Bangkok: Craft beer factories rejoice! The Cabinet is encouraging small-scale producers to produce canned beer for the market, hoping to promote Thai tourism.

According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat revealed that the Cabinet acknowledged the Ombudsman’s ruling following a complaint filed by the Excise Department regarding a beer production licensee with a production capacity of 100,000-1,000,000 liters per year. The Department has mandated that craft beer be sold exclusively in kegs within the factory. Therefore, the Cabinet has ordered the Excise Department to amend the ministerial regulations, allowing craft beer factories to distribute canned beer in provincial and other areas, subject to ensuring production standards are maintained to avoid impacting consumers.

The Excise Department and relevant agencies, including the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have jointly considered and agreed that to promote the strength of the Thai beer production industry, establish good standards, and reduce obstacles and burdens for domestic beer producers, while taking into account consumer safety and environmental impacts, this initiative will lead to the development of diverse beer products and fair prices for consumers. This initiative will address licensing requirements and control, supervision, and oversight measures, which vary depending on the size of production. Therefore, the government is instructed to appoint a joint working group to integrate cooperation between the public, private, and stakeholder sectors to establish clear, transparent, and fair solutions for the issue, which will then be submitted to the Cabinet for further consideration.