Home brewing became less illegal today under new rules meant to increase competition – and possibly deflate the prospects of a more ambitious bill before parliament.
The new regulations approved by the cabinet yesterday would ease requirements for microbreweries by allowing them to use larger machinery and employ more workers as well as allow small-batch brewing at home. The cabinet approved the measure before parliament was today set to fast-track a popular opposition bill that would go much further to break the brewing oligopoly and decriminalize alcohol production.
Hobbyists 20 and up may now brew up to 200 liters of alcohol annually for personal use and apply for noncommercial production licenses. Their facilities must be spacious enough to brew without disturbing others.
Brewpubs are no longer required to have a 100,000-liter production capacity and may now use equipment up to 50 horsepower. A cap on the number of employees was raised from seven to 50. The relaxed measures only apply to operators who have held a production license for at least a year and have no criminal record.
Prayuth cites ‘health and safety’ to attack popular homebrewing bill
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s cabinet approved the measure just days after he came out swinging against the Booze Forward Act, sponsored by Move Forward Party MP Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, which was set to go for its second and third readings today. It has received wide support in parliament, where lawmakers in June voted it through in its first reading by a 178 to 137 vote.
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