An instructor at Thammasat University has joined a chorus of voices espousing measures to promote alcohol consumption, including extending the hours of retail sales.
According to one pro-alcohol academic, the government should amend the laws to allow longer alcohol-selling hours for tourists, lift the total ban on alcohol advertisements, reduce the import tariffs on alcoholic beverages, adjust the excise tax structure and offer wider support to small- and medium-sized enterprises that produce or sell alcohol.
"More flexibility is needed with the changing tourism demands to curb the impact [from alcohol control laws] on business operators and tourists," said Suthikorn Kingkaew, an assistant professor at Thammasat University's Research & Consultancy Institute.
"No more prohibitions of alcohol sales on important religious holidays at hotels. The total ban on alcohol adverts should be replaced by ads with a health warning," he said.
Citing the findings from a recent survey conducted on both Thais and foreign tourists, he said most respondents claimed they drink alcohol once or twice a week.
Most prefer drinking beer or liquor at a restaurant or bar, and the flavour of the alcoholic beverages matter the most, followed by the ambience, Mr Suthikorn said.
As many as 98% of those surveyed said they had never experienced any serious alcohol-related problem after imbibing, apart from the occasional hangover, said Mr Suthikorn.
Most of the tourism businesses surveyed complained about the restriction on alcohol selling times, which they said was hurting their businesses in an already sluggish economy.
The laws banning alcohol adverts, meanwhile, are somewhat vague and therefore prone to abuse by corrupt law enforcement officers, the academic noted.
The country's excise tax structure should also be revamped, he said. Alcoholic beverages should be taxed in proportion to their levels of pure alcohol content.
Lowering alcohol taxes on imported liquor would also spur sales for tourism businesses. The government should also encourage the use of local ingredients for producing cocktail drinks, Mr Suthikorn suggested.
Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), welcomed Mr Suthikorn's suggestion to relax the time limits on alcohol sales, saying the daily prohibition from 2pm until 5pm should now be lifted.
"My wish is for hotels to be designated as places where alcoholic beverages can be served to guests around the clock. Hotels are places where the international drinking culture is the norm," said Mr Thienprasit.
"If we can sell [more] alcohol, we will earn more. On the other hand, when we can't serve customers alcohol, they will get frustrated. Sometimes they merely want to chill out over a beer after a long flight," he said.
