7-Eleven covers viral beer machine with white cloth
After Thai citizens were intrigued by the beer liqueur at 7-Eleven in Bangkok’s Chinatown area this week, Thai authorities had to intervene.
A video of fresh draft beer being poured from the automatic machine went viral on the Facebook page “Thai Smile” earlier this week. See how the machine tilted the plastic cup for the perfect pour? And at just THB49 (about US$1.50) for a cup of the draught brew, it’s a tasty bargain. While most commenters obviously dig the awesome machine, the Office of Alcohol Committee traveled to the convenience store yesterday after receiving “complaints” from people that questioned whether or not it was legal, Manager reported.
When they arrived, it was found that 7-Eleven had the beer machine covered with a big white cloth that hid beer logo, meaning they are not in breach of Thailand’s Alcohol Control Act, which prohibits “advertising or displaying names or trademarks of alcoholic beverage deemed to induce people to drink it.” So thanks to that big white cloth, we can still have the Leo machine at 7-Eleven.
For those still wondering if the machine might be violating the Alcohol Control Act, which bans selling beer through a “vending machine,” the answer is no — thanks to a loophole. According to Atsadang Ruaiarjin, a public health spokesman, the machine is in the clear because a) it is operated by a store employee, and b) customers still have to pay at the cashier (where employees can check IDs). Source: Coconuts Bangkok
