BANGKOK, 29 April 2011 – The Ministry of Public Health is preparing to impose a ban on sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages in factory premises during operational hours.
According to Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, the alcoholic beverage control panel has resolved to make it mandatory to ban sales and consumption of alcoholic drinks while at work in factories. The order will come in an Office of the Prime Minister announcement.
The ban however will not be applied to factories producing alcoholic beverages where sales of alcoholic drinks are made for business purposes and the consumption is necessary to maintain quality and standards in the production process.
The order will take effect within 180 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette in order to allow time for the alcoholic beverage control panel to publicize the issue via the media and for the police to get ready for the enforcement, particularly impostion of fines on violators.
Alcoholic drink production dropped from 2.42 billion liters in 2009 to 1.74 billion liters in 2010 while sales of alcoholic drinks fell from 2.47 billion liters in 2009 to 1.76 billion liters in 2010.
