Spirit of resistance: Thailand’s lawmakers toast booze bill rejection
The House of Representatives decisively rejected a bill aiming to liberalise Thailand’s alcohol industry, proposed by the opposition People’s Party. The bill, introduced by Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, was voted down with 237 votes against and 137 in favour.
The proposed legislation sought to permit individuals to own alcohol distillation equipment and produce booze for personal use without needing government approval. Government chief whip Wisut Chainarun from the coalition-core Pheu Thai Party labelled the bill impractical and potentially dangerous.
“This is a big issue. If every household is allowed to make liquor without legal controls and that leads to death, the consequences will be severe. Permission is necessary.”
Instead, the House endorsed more conservative bills put forward by Pheu Thai and the United Thai Nation Party, a coalition partner, with 384 and 385 votes respectively. These bills will now undergo further scrutiny. Under these conservative proposals, government permission remains a prerequisite for anyone wishing to possess alcohol distillation equipment for alcohol production.
Taopiphop, a lawyer turned craft brewer who has been arrested in the past for illegal brewing, has campaigned for years to make laws more accommodating for small-scale producers. His rejected bill was part of a broader effort by the People’s Party to dismantle monopolies in various industries.
Thailand’s alcoholic drinks market, valued at approximately 470 billion baht (US$14 billion), is dominated by beer and spirits. Boon Rawd Brewery controls 58% of the beer market, while Thai Beverage Plc holds a 34.3% share. In the spirits market, ThaiBev leads with a 59.5% share, dwarfing the second-placed competitor with only 8%, according to Krungsri Research, reported Bangkok Post.
Taopiphop’s goal includes reducing the high barriers to entry, such as significant capital requirements and minimum annual production volumes, which currently favour large companies like Boon Rawd and ThaiBev. He believes that easing these restrictions would enable small domestic brewers to capture 10% of the market within 10 years.
