Thailand: The Office of the Consumer Protection Board backs alcoholic drink advertising ban imposed by local government

Thailand's Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) Secretary General voiced support on October 23 for more stringent banning of advertisements for alcoholic beverages in all kinds of media, saying that existing statutes are not strong enough to punish violators, Thai Press published October 24.

Rasamee Vistaveth said even though ministerial regulations restrict alcohol and caffeine drink advertisements in cinemas and billboards, for example, business often violate the law.

The restrictions, according to Ms. Rasamee, prohibit advertisements, direct or indirect, to persuade the public to consume drinks containing alcohol or caffeine.

In 2005, four companies, both Thai and foreign, were found in violation of the restrictions in five cases, but this year the number of violations has not reduced, she said.

The major violator was a well-known major Thai brewery and distillery that produced a variety of beverage brands, the secretary general said.

The wrongdoers faced six month jail term or THB50,000 fine or they may face the daily maximum fine of THB10,000.

However, the beverage companies were not threatened by the punishment and ignore the call of the authorities to pay the fine.

Ms. Rasamee said all the ads targeted children and youth, and she recommended that Thai society should toughten the penalties, and make them apply, to protect the health of the majority of public, rather than serving the interests of the distillers.

In a related development, Thailand's activist StopDrink Network Director Songkran Phakchokdee said the network received a copy of a letter from the Global Alcohol Policy Alliance (GAPA) to Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, which praised the Thai government on its bold step to ban all alcoholic drink ads.

The Food and Drug Administration (F DA) submitted its bill for a 24-hour ban on advertising alcoholic beverages in all media for Cabinet consideration last week, but the cabinet ordered further study of the comprehensive ban to make it more "balanced" and "practical" before it becomes effective.

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