Brewer Turned Politician Takes On “Big Beer” In Thailand

There is no legal craft beer brewed in Thailand. You might find some, but it’s probably black market beer brewed covertly by craft beer insurgents.

In Bangkok you can find covert bottles of hand-labelled craft beers at moving marketplaces, but you need to be careful if you purchase a bottle because even posting a picture of these illicit brews could land you in jail.

You see, beer operations in Thailand remain the domain of big producers like ThaiBev, which produces Chang beer, and the Boon Rawd Brewery, which produces Singha and Leo, majors who control 90% to 95% of the country’s domestic beer market.

And according to Channel News Asia they enjoy a dominance ensured by the government, and by laws that prevent “small homegrown operators from entering the fray.”

Thailand’s regulations demand that beer manufacturers must have a minimum production capability output of ten million liters per year, which translate into about 30,000 bottles and that’s daunting for new brewers just entering the market.

Additionally Thai laws stipulate that new breweries must have about US $300,000 in upfront capital, an almost impossible sum for most startup operations in that part of the world.

The government’s rationale is both one of taxation (they fear that these small producers will escape paying taxes) but also concern over hygiene standards.

When just a few major beer brands dominate a country that also precludes smaller competitors from entering the market, you got to wonder about the directives of its political leadership, and just who’s taking who out to lunch.

But now Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a Thai brewer-turned-politician hopes to end an alcohol duopoly in the country.

After winning the most seats in a may14th general election, Limjittrakorn told  Reuters that his party’s election win night potentially give him a shot at breaking up Boon Rawd Brewery and ThaiBev duopoly

Limjittrakorn, who according to the Drinks Business was once arrested for illegal brewing, has reached an agreement with coalition partners that include promising measures to “abolish monopolies and promote fair competition in all industries, such as alcoholic beverages”.

“The progressive alcohol bill is not only a bill, it is a political project,” said Limjittrakorn. “Now, I’m gathering all the stakeholders in this policy to make it happen as smoothly as I can because we are not the opposition any more. We are government”

Limjittrakorn also added that he was driven by an additional motive…”to drink good beer.”