New alcohol law in Thailand: growth or health risk?

New alcohol law in Thailand: growth or health risk?

The last few days have been a talking point in Thailand, especially with the controversial Alcohol Drinks Control Law coming into effect on November 8, 2025. According to Bangkok Biz News reports, this new law is expected to boost alcohol consumption in the country, which in turn could have a positive impact on economic growth. The focus is on easing restrictions in areas such as sales times, sales zones and advertising.

The legal changes do not come without critical voices. A comprehensive study by the Alcohol Problems Research Center and Kasetsart University has shown that alcohol consumption per capita in Thailand has increased from 5 liters in 1990 to over 8 liters in 2025. This is directly linked to an increase in health problems and a large number of traffic accidents. In fact, 14.1% of the 16,957 road deaths in Thailand are due to alcohol consumption. At 12.9%, the prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption in Thailand is higher than in many neighboring countries, including Singapore and Malaysia.

But what about the health risks? These are considerable. The rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and the increase in traffic accidents are direct consequences of high consumption. While the World Health Organization (WHO) urgently recommends tax increases and an advertising ban, the new law in Thailand is seen as a step backwards.

Alcohol and the Economy: A Delicate Balance

Of course, it is argued that the new law also offers opportunities. With a possible increase in sales, it could both create jobs and stimulate the economy. However, policymakers face the challenge of finding a happy medium between economic growth and population health. Higher alcohol consumption could, on the one hand, mean good business for the industry, but on the other hand, it could jeopardize productivity due to health consequences.

Another example of current technical challenges concerns the website tinkercad.com, which users describe as problematic. The page takes around 130 seconds to load, which is frustrating for many users, especially when quick results are required. A user discovered that the cause was an XMLHttpRequest to api-reader.tinkercad.com that was taking an extremely long time to complete.

A call for patience

So those affected have no choice but to be patient. Finally, this waiting time could be useful for urgent projects, even if it is unacceptable for “tinkering”. A software engineer also spoke out and said that support for free offerings is just as important as for paid ones. It remains to be seen how the situation in the digital sector develops.

For more information about weather and climate data that can be important for planning and executing events, platforms such as Meteored are available, which provide reliable forecasts and up-to-date information. Even though the weather can often be capricious, organizers should always inform themselves in time to take appropriate measures, be it in the area of ​​alcohol management or technological equipment.

Overall, the current situation in Thailand offers plenty of food for thought: How do we deal with the effects of alcohol consumption and what challenges do users face in the digital space? This all remains in the public eye and will certainly cause further discussion.

For more information: Bangkok Biz News, Autodesk Forum, Meteored.