The Public Health Ministry said that legislative amendments were required before the ban could be imposed.

On Saturday, Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla conceded that a ban on alcohol advertising could not be enforced as scheduled on December 3. He said the Cabinet would discuss ways to sort out the legal mess today.

The Thai Wine Association will this week ask the prime minister to review the total ban on advertising alcoholic drinks, which it claims will hurt the Bt400-million domestic wine industry.

Many alcohol firms have said it is difficult for them to withdraw all sponsored banners and signs at more than 100,000 restaurants and pubs, and for retail and entertainment outlets to adjust to comply with the new regulations.

Due to the uncertainty, Singha Corporation, manufacturer of Singha and Leo beer, has decided not to remove its Singha banners from the front of the CentralWorld complex and the KPN building on Rama IX Road once the ban takes effect.

The company asked for fair treatment from both the Public Health Ministry and the Food

and Drug Administration relat-

ing to the impending ban, which it views would lead to an imbalance in the market competition between alcohol companies.

"If our rivals - Chang and Heineken - can keep their Elephant and Red Star logos, respectively, in the same area of CentralWorld after the ban takes effect, why must we remove our Singha logo, which has represented the company for almost 73 years," said Chatchai Wiratyosin, marketing manager of Singha Corp.

He said that Singapore-listed Thai Beverage Plc, and Thai Asia Pacific Brewery, the local producer of Heineken beer, are being allowed to retain their existing logos at CentralWorld. Chang claims its white elephant logo represents its drinking-water product, while Heineken uses only the red star to represent its product at the beer park in front of CentralWorld.

He added the company is yet to receive an explanation from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about how it risks violating the ban.

Chatchai said that apart from the Singha logos at the CentralWorld complex and KPN building, the company had agreed to withdraw all advertising banners and television commercials related to its products.

"It is too early at this stage to predict change in the company's strategy as a result of the advertising ban," said Wimonwan Udomphorn, vice president, Riche Monde (Bangkok) Ltd, distributor of Johnnie Walker scotch whisky and other imported liquor products.

She added that it is still unclear what the alcohol companies could or could not do in order to comply with the ban.

"Clearly, we won't be able to advertise our products on television, radio or billboards, so in that sense the ban will definitely force us to look at other ways of providing consumers with information on our product," she said.

Wimonwan said that the company did not think the ban would have any effect at all on reducing alcohol consumption. Nor would it, more importantly, reduce alcohol abuse, which was something totally different from consumption.

She said that to really address alcohol abuse in Thailand, the government needs to focus on three key areas, including strictly enforcing existing laws, and a revised tax system to discourage the sale of low-priced liquor, which have high alcohol content.

"It should also seek the support of all alcohol firms to promote responsibility amongst drinkers," she said.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation