In a case that could serve as a warning to farang expatriates who own restaurants and bars in Thailand, showing pictures of beer bottles and glass with beer or liquor brands has led to a very hefty fine approaching half a million baht.
The precedent ruling has been made against the Kacha Kacha restaurant at Asiatique in Bangkok.
An executive of the shop, who uses a Facebook username of Ozawa Curry, has posted the ruling against his shop as a warning to others.
The executive and the shop were fined Bt460,000 for the violation of the Alcohol Control Act of 2014 from July 30 to March 6 2015 or 220 days. The shop and the owner were fined Bt220,000 each plus an extra fine of Bt10,000 each.
The shop owner posted that the South Bangkok Criminal Court made the ruling on March 24.
The two defendants are now in the process of appealing against the ruling.
The shop and the owner were charged in the court y the Office of Alcohol Control Committee of violating Article 32 and Article 43 of the Alcohol Control Act of 2014 and Article 83 of the Criminal Code by displaying beer bottles and beer glasses with brand logos in their restaurant menus.
The two articles of the act prohibit any form of advertisement of alcoholic drinks or displaying brands of such drinks in any media.
The owner of the shop posted on his Facebook wall that he believes the ruling against him was unprecedented as the normally the Office of Alcohol Control Committee reached out-of-court settlement with the violators after collecting the fines.
