The Thai Chamber of Commerce has submitted a letter to the Secretary-General of the Cabinet to oppose a new draft ministerial regulation on the import of alcoholic beverages, for consideration in the cabinet agenda.
The issue follows the cabinet meeting on February 3, 2026, which approved in principle a draft ministerial regulation on permission to import alcoholic beverages into the Kingdom (No. …) B.E. …, as proposed by the Ministry of Finance.
The key change is the removal of the eligibility requirement for applicants seeking a Type 1 import licence, meaning they would no longer need to be the sole authorised agent (sole agent) for the alcoholic beverages they import.
The draft also provides an exception allowing the director-general of the Excise Department to require Type 1 licence applicants to be the sole authorised agent if deemed necessary. However, in the initial phase, the Excise Department plans to apply the exemption only to imports of fermented alcohol in the categories of wine and sparkling wine — meaning applicants importing wine and sparkling wine would not need to be the sole authorised agent.
Dr Poj Aramwattananont, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, sent the letter to convey the chamber’s views on the new draft regulation.
The chamber said it disagrees with the draft because it could affect trade governance, the excise tax collection system, fair competition, consumer safety, and the stability of state revenue — in ways that do not align with regulatory principles and the intent of relevant laws.
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