PUBLISHED: 1 Feb 2025 at 04: 00
When examining the Alcoholic Beverage Control Bill on Wednesday, health and scientific researchers urge politicians to strike a balance between problems for the economy and the welfare of the community.
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation ( ThaiHealth ), Prince of Songkla University’s Faculty of Medicine’s Faculty of Medicine, the Media for Health Foundation, and the Centre for Alcohol Studies ( CAS ) of the Thai University, jointly held a seminar about the bill yesterday at the Best Western Hotel in Bangkok.
Wichet Pichairat, a part of the ThaiHealth board, who presided over the beginning service, said the bill, which was first passed in 2008, needs to be revised to keep a balance between economic and social issues.
Reps from Thailand’s Children and Youth Council have been re-elected to provincial beer plan boards, he said, but there is a significant change in the revised edition.
However, there are concerns that the appointment of provincial administrative organization ( PAO ) chiefs as vice-chairpersons of these committees may result in policy interference.
Banjerd Singkaneti, director of the law programme at the National Institute of Development Administration’s ( Nida ) Faculty of Law, pointed out that the rationale for the bill stems from alcohol’s impact on health, families, accidents and crime.
Although the new document includes more stringent advertising restrictions, questions remain about allowing personal sector members to join the Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee, which might allow them to use their power to benefit themselves.
CAS scientific Wit Wichaidit expressed worry about certain sections of the draft expenses, including Section 30 that permits liquor vending machines and Section 29, which ambiguously defines intoxication levels.
He also questioned the usefulness of restrictions on star testimonials and the legal repercussions of AI-generated beer commercials.
The revised expenses, including stricter criteria for determining customers ‘ ages and more precise descriptions of intoxicated persons to whom buyers are not permitted to sell alcohol, was highlighted by Witu Pruksanan from PSU’s Faculty of Medicine.
A 2023 research by Krungsri Bank revealed a change in Thai women’s having habits, showing a decline in wine consumption but an increase in beer use, which now accounts for 73.5 % of the entire beer market.
This change is attributed to beer’s more inexpensive, readily available, and perceptions that it has fewer negative results than wine.