The Thailand Excise Department has announced that it will tax non-alcoholic beers next year in an effort to DISCOURAGE new drinkers.
According to the Public Health Ministry, consumers regard the non-alcoholic beers as an alternative to other drinks as they are considerably cheaper due to the fact they are not currently taxed like alcohol.
It is unclear how they have concluded that taxing them up to the same price as beer with alcoholic content will DISCOURAGE people from switching to the real thing.
Especially as their reasoning seems to include the idea that people in Thailand currently drink alcohol-free beer BECAUSE it is cheaper than booze.
Which it is not.
The department has now completed the HS code and tax rate for the 0-per-cent beers, which will be taxed at more than 14 percent (regular drinks) but at less than 22 percent (beer containing alcohol).
So, it appears the conclusion is that making alcohol free beer more expensive than it currently is, which is already more expensive than real booze, will stop people from drinking real booze.
The draft proposal will now be submitted to the cabinet for approval.
The director oddly claimed that the tax rate will not affect the retail price since the 0-per-cent alcohol beers are being sold for almost the same price as ordinary beers but without the high taxes.
No, that doesn’t make any sense to us either.
