Opening of micro breweries and small distilleries may eat into the market share of Thai Beverage (SGX:Y92
) and Boon Rawd Brewery, which dominate Thailand’s beer and spirits industries. Paetongtarn hailed the parliamentary nod for the bill, saying it will open up opportunities for farmers to sell agricultural products and spices as raw materials to the new producers.
Thailand’s House of Representatives passed a bill to promote liquor production by small entrepreneurs, a move Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said will help unshackle the monopoly in the nation’s alcoholic beverage industry and support the rural economy.
The legislation will pave the way for individual entrepreneurs, cooperatives and farmer groups among others to secure license to produce and trade all types of liquor. The bill received a near unanimous house approval with 415 lawmakers out of 420 present voting in its favour. The legislation will now be forwarded to the senate for its consideration.
