Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association warns that alcohol related restrictions around Covid-19 will cost an estimated 9 billion to the economy, asks for online delivery to be allowed

Thailand-

The Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association (TABBA) became the latest association to speak out against recent government policies around the control of the Covid-19 Coronavirus in Thailand, claiming that alcohol-related restrictions and closures of establishments could cost Thailand 9 billion and directly impact over a million people’s lives who rely on the industry.

Thanakorn Kuptajit, secretary-general of TABBA, made the remarks earlier this week as he spoke out against the closure of nightlife, bars, pubs, karaoke and the ban on alcohol consumption at restaurants in many provinces in Thailand due to what the government called controls and measures to help stop the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus.

Thanakorn said the Association believed that the measures were too strict and would hurt many small businesses and Thai people who were already struggling for the past year due to lack of tourism.

Thanakorn also said that depending on how long the restrictions and measures last the industry could see the total market value of the alcoholic beverage industry dip from an estimated 370 billion to as low as 300 billion baht.

Thanakorn suggested that if the ban on drinking alcohol at restaurants could not be lifted or if entertainment venues needed to stay closed that the government should consider a temporary relief on a law passed December 7th, 2020, that banned online sales of alcohol in Thailand.

Thanakorn said the industry and small business owners should have the opportunity to provide takeaway service and that they were ready to comply with best practices like checking identification and ensuring people purchasing were of legal age.

The government has not responded to TABBA’s concerns at this time.

 

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Adam Judd
Mr. Adam Judd is the Co-owner of TPN Media since December 2017. He is originally from Washington D.C., America, but has also lived in Dallas, Sarasota, and Portsmouth. His background is in retail sales, HR, and operations management, and has written about news and Thailand for many years. He has lived in Pattaya for over nine years as a full-time resident, is well known locally and been visiting the country as a regular visitor for over a decade. His full contact information, including office contact information, can be found on our Contact Us page below. Stories please e-mail Editor@ThePattayanews.com About Us: https://thepattayanews.com/about-us/ Contact Us: https://thepattayanews.com/contact-us/