Alcohol Prices Up
A story in the Bangkok Post today talks about taxes on alcohol increasing, in some cases by quite a bit.
| Type | Old Tax | New Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Whiskies (eg. Spey Royal, Johnny Walker) | 45% or 240 Baht/bottle | 50% or 400 Baht/bottle |
| Brandies | 35% or 240 Baht/bottle | 40% or 400 Baht/bottle |
| Mixed Spirits (eg. Mehkong Rum) | 50% or 240 Baht/bottle | 50% or 400 Baht/bottle |
Rates are based upon 100% alcohol content and are either a percentage or set value (whichever is higher)
The article said the alcohol that falls into the above categories will probably increase in price by 30-40% which is interesting considering the increases are nowhere near that amount. It should also be noted that these increases are effective not sometime in the future, but right now. Goverments around the world never have problems increasing taxes right away, but lower them – that’s different, because it takes time.
The government say they have implemented the increased taxes to decrease alcohol consumption, even though we all know that is complete bullshit. They’re only saying that to make their desire for more money seem honorable! Increasing the cost of alcohol won’t decrease consumption, it’ll just mean people have less money for everything else!
I expect some friends of mine will be bothered by the increased cost, but in the end they’ll buy what they always have nonetheless.
