Singha to speak over celeb social media controversy
The Public Health Ministry's Office of Alcoholic Drinks Control Committee will soon invite Singha Corporation to provide information about the celebrities who posed on social media with its alcoholic cocktails.
Office director Dr Samarn Futrakul yesterday said Singha Corporation’s parent company Boonrawd Brewery’s request to take responsibility on behalf of celebrities would be tabled at the committee’s meeting, although he personally thought the postings were a criminal offence and one party could not be punished on behalf of another.
On Wednesday, Boonrawd deputy marketing manager Chatchai Wiratyosin led a team of lawyers to submit an explanation letter with the committee over the posts.
Chatchai said the posts were not illegal because there was no message inviting people to drink, although they showed the brand.
Chatchai said that if the office considered the posts illegal, the firm would take responsibility on their behalf of the celebrities including paying fines, so there would be no need to continue to summon the celebrities.
If the posts amounted to individual offences and they must be summoned, the firm would have lawyers and company officials accompanying the celebrities to provide information, he added.
Samarn said the committee was waiting for five of the first batch of 13 celebrities to testify – a step which should be completed this month.
The second batch of 19 celebrities would be summoned next month, he added.
