Top Anti-Booze Crusader Removed From Post

By Teeranai Charuvastra, Staff Reporter

 

Samarn Futrakul inspects a case of popsicles made from beer (seen in smaller picture) during a March 11, 2016, booze raid on a market near Lumpini Park. Photo: Matichon

 

BANGKOK — The official whose name is synonymous with stringent enforcement of anti-alcohol laws lost his job in a surprise ministry shuffling announced Friday night.

 

After ten years at helm of the Alcohol Control Board, during which he introduced series of sweeping measures designed to cut alcohol sales and consumption, Samarn Futrakul was transferred to head a bureau dealing with sexually-transmitted diseases. His transfer followed a week of allegation that authorities were pressured by beer monopolies to silence Samarn.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/02/18/top-anti-booze-crusader-removed-post/

 

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-02-18

Next to go will be the anti-nicotine crusader......

Just another "good samaritan" that got lost in the Bhat scheme of things...........a greedy prick in other words!

From alcohol to sexually-transmitted diseases.

It is a completely new field for him.

What a career.

Will he be missed?

“…a week of allegation that authorities were pressured by beer monopolies to silence Samarn… Samarn’s new post is heading the Bureau of AIDS, TB and STIs.”

 

Can it be any more obvious how much influence big money has over the government? Public safety and health will always take a backseat to corporate profits.

 

If Samarn is successful at his new post, he will most likely be fired..er....transferred to a new post, by way of pressure from the pharmaceutical companies, due to lower sales of drugs, owing to fewer STDs within the population. 

Edited February 18, 20179 yr by jaltsc

OK, so that's why ThaiBev pays the police chief 50,000 baht per month; to help move "obstacles".

5 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

OK, so that's why ThaiBev pays the police chief 50,000 baht per month; to help move "obstacles".

Looks like he earned it this month!

I'm not going to offer an opinion about whether this guy's crusade was good or bad.

 

But I will say:

 

-- the much publicized supposed ban on alcohol sales within 300 or whatever meters of schools never became a reality.

 

--there are still beer and other alcohol beverage buffets.

 

--there are still beer brand advertising, signage and such used around alcoholic beverage establishments.

 

--Thais (and farangs) still drink and drive excessively, and police and court enforcement of penalties is woefully lacking.

 

--and there are still beer gardens, including the annual festival out in front of CentralWorld each year (except for the King's passing).

 

So other than grabbing headlines, exactly what did this guy accomplish???

 

So other than grabbing headlines, exactly what did this guy accomplish???

 

No clue, but clearly he must have ruffled the "wrong" feathers?

 

On the plus he's still alive.

Expect a new rule to be promulgated in the near future...

 

"Sex selling times 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to Midnight only."

 

 

 

Great news !

I'm off on the p*ss to celebrate.

Good bye and good riddance. 

Maybe next year I can have a beer on Makhabucha Day ?

His replacement will be Nipon Chinanonwait, who was transferred from a department that handles bug-borne diseases.

So the next expert is in line.

Edited February 18, 20179 yr by tomacht8

will they stop blurring out bottles and glasses in films and lakorn?, that's really patheic

In the grand scheme of things, his War on Booze was rather ineffective. 

 

Better luck with the War on Chlamydia.

wonder if it had anything to do with the 50k per month?

51 minutes ago, AGareth2 said:

wonder if it had anything to do with the 50k per month?

Could be, but I have a feeling the new big guy who was brought in from Germany will be loosening things up from here on out.

^ can you expand on that?

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

OK, so that's why ThaiBev pays the police chief 50,000 baht per month; to help move "obstacles".

Looks like he was not the only one on the payroll! 

Next to go will the restriction on alcohol selling times. 

Maybe they moved him as they found he was "drunk with power"?

Futrakul was transferred to head a bureau dealing with sexually-transmitted diseases

Is that a subtle way of telling him that his career is <deleted>?

Could be, but I have a feeling the new big guy who was brought in from Germany will be loosening things up from here on out.

we can only hope but I'm doubtful.

Seems Thailand's leaders are learning quickly from the West. I'm surprised it even made the news.... yawn....

Rather than a crazy scheme (s) to restrict sales perhaps the focus might now shift to education about alcohol  , even some attempt to modernise and enforce drink driving laws.

No one likes a zealot but is a victory for the beer cartels something to celebrate? 

16 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

From alcohol to sexually-transmitted diseases.
It is a completely new field for him.
What a career.

Proof perhaps that someone in the postings branch of the civil service has a wicked sense of humour?

Edited February 18, 20179 yr by metisdead
Please do not modify someone else's post in your quoted reply, either with font or color changes.

This is EPIC.. 

Just when you think you heard it all and it can't get any better.

Anti-corruption campaign in full swing! 

45 minutes ago, IamNoone88 said:

Next to go will the restriction on alcohol selling times. 

Lets hope so. This stupidity must end. Also lets  end the stupidity of bars closing at 12/1 pm,  the stupidity of 90 day reporting and of course the stupidity of elected officials being honest.

Edited February 18, 20179 yr by whatawonderfulday

They need the revenue from the tax as much as the corporations need the sales.  I recall back in the US how some States were dismayed by the success of the anti smoking campaign s....hurt their treasuries a lot...and of course nothing is more important than jobs for bureaucrats.  Good riddance of this prick...many of us operate on way different time zones.  Their stupid laws only make me start earlier and binge drink from 11 pm to midnight, if I am at a bar.