The chairman of the special committee scrutinising new alcohol control legislation, Wisarn Techathirawat, said the draft of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Bill was about 80% complete and would be submitted to parliament in mid-December.
During Monday's national academic conference on alcohol, Mr Wisarn said parliament had approved five Alcohol Beverage Control Bill drafts submitted by the cabinet, the Pheu Thai Party, a People's Party MP, an alcohol prevention and mitigation network representative, and a food sciences academic.
All five drafts were different in detail, Mr Wisarn noted, adding that the 42-member panel has spent more than eight months carefully reviewing and integrating them into a unified version. The process is currently 70–80% complete.
One key detail involves decentralising power to provincial alcohol control committees, allowing them more authority to designate zoning areas and set specific regulations.
Mr Wisarn said the drafted bill is expected to be included in the House draft by Dec 11 in time for the opening of the new parliamentary session on Dec 13.
He expected the bill to receive priority consideration.
He said the Excise Tax Bill is being reviewed in parliament in the meantime.
"We have thoroughly considered all perspectives and sought to understand all sides, including advocacy groups, business operators, government agencies, children and youth councils and victims of drunk driving incidents," Mr Wisarn said.
"One positive step is that youth council representatives will be included in provincial and Bangkok committees, along with provincial administrative organisation (PAO) chairpersons. This will ensure broader participation in decisions about zoning and regulatory limits."
Mr Wisarn also expressed concern about the rising number of drinkers in Thailand, particularly among women and acknowledged the societal and public health impacts caused by alcohol consumption.
As a result, the bill emphasises strict control of sales promotions. Efforts will be made to build mutual understanding among opposition and government whips to ensure the law passes, with enactment expected by January.
For issues that affect the majority of people, discussions will be held with all political parties, especially the opposition and government whips.
He insisted encouraging excessive alcohol consumption is intolerable. The focus should be on finding a balance that benefits society by mitigating alcohol-related harms, such as health risks and traffic accidents.
The bill proposes positive changes, he argued.
It includes stricter penalties for selling alcohol to minors or intoxicated individuals, decentralisation of authority to provincial committees and increased responsibility for sellers.