Thai health warning labels
Last month new draft requirements were released for domestic consultation by Thailand’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABCB) as a draft amendment to Section 26(1) of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act.
The draft announcement covers a wide range of requirements including graphic health warnings, restrictions on text that is displayed on the packaging or labels, and the specifications for how warnings need to be displayed.
This measure is the same or similar to measures which have been prosed by Thai authorities in the past. Of greatest concern includes:
A recently released article from the Bangkok Post noted that responding to a survey conducted by Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, 87% of 1,040 individuals were opposed to the proposed regulations.
These measures are yet to be notified to the World Trade Organization by Thailand as they are still undergoing the domestic consultation processes and consideration by ABCB.
Australian Grape & Wine has sent letters to Thai ministers responsible for the proposal and asked the Australian government to engage the Thai Authorities through its post in Bangkok.