The tobacco companies, including Philip Morris (Thailand), demanded the ministry's advertising controls be equally imposed on all forms of tobacco products, caretaker Public Health Minster Pinij Charusombat said later.

The companies complained that cigars and pipe tobacco were not subject to the same ad controls as cigarettes, Pinij said.

Regulations to extend the ban on tobacco ads to all forms of tobacco products have been drafted but still need Pinij's approval.

About 10 US firms had previously met and discussed their issues at the US embassy before the meeting with the Public Health Ministry, US Ambassador Ralph Boyce said.

Vachara Phanchet, an assistant to the health minister, said the ambassador's move was unusual and the first such foray in many years, as far as he knew.

"For Philip Morris, for example, it was the first time in 15 years that they'd had such a meeting with the Public Health Ministry," Vachara said. "It's actually good to listen to what the concerned business sectors have to say," he said. "Yet when it comes to decision making, it's totally up to us."

The alcohol companies, including whisky giant Johnnie Walker, said they wanted to have a say in the public hearings on the new bill being drafted to completely ban all forms of alcohol advertising, Pinij said.

Narong said the alcohol companies and ad agencies had been invited to seven public hearings held around the country.

The new bill should pass into law after the new government is installed. The new law is expected to impose a total ban on alcohol advertising that will also cover the use of attractive hostesses at point of purchase.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation