Thumbs up for 7-Eleven Thailand draught beer

Convenience store chain 7-Eleven Thailand is not breaking the law by offering beer on tap as long as it is poured by cashiers rather than customers, and beer brand names or logos are not visible.

Debate is raging after 7-Eleven outlets on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road in Chinatown introduced a draught beer service, but an official says a beer dispenser worked by store staff members is fully within the law.

Deputy-director Dr Asadang Ruayajin of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), which works under the umbrella of the Public Health Ministry, says an inspection of the stores in question – after receiving a petition to do so – shows the dispensing machines have labels attached to obscure the beer brands’ logos, which complies with the Alcohol Control Act.

The department has been watching about 10 stores but has not found any transgressions.

Coconuts Bangkok offers a backstory to the protest, following a video of draft beer being poured from a 7-Eleven automatic machine went viral on the Facebook page Thai Smile.

Thai netizens got just a little too excited about the new Leo beer-pouring machine,” it reports. But when an official visited the store the beer machine was covered with a big white cloth hiding the beer logo. Also, customers need to pay at the cashier where IDs can be checked.