The hearing, the last of a series held nationwide, was organised so the public could have input into the proposed alcohol consumption and control law.

The bill in its current form bans alcohol sales to anyone less than 21 years old, but the hearing recommended raising the legal age to 25.

Participants in the hearing, numbering about 300, argued that people between 21 and 25 years old were still too young to drink, because many were still studying.

Yesterday's hearing also slammed tax-free alcohol sales at duty-free shops, saying the irony was that Thailand imposed a 400-per-cent tax on alcohol sales domestically, yet allowed tax-free alcohol sales from duty-free shops.

The new law, bound to be controversial, recommends a total ban on alcohol advertising in a bid to control the Kingdom's spiralling rate of alcohol consumption.