Thai Alcohol Beverage Association Supports Thai Health Act Revision
TABF President Somboon Kaewkriangkrai submitted a proposal to MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn on October 20, supporting reforms to alcohol and tobacco tax allocations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- TABF submitted a proposal to revise the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Act on Oct 20
- Advocated for routing tax revenues into the national budget for transparency
- Proposed tiered taxation for community distilleries based on actual production impact
- MP Taopiphop accepted the petition for further committee review
On October 20, Mr. Somboon Kaewkriangkrai, President of the Thai Alcohol Beverage Association (TABF), accompanied by Dr. Witthilak Chanthanasombat, Secretary-General of the association, and representatives from the community distillery network, met with Mr. Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a Member of Parliament for the People's Party and spokesperson for the House Committee on Budget Administration.
The delegation submitted a formal petition expressing their support for amending the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Act B.E. 2544 (2001), specifically focusing on reforming the collection and allocation system of foundation funds derived from alcohol and tobacco taxes.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
The association clarified that the proposed reforms aim to ensure that public tax expenditures align properly with the state's fiscal discipline and the national budget system, emphasizing that they harbor no intention of opposing public health promotion policies.
"Tax revenues collected from the public should enter the national budget system to ensure expenditures are properly monitored. Every single baht and satang must be spent efficiently and transparently."
Somboon Kaewkriangkrai
Mr. Somboon further noted that if any agency utilizes tax funds without meeting performance targets or achieving value for money, it could pose long-term risks. Integrating funds into the central system would allow for stricter oversight.
Revising the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) Act has long been a subject of policy and fiscal debate in Thailand. ThaiHealth relies on extra-budgetary funding derived from a 2 percentage surcharge on excise taxes levied on alcohol and tobacco to finance public health initiatives. The push by industry representatives and community distillers to channel these funds back into the regular national budget reflects ongoing discussions surrounding fiscal discipline, transparency, and standard bureaucratic accountability.
Dr. Witthilak added that taxation on alcohol producers should follow the principle that manufacturers causing greater health impacts should pay more, while those with lesser impacts should pay less. Consequently, small-scale community distillers with limited production capacities should not be taxed at the same flat rate as major industrial producers.
In response, MP Taopiphop stated that he would take the association's petition and recommendations for further review within the House Committee on Budget Administration to determine appropriate next steps.
Source: Matichon Politics
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