The Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association (Tabba) is urging the government to amend Section 32 of the Alcohol Control Act to get rid of its “overly strict” curbs on alcohol advertising.
Association members joined with the Craft Beer Association to hold a seminar on Friday, titled “32 Civilised, No More Total Ban: Reforming Alcohol Control Laws for a Better Society”, to discuss the changes they would like to see.
Khemika Rattanakun, the Tabba chairwoman, said participants agreed that social responsibility and protection of minors aganist easy access to alcohol were at the heart of their own reform plans, as studies show underage drinking remains a problem.
She agreed with a suggestion by the Thailand Development Research Institute that Section 32 be amended to allow alcohol advertising with clear boundaries.
She suggested increasing the penalties for selling alcohol to minors from the current one-year jail term and/or a fine of up to 20,000 baht, noting that violators of the advertising rules can face even stiffer punishment.
Under Section 32, alcoholic beverages may not be advertised in a manner that directly or indirectly claims benefits or promotes its consumption, and may not show the product or its packaging. Advertisements must be accompanied by health warning messages.
The law has been interpreted very liberally to cover any depictions of alcoholic beverage products, such as pictures showing a product label in a news story.
The cabinet in March this year approved in principle a new draft Alcoholic Beverage Control Act that proposes to make the advertising restrictions even stricter.
Violations of the existing advertising rules can carry punishment of up to one year in prison and/or a fine of up to 500,000 baht.
The association’s secretary-general, Prapavee Hematat, said ambiguity in the law leads to broad interpretations by authorities and severe criminal penalties being levied which are disproportionate to the offences.
He also said the law deprives consumers of their right to information, creates barriers for small businesses and promotes monopolies, harming small entrepreneurs and community-based producers in the local economy.
Food and beverage technology academic Charoen Charoenchai agreed with Mr Prapavee that punishments under the present law do not fit the crime as, at present, even sharing academic information related to alcohol can lead to legal action and heavy fines for those responsible.
