Bangkok: The Excise Department has initiated a nationwide search for the ‘1 Community, 1 Excise Champion’ for 2015, aiming to enhance community liquor production across the country.
According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Kullaya Tantitemit, Director-General of the Excise Department, announced that the department has revised the excise tax rate structure by reducing the tax on locally-fermented liquors such as U, Krachae, and Sato from 10 percent to 0 percent. This move is intended to alleviate the financial burden on local liquor producers and stimulate the grassroots economy. In tandem with this, the Cabinet approved a new draft ministerial regulation on May 13, 2025, designed to facilitate new entrepreneurs and community enterprises in their business endeavors.
Key changes include relaxing restrictions on the location of factories relative to water sources, provided they have a compliant wastewater treatment system. Additionally, new operators can now apply for a medium-sized liquor production license without
prior experience as a small factory, and the sale of draft beer in kegs outside production sites is permitted. These measures are anticipated to reduce legal barriers and create economic opportunities for local operators, aligning with the government’s policy to promote the country’s soft power.
The Excise Department has launched the ‘1 Community 1 Excise Champion’ project to support community liquor entrepreneurs. This year marks the first time craft beer entrepreneurs are invited to participate, expanding the project’s scope to include a broader range of community liquor industries. This initiative aims to respond to the evolving economy and enhance international competitiveness.
Ms. Kullaya highlighted that 26 community liquor entrepreneurs across distilled liquor, chilled liquor, and craft beer categories successfully passed the provincial selection phase. Participants include four from the North, six from the Northeast, two each from the East and West, seven from the Central region, and five from the S
outh. Of these, 15 entrepreneurs advanced to the final round.
In the community distilled liquor category, the finalists are Suea Ten 22 Co., Ltd. (Phrae Province), TK Group Holding Co., Ltd. (Nonthaburi Province), Maha Osot Co., Ltd. (Nakhon Pathom Province), Diken X Change Co., Ltd. (Krabi Province), and Yod Khao Surathip Co., Ltd. (Trang Province).
For community-soaked liquor, the finalists include New Theory Farmer Community Enterprise (Yasothon Province), E.H.I. Tokai Co., Ltd. (Lamphun Province), Ban Tor Mai Daeng Processed Products Community Enterprise (Kanchanaburi Province), Temsip Plus Co., Ltd. (Ranong Province), and Drink Dai Drink Dee Co., Ltd. (Bangkok Province).
In the craft beer category, the contenders are Callme Papa Co., Ltd. (Nonthaburi Province), Salika Linthong Brewery Co., Ltd. (Nakhon Nayok Province), Craft Society Co., Ltd. (Khon Kaen Province), Narasingh Brewery Co., Ltd. (Samut Sakhon Province), and Saha Prachachuen Co., Ltd. (Bangkok).
The winners in each category are Maha Osot
Co., Ltd. (Nakhon Pathom Province) for community distilled liquor, E.H.I. Tokai Co., Ltd. (Lamphun Province) for community-soaked liquor, and Saha Prachachuen Co., Ltd. (Bangkok Province) for craft beer.
Ms. Kullaya emphasized that the ‘1 Community 1 Excise Champion’ project in 2025 represents a significant step in bolstering the grassroots economy. This initiative underscores the collaboration between the government and local liquor entrepreneurs, fostering new entrants and expanding opportunities for craft beer. This reflects the Excise Department’s commitment to supporting local liquor entrepreneurs in achieving sustainable growth, consistent with the country’s Soft Power development strategy.