Police launch campaign against social media posts with celebrities encouraging alcohol use

[webfact]

Police launch campaign against social media posts with celebrities encouraging alcohol use

By Suriya Patathayo 
The Nation

 

Photo from: www.list25.com

 

BANGKOK: -- Police will monitor Thai social media to punish any actors, “net idols”, or celebrities who pose messages and pictures inviting others to drink alcoholic beverages. There is a fine of Bt50,000-Bt200,000 for publicly encouraging alcohol consumption under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.
 

Regional police officers were instructed in a videoconference with high-ranking officials to monitor and proceed with legal actions against people who make posts promoting drinking.

 

Speaking from Royal Thai Police headquarters, national police chief advisor, Pol General Weerachai Songmetta, noted that five Nonthaburi-based celebrities who posed with alcoholic drinks to encourage others to consume booze had been investigated.

 

He said that he knows other famous people are doing the same and warns that they should remove their posts from all social media channels before police gather evidence and take action against them.

 

Weerachai said police must reintroduce this measure because of the growing use of online media as an advertising channel inviting people to drink.

 

Dr Nipon Chinanonwet, director of the Office of Alcohol Control Committee, joined Weerachai in the videoconference. 

 

A recent study found that approximately 30 per cent of people studied started to drink alcohol after seeing images of their favourite celebrities posed with drinks.

 

Police would punish first-time offenders with a Bt50,000 fine and repeat offenders with a Bt200,000 fine, Weerachai said. Those providing information leading to an arrest would get one-fourth of the fine money as a reward, he added.

 

Weerachai also reported that alcoholic beverage control measures taken by police during Asarnha Puja Day and Buddhist Lent Day had seen a drop in the number of shop owners illegally selling alcoholic drinks. A police operation in six provinces had searched 151 shops and found only 14 violations of the law.

 

Section 32 of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act bans anyone from advertising alcoholic drinks and from showing the names and logos of alcoholic drinks to promote them. The law made headlines in 2015 when health activists called on authorities to investigate a beer company's alleged social-media campaign. The campaign featured seven celebrities, including Pakorn "Dome" Lam and Virithipa "VJ Woonsen" Pakdeeprasong, posting images of themselves with bottles of the brew. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30321288

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-20

[Cadbury]

And what about Police Lt. General Sanit Mahathavorn who is also a member of parliament who receives 600,000 baht per year from the alcohol producing companies. Marketing and sales promotion advice and "services" he gives perhaps?

So it is confirmed yet again there is a different set of rules and laws for parliamentarians and government officials than there is for the Thai civilian population.

This place is going from bad to worse.

Edited July 20, 2017 by Cadbury

[YetAnother]

"This place is going from bad to worse."

And they do not know it

[robblok]

7 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

"This place is going from bad to worse."

And they do not know it

It depends, if this is a a way to block advertisement like celebrities drinking Chang with clearly visible bottles, then i can understand it. There have been advertising campaigns done by celebrities over social media to get around the alcohol promotion laws. Because as mentioned in the past brewers have used social media this way for advertisements to get around the ban.

 

If this is about just showing a glass of beer but no brands then I agree with you. 

[YetAnother]

1 minute ago, robblok said:

It depends, if this is a a way to block advertisement like celebrities drinking Chang with clearly visible bottles, then i can understand it. There have been advertising campaigns done by celebrities over social media to get around the alcohol promotion laws. Because as mentioned in the past brewers have used social media this way for advertisements to get around the ban.

 

If this is about just showing a glass of beer but no brands then I agree with you. 

Agreed

[observer90210]

Let's look at it this way.

 

Every fool knows that tobacco (or alchool in excess)  is bad and can lead, for the latter, to social and mental degeneration.

 

Yet people (like me) smoke (and enjoy a good bourbon with Pepsi, ice and lemon, here and there

 

The payback in taxes, jobs etc. benefits public coffers and many political parties through discreet and occult tobacco (or alchool) lobby funding and support.

 

Nevertheless and despite the issues, to save face, western governance are on a non stop quest in binding, stringent and sometimes grotesque laws against tobacco (or alchool) and their relative industries. 

 

So why would Thailand not do the same?

Edited July 20, 2017 by observer90210

[mark01]

There will be laws about laws soon at this rate.

In fact, why not just make EVERYTHING illegal, and then selectively choose who or what to pursue.

[rkidlad]

Thank god for the good morals of the police here!

[morpho]

George Orwell's "1984" finally happening 33 years later...Big Brother is alive and well in LOS.

[Roger Lee]

I guess I shouldn't wear my Singha tshirt even though I don't usually drink it, I do enjoy it's artwork.  Sounds like they are being very anal-retentive imho.

 

[hanssna]

Well, I am happy I'm not a celebrity then... you should see my social media / network ????

[jobin]

Would T'land be a better place without so many drunk drivers?  

[Redline]

Focus on important issues!

[maoro2013]

What constitutes a celebrity. Is it OK  for every else. What a load of!!

[anon467367354]

"encourage others to consume booze had been investigated."

"the growing use of online media as an advertising channel inviting people to drink."

 

As an attorney I would have to have the court prove that they were encouraging others to consume booze, and prove they were inviting people to drink. What would be the benefit of these people encouraging others to drink?

Is having a toast encouraging others to drink? This is nothing short of ludicrous!

Here is a post from last weekend, is there an implied "come join us"? LOL! (aka inviting others to drink) None of this makes any sense.

Must be a language gap it's so insane. What would happen if I happened to see someone famous having a drink and I posted it on social media, would I be encouraging others to drink or would it be a "look who I saw today" kind of thing.

This is asking for trouble and defamation law suits.

[helloagain]

3 hours ago, YetAnother said:

"This place is going from bad to worse."

And they do not know it

You just cant make it up. Have a drink in your hand 50000 baht. Where they the same police who went to 20 massage and found no whores

[Thechook]

But drinking in McDonald's with children around is ok.

[Zack61]

If you are not a celebrity then it's okay. Who decides who is a celebrity for the purpose of this law? How do you get celebrity status and how can it be relinquished?

could be plenty of opportunity here for some tea money. 

[aussiandrew]

In this day and age with all the technology in cutting and pasting going on it could be a nightmare if somebody wanted to do you harm. Good luck on the one.

Sent from my SM-T815Y using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[wvavin]

Who is respecting the law where they could not even punish the police that receive a "salary" from the beer company?

[dinsdale]

Little children with little IQ's running this country.

[carken]

If a substance (like alcohol) is legal to sell and drink

why would a photo or video of consuming it be illegal

 

I'm not a lawyer but to me it seems like an easy charge

to confront and beat in an open court of law, even if

there is a "catch 22" law that says "photo or video of

consuming" is illegal, showing and presenting a case

against the validity and/or prosecution of such a law

or offense would be easy, common sense wise

 

Even the "monkey see, monkey do" theory would not

hold water or suffice against the right legal argument.

This law seems perfect for judiciary to make lots of

money off the backs of celebs ... IMO it's stupid,

ridiculous and unreasonable,. which makes it nothing

more than a miscarriage of justice ... a money maker

for state/country/judiciary at the expense of the

maligned

 

[farcanell]

16 minutes ago, carken said:

 

I'm not a lawyer but to me it seems like an easy charge

to confront and beat in an open court of law, even if

there is a "catch 22" law that says "photo or video of

consuming" is illegal, showing and presenting a case

against the validity and/or prosecution of such a law

or offense would be easy, common sense wise

 

Ah.... you no understand.... Thailand have catch 44 law law now ???

[A Skeptic]

"There will be laws about laws soon at this rate.

In fact, why not just make EVERYTHING illegal, and then selectively choose who or what to pursue."

 

There already are. You can't criticise Les Majeste

[Familyaffairs]

And how do the BIbs propose to prove that what was in the glass was alcoholic ? Imbeciles....l

[whaleboneman]

2 hours ago, hanssna said:

Well, I am happy I'm not a celebrity then... you should see my social media / network ????

First they came for the celebrities...but I didn't care.

Then they came for...

[JRUSA]

I have a very important question... Do I need a work permit to be a snitch, and do I have to pay taxes on my snitching income???

[B4Jazz]

How do you define who is an "actor, “net idol”, or celebrities"? 

 

 

Bring back underboobs, far better than seeing some celeb drinking.

 

Maybe they should ban celebs altogether, most seem to be a bad influence. 

[11223344]

22 minutes ago, JRUSA said:

I have a very important question... Do I need a work permit to be a snitch, and do I have to pay taxes on my snitching income???

After you snitch you will be punished for working without a work permit. Pay fine, and not receiving the reward

 

Then you can sue the other party for defamation.

Edited July 20, 2017 by 11223344

[jsgatse]

This just in...celebrities who have private thoughts not in line with the Government's position on each and every topic will also face fines and "re-education"....what a joke this is....so much for freedom!  :-(