Talking to the Guardian under a pseudonym, Naamcial said he would like to operate a legal brewery, but Thailand’s laws around alcohol production make this ambition almost impossible for newcomers. Current laws restrict brewing licences to manufacturers that have capital of 10 million baht ( $300,000), while brewpubs must produce at least 100,000 litres a year and only serve their beer on their premises. The legislation effectively blocks new, small breweries from opening, and tips the market firmly in favour of two powerful companies – Thai Beverage, which produces Chang beer, and Boon Rawd Brewery, which produces Singha and Leo.
In an attempt to loosen these companies’ grip on the Thai beer market, an MP for the opposition Move Forward party, Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, has proposed a draft law on excise tax, which is under consideration by the cabinet. Changing the law would boost the economy, he said. Furthermore, if the law passed, it would mark a symbolic change: “It will let ordinary people do the same business as rich people do.”
In 2017, before he entered politics, Taopiphop was arrested for brewing craft beer at home. He was fined $150 for brewing without a permit, and a further $15 for owning brewing yeast.
Denne historien er fra March 18, 2022-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra March 18, 2022-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Starlink's conquest of the Amazon leaves Brazil in a dilemma
The helicopter swooped into one of the most inaccessible corners of the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian special forces commandos leaped from it into the caiman-inhabited waters below.
Dalai Lama's mountain town feels the strain of tourist boom
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I'm not ashamed to say that as soon as September hits, my stick blender comes out. Just as I embrace salads when the clocks go forward in the UK, I wholeheartedly throw myself into soup season once the summer holidays end. Autumn is approaching in the northern hemisphere and I'm ready with my ladle. Celeriac is one of my favourite soup heroes, because it gives the creamiest, silkiest finish with little effort. You don't have to make the almond pangrattato, but it is a wonderful addition.
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All work and no play
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