Thai Distilleries Restart Liquor Production.

Byline: Soonruth Bunyamanee

Oct. 1--Almost two years after the liberalisation of the liquor industry, 11 privatised distilleries began production late last month.

When the government freed up the industry in January 1999, bids were invited for 11 distilleries owned by the Excise Department that were previously on concession to the Sura Maharas Group of liquor tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.

Sura Maharas won four distilleries, one each in Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Surat Thani and Uttaradit. The rest were acquired separately by the other two shareholders of Sura Maharas, the Iamsakulrat family, which won distilleries in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan, Ubon Ratchathani, Prachin Buri and Ratchaburi, and the Kingchatchawal family, which acquired one each in Buri Ram and Nong Khai.

However, the 11 distilleries delayed production because existing producers had stocks that would last two to three years. The Sura Maharas group had liquor on hand worth 36 billion baht, of which 70 percent was plain liquor and 30 percent coloured liquor.

"Our stocks have been drying up. Fortunately, the 11 distilleries have completed maintenance and are ready to resume operations now," said a Sura Maharas source who declined to be named.

The 11 distilleries were built 15 years ago, so they needed a complete overhaul, he said.