No alcohol can be bought or sold online from next week
The Royal Thai Police and Public Health Ministry held a press conference on Friday to announce the enforcement of a new law that prohibits the sale or advertisement of alcoholic beverages via digital channels.
“From Monday, December 7, the sale and advertisement of alcoholic beverages online will be prohibited,” deputy police spokesman Pol Colonel Siriwat Deephor said. “Direct selling, persuading consumers, introducing products or other related services via digital channels that enable sellers to complete a sale without meeting the buyer face to face will be banned.”
This prohibition, however, does not include paying for alcoholic beverages via electronic methods at stores, restaurants or establishments that serve alcohol.
“Violators face up to six months in prison and/or Bt10,000 in fines,” Siriwat added.
Dr Niphon Chinanonwet, director of the Department of Disease Control’s Alcohol Control Committee, said these controls are being introduced because it is difficult to check if the sale of alcohol online is in compliance with legal limits, such as age, in line with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.
“This prohibition applies to all retailers and wholesalers, regardless of the size of company,” he said. “This law is not a ploy to cut off sales channels for small businesses as some say.”