The Alcoholic Beverages Control Act establishes new supervisory bodies to regulate the sale and advertising of alcoholic beverages in Thailand, including restricting types of advertising, sales in certain locations and to minors, and imposing penalties for non-compliance ranging from fines to imprisonment.

1. Alcoholic Beverages Control Act B.E. 2551
16th September 2008

2. Alcoholic Beverages Control Act B.E. 2551
Effective:
• Underlying Act became effective 14 February 2008
Key Provisions:
• Introduction of New Supervisory Bodies
• Measures to Regulate the Sale of Alcoholic Beverage
• Enforcement and Penalties for Breach
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3. Introduction of New Supervisory Bodies
Ministry of Public Health (Department of Disease Control)
National Alcoholic Beverages
Policy Committee Office of Alcoholic
Beverages Control
Committee
Alcoholic Beverages Control (administrative and
Committee liaison body)
Bangkok Alcoholic Beverages Provincial Alcoholic Beverages
Control Committee Control Committee
(Bangkok) (Other Provinces)
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4. Measures to Regulate the Sale of
Alcoholic Beverage
• packaging, label and warning statement* (Section 26);
• restricted places of sale (Section 27);
• restricted times of sale (Section 28) (exception for
manufacturers/ importers/ distributors);
• restrictions on consumption (Section 29)
• age;
• intoxicated;
• manner of sale (Section 30)
• vending machines;
• price reduction or discount for purposes of promotion;
• vendoring;
• prize; drawings; raffles; competitions;
• free gifts; samples; forced sales;
• others.
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*Note: Requirements of packaging, label and warning will be specified by notification(s) from
the Alcoholic Beverages Control Committee.

5. Measures to Regulate the Sale of
Alcoholic Beverage (Cont.)
• prohibited places of consumption (Section 31), includes
– temples;
– hospitals;
– educational facilities;
– petrol stations or shops in the area of petrol stations; and
– public parks.
• advertising (Section 32)
(act undertaken by any means to allow the public to see, hear
or know the statement for commercial interest, including
marketing communication) 4

6. Measures to Regulate the Sale of
Alcoholic Beverage (Cont.)
• Advertising
– ban on all advertising or displaying of name or mark of
product in a way that boasts qualification or persuades
other persons to drink directly or indirectly;
– exceptions: (1) for manufacturers providing information
and social creative knowledge* may display mark of
product or mark of manufacturer (but must not show
picture of product or package) (Section 32, para 2);
(2) advertisements originated abroad (Section 32, para 3)
*Note: Definitions of providing information and social creative knowledge will be provided by ministerial
regulation(s).
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7. Enforcement and Penalties for Breach
• No enforcement precedent for the new supervisory body has been
found.
• Soft enforcement since the effective date of Alcoholic Beverages
Control Act B.E. 2551: warning letters given out to violators
No. Allegation Penalty
1. Labeling, packaging and warning not Imprisonment: 1 year
complying with the notification(s) Fine: THB 100,000
Both
2. Sale in prohibited places or at Imprisonment: 6 months
prohibited time; Fine: THB 10,000
Sale in breach of manner of sales; Both
Consuming alcoholic beverages in
prohibited places
3. Sale to prohibited persons or through Imprisonment: 1 year
vending machine Fine: THB 20,000
Both
4. Breach of advertising provisions or Imprisonment: 1 year
persuading other persons to drink Fine: THB 100,000
or displaying picture of product or 6
package Both
Addition Fine: THB 50,000 per day

8. Samples – Foreign Adverts – Non-compliant
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9. Samples – Thai Adverts
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[From The Economist]

10. Section 32
Para 1: General prohibition on anyone:
a) advertising alcoholic beverage; or
b) showing name of alcoholic beverage; or
c) mark of the beverage
which directly or indirectly
a) boast of efficacy; or
b) induce others to drink.
Para 2: Exemption for Manufacturers subject to giving information and social
creative knowledge provided such advertisement does not show:
a picture of product or package of alcoholic beverage but can show
(a) symbol of alcoholic beverage; or (b) symbol of manufacturing company,
subject to further Ministerial Regulations.
Para 3: Exclusion for advertising originating outside of Thailand.