Thai craft brewer MP pushes parliament to ease alcohol advert ban
Thailand’s parliament voted on 10 January 2024 to develop legislation to loosen current alcoholic beverage control rules in respect of advertising and hours of sale. The session voted, with 257 in favour, 156 against, and 7 abstentions, to send the draft Alcohol Control Act back to the Thai Cabinet for further consideration.
At the session there were two drafts of the proposed Alcoholic Beverage Control Act that were debated, one tightening existing regulations further and one easing them.
Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a Bangkok Member of Parliament from the Move Forward Party, led the debate. Taopiphop, a previous home craft brewer, has championed the cause of the craft brewing industry in the country. He recommended that the current rules should be eased to allow advertising, but with sensible constraints. For example, ordinary individuals should be allowed to post or advertise beer on social media without facing imprisonment or a hefty fine of THB50,000 baht, just for posting a beer picture.
Taopiphop, also pointed out that if the craft beer sector is to be expanded as is desired, small breweries are seriously disadvantaged if they cannot inform their legitimate adult customers about their products because they are banned from posting about them.
Taopiphop further proposed lifting the ban on selling alcohol during certain periods in Thailand, arguing that the experience of other countries that had limited alcohol selling hours had often resulted in increased consumption and drunkenness, not less.
After allowing members of parliament to express their opinions, the majority voted to loosen the strictness of existing alcoholic beverage control. The draft will be returned to the cabinet for further consideration within 60 days, before presenting it again for another parliamentary vote.
Although the draft is still in proposal status, the parliamentary decision bodes well for those in the craft beer sector that they soon will be able to benefit from less stringent advertising rules.
