it is an event specifically run by one alcohol brand and/or that alcohol is promoted or marketed above others then that is where they will run foul of the advertising legislation.

[wabothai]

This cruisader obviously hasn't read any historybook, despite his title.

[huangnon]

Anyone been here long enough will know that a lot of the stuffed shirt / ivory-tower brigade that comprise Bangkok's ruling elite issue edicts like this all the time. Even TRT's Khun Purachai ordered early closing of bars and clubs over ten years ago now. Just a lot of hot air looking for easy scapegoats like alcohol, young people, and "un-Thai" targets, to get their condescending smug mugs in the news. Forgotten about in around 1 week, most likely.

Edited November 6, 2015 by huangnon

[phoenixdoglover]

Prohibitionists are never satisfied. They are driven by vicarious power.

[NongKhaiKid]

How many owners call their place the xxx Beer Garden thinking the name sounds more appealing and may now regret it if they get ' visited ' ?

Being outside / partially outside with a few potted plants doesn't make it a garden anymore than a wall covered in empty wine bottles in their straw holders indicates a genuine Italian restaurant.

Edited November 6, 2015 by NongKhaiKid

[farangmick]

I bet Khun Sasithorn is a real barrel of laughs on a night out. Wonder if he/ she gets many party invites?

[Thai at Heart]

If you can't have a Marlboro branded festival because cigarette advertising is banned, why can you have a Singha one?

[jaywalker]

Crimony.

Why can't folks just mind their own damned business?

The brown-nosers just have to tell other people what to do, for some perverted reason I will never understand.

[jaywalker]

Prohibitionists are never satisfied. They are driven by vicarious power.

They ARE a determined lot, aren't they?

If they think they have a crime problem with Meth/Yaba/Ice, well they are just trying to open Pandora's Box if they ban booze.

The USA did it once and it was an unmitigated disaster that caused a crime wave of unimaginable proportions and spawned the first mafia.

None of my business if a guy or gal wants to drink anywhere, beer garden or not (as long as they take a taxi or walk).

============

Thailand had a complete Up2U attitude when I first landed in 1999.

So sad to see that attitude (freedom) being eroded by the busy-bodies.

This will have very little effect on me, for now, as I might, maybe stop at a bar/beer garden once a year or so, but it's like the boiling frog parable.

The frog never realizes the water will soon kill him. He just knows he is wet and ignores the dangers.

I'm not Jewish but...."when they came for the communists. I said nothing, because I wasn't a communist. When they came for the Jews, nobody was left, except me."

That's a rough quote I have read that really struck a chord with me.

=================

Only way to vote though, no matter where you live, is with your feet, which is sad,

Edited November 6, 2015 by jaywalker

[FangFerang]

Prohibitionists are never satisfied. They are driven by vicarious power.

Quote of the week.

[Prbkk]

These beer barons always want more and more, no matter how many billions they have already, and they don't know when to stop: they would convert car parks into temporary beer gardens if they could and then try to compare it with Oktoberfest. First Chitpas handing out the naked women beer calendars at government house, then the other mob try it on with pseudo-celebririties on Facebook or instant gram. The more they push the envelope , the more it plays right into the hands of the zealots.

[ratcatcher]

If you hold an 'event' you advertise it and promote it. Stands to bloody reason. Making people aware of an event allows them to decide if they want to attend - they are not being forced to.

Going to a beer garden doesn't mean you must drink beer! Soft drinks, shakes and water etc, as well as food are also available, whilst you watch the evenings entertainment.

The pious and righteous are becoming increasingly indignant with every passing day.

A garden that is run by a bar or pub that sells all kinds of alcohol is fine. You can advertise and market that event.

If it is an event specifically run by one alcohol brand and/or that alcohol is promoted or marketed above others then that is where they will run foul of the advertising legislation.

In that "Third World" country called England, they have public houses with beautiful gardens where hordes of drunken revelers seated at tables debauch on sunny days. The Germans are just as bad.

It is too bad Thailand is such a civilized country.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=traditional+british+pub+beer+garden&biw=1024&bih=653&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIt93NlOb7yAIVjI2UCh0EsARA#imgrc=-kfn8MwspTZ1rM%3A

[phoenixdoglover]

These beer barons always want more and more, no matter how many billions they have already, and they don't know when to stop: they would convert car parks into temporary beer gardens if they could and then try to compare it with Oktoberfest. First Chitpas handing out the naked women beer calendars at government house, then the other mob try it on with pseudo-celebririties on Facebook or instant gram. The more they push the envelope , the more it plays right into the hands of the zealots.

Naked women beer calendars? Link, or it didn't happen.

Yes, the beer companies are an aggressive lot. I'm guessing also they have more influence than the ephemeral Minister of XYZ.

[Thai at Heart]

These beer barons always want more and more, no matter how many billions they have already, and they don't know when to stop: they would convert car parks into temporary beer gardens if they could and then try to compare it with Oktoberfest. First Chitpas handing out the naked women beer calendars at government house, then the other mob try it on with pseudo-celebririties on Facebook or instant gram. The more they push the envelope , the more it plays right into the hands of the zealots.

Naked women beer calendars? Link, or it didn't happen.

Yes, the beer companies are an aggressive lot. I'm guessing also they have more influence than the ephemeral Minister of XYZ.

http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=%2F2009%2F12%2F19%2Ffocus%2F5334935

he distribution of titillating calendars to promote beer has created an uproar leading to the resignation of a Singha heiress.

WHAT’s Thailand’s 365 days of lust?

It is a controversial 2010 calendar featuring nude models whose bodies are painted to cover their assets. The titillating calendar was produced to promote Leo beer, a low-end alcoholic beverage manufactured by Singha Corporation (owner of iconic Thai beer, Singha).

And yes. It did happen....

[ratcatcher]

These beer barons always want more and more, no matter how many billions they have already, and they don't know when to stop: they would convert car parks into temporary beer gardens if they could and then try to compare it with Oktoberfest. First Chitpas handing out the naked women beer calendars at government house, then the other mob try it on with pseudo-celebririties on Facebook or instant gram. The more they push the envelope , the more it plays right into the hands of the zealots.

Naked women beer calendars? Link, or it didn't happen.

Yes, the beer companies are an aggressive lot. I'm guessing also they have more influence than the ephemeral Minister of XYZ.

Link, or it didn't happen.

I'll take Link if you don't mind.

http://www.thestar.com.my/story/?file=%2F2009%2F12%2F19%2Ffocus%2F5334935

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/thai-pms-staff-member-quits-over-sexy-calendars_100291092.html