Brewer-turned politician takes on Thailand’s alcohol duopoly

Thai brewer-turned-politician Taopiphop Limjittrakorn, a member of the Move Forward party, hopes to end an alcohol duopoly in the country.

After winning the most seats in a 14 May general election, Limjittrakorn revealed to Reuters that his party’s election win could assist in giving him a shot at breaking up Boon Rawd Brewery and ThaiBev, which have historically held the nation in a stranglehold regarding the production of alcohol.

Limjittrakorn, who was reportedly once arrested for illegal brewing, has been doing what he can to overhaul strict regulations for years, but this week reached an agreement with prospective coalition partners that include promising measures to “abolish monopolies and promote fair competition in all industries, such as alcoholic beverages”.

However, Damien Yeo, consumer and retail analyst at research firm…