Thailand considers total ban on alcoholic drink ad

Thai government is considering a total ban on alcoholic beverages advertising and marketing as tacit alcohol marketing using loopholes is popular, local media reported Friday.

The office of Alcohol Control Committee under Ministry of Public Health said overt alcoholic drinks advertisements have decreased since the Alcohol Control Act took effect nine years ago, but producers tend to use loopholes to implement their marketing strategies.

Thus,"a total ban on alcoholic beverages advertisement should be enforced, similar to that of cigarettes", said Samarn Futrakul, director of the office.

Alcohol advertising in Thailand is regulated by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, 2008. Under section 32 of the law, alcoholic beverages may not be advertised in a manner which directly or indirectly claims benefits or promotes its consumption, and may not show the product or its packaging.

Since the act took effect, more than 15,000 violation cases have been reported.

Violators may face a jail term of up to one year and/or a fine of up to 14,285 dollars, or a daily fine of 1,428 dollars throughout the period of violation.

However, there are loopholes reflected in photos that celebrities posted on their social media pages. In a series of controversial pictures, some high-profile celebrities were pouring beers, with the labels on the bottles perfectly facing the camera.

Celebrities sharing drinking photos on Instagram in what seems to be a bid to encourage the public to drink the beer has raised suspicions about tacit alcohol marketing. Netizens have questioned these kind of marketing campaign.

The Prime Minister's Office in 2015 announced that the sale of alcohol is banned by law on five religious days in Thailand. However, some restaurants keep selling alcoholic drinks under the table during these periods.

The seven-day new year holiday at the beginning of 2017 has seen 426 deaths from road accidents, during which drink driving remained the main cause.

source: Xinhua