Head over to the alcohol fridge at your local 7-Eleven and you’ll find the new Jameson cans. Then you’ll find that these cans have a sticker that says "Dry & Lime." Peel that sticker off and you’ll find the actual can says "Smooth Dry & Lime."
According to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, B.E. 2551 Article 32, you’re not allowed advertize or promote alcoholic beverages. On top of not being able to show the labels or packaging of the drinks, marketing terms like “smooth” or “premium” are also prohibited. Everything on the packaging needs to be straight-up, factual information only.
So, in order for Jameson to be able to sell their new cans, unfortunately, they had to put a sticker over the word “smooth” which appears to have been put on by hand.
The alcohol regulations in Thailand are strict. You can be fined up to B50,000 for posting a photo of alcohol online. Recently, a court just ruled out selling alcohol online.
On the other hand, a new alcohol bill known as “sura khao na,” or “progressive alcohol,” got through its first legislative phase, making it one step—out of approximately 10 steps—closer to becoming a reality. The new bill will legalize all small batch brewings and allow homebrewing.
