Excise on alcohol goes up today

Somchai Poolsawasdi, director-general of the Excise Department, said yesterday that the Finance Ministry would publish the new excise rates in the Royal Gazette. 

They will go into effect immediately to prevent traders from hoarding products to cash in on the higher rates.

Excise taxes have not been adjusted all the way up to the ceiling. They will be gradually raised in the future. The current increase is 7-8 per cent, and up to 10-15 per cent for certain products. 

The rise in the price of beer is expected to be only Bt2-Bt3 per can, but will be higher for liquor, especially imported whisky.

The Cabinet last week approved a big jump in the excise tax ceiling for alcoholic beverages. The ceiling for fermented beverages, such as beer and wine, and distilled beverages, such as whisky and brandy, soared to Bt2,000 per litre of 100-per-cent alcohol content from the current Bt100 per litre or 60 per cent of the product value for wine and beer, and Bt400 per litre or 50 per cent of the product value for whisky and brandy, whichever is higher.