THAI BEVERAGES LISTING: 5,000 monks rally in protest

The Nation ^ | March 19, 2005 | Siriporn Chanjindamanee

[nickcarraway]

Clerics say liquor companies should not be permitted to raise funds from the public on local stock exchange

More than 5,000 Buddhist monks staged a protest outside the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) yesterday and condemned Thai Beverages Plc, producer of Chang beer and Mekong whisky, for its plan to list on the exchange.

It was one of the largest demonstrations by Buddhist monks in recent memory, prompted by what they consider an “immoral act”; alcohol-related business, they said, should not be allowed to raise funds from the public through listing on the exchange.

Thai Beverages, controlled by liquor tycoon Charoen Sirivadha-nabhakdi, is awaiting approval to list on the bourse. The SET board is due to meet on Wednesday to vote on its application to list on the exchange.

If approved, Thai Beverages would be one of the largest companies on the stock exchange, with market capitalisation of more than Bt250 billion.

The liquor business has been Charoen’s cash cow, allowing him to diversify his business empire into finance, insurance, hotels and real estate.

Charoen is ranked as the richest man in Thailand by Forbes magazine, with a net worth of about US$3 billion (Bt115 billion). Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his family were ranked second with a net worth of $1.2 billion.

Forty buses carrying monks representing organisations from all over the country began to arrive at the SET Building on Ratcha-daphisek Road at 8am. More than 100 police officers from the Lumpini and Thonglor police stations were on hand to direct traffic and provide security.

At 9.30am, Phra Suriya Panya-vachiro, secretary-general of the Centre of Coordination of Buddhist Monks of Thailand, read out a statement in Thai against the listing of the liquor business. Another monk read out a statement in English.

“We are quite concerned about the morality of Thailand and the health and culture of Thai society, which could be harmed by the proliferation of the liquor business. This could also undermine the security of the nation and religion,” said Phra Suriya Panyavachiro.

He added that 99.99 per cent of social ills in the country could be traced to liquor.

“We are gathering to show our power and to speak against the listing of the liquor business on the stock market. If they want to list their business on overseas markets, that it is their business. But in Thailand, we have to take care of our country. I think the stock exchange should take our opinion into consideration,” he said.

The monks then chanted two rounds of prayer to condemn the liquor business.

Phra Kittyano Bhikkhu said, “It is one of the duties of the Buddhist monks to promote good morality to the world. We have poured away liquor and burned cigarettes in our protests before. Our action has gained the support of all religious organisations.”

SET president Kittiratt Na Ranong did not meet the monks yesterday, saying he was busy in a meeting. Instead, SET senior vice president Phathreeya Benjaphol-chai came out to meet the monks and receive their statement of protest.

“There has been a lot of pressure on our work because various organisations have voiced their opposition [to the listing of Thai Beve-rages],” she said.

“We shall take the information from all groups into consideration on March 23.”

Thai Beverages has been aware all along about the social pressure against its listing. It had said earlier that its priority was to list on the Thai stock exchange, even though other markets, such as London, Singapore and Hong Kong, have courted it.

Chamlong Srimuang, a key member of the Santi Asoke group, has mounted a campaign against Thai Beverages’ plan to go public. His protests sparked a broader movement among local religious groups and others, including 50 student organisations, Christian organisations and civic groups against liquor and tobacco.

[nickcarraway]

Buddhist monks protest listing of brewery on bourse

Mar 18 , 2005

BANGKOK, March 18 (AFP) - Thousands of chanting Buddhist monks assembled outside Thailand's stock market headquarters Friday to protest the planned public listing of the brewer of the country's best-selling beer.

The 2,000 monks, draped in orange and brown robes, submitted a letter to the Stock Exchange of Thailand opposing the listing of Thai Beverages Ltd, which produces Chang Beer and Mekhong Whisky among other products.

The letter lamented the ill effects that alcohol has on society, in particular the surging number of alcohol-related deaths from road accidents and the rising trend of underage drinking, Thai television reported.

Many held up banners, including one reading "Alcohol, go to hell".

Academics also have urged the SET not to rush into approval of Thai Beverages' listing application.

"Thai Beverages should not be allowed to list on the SET as long as the government fails to control distribution of alcohol among teenagers and doesn't enforce alcohol consumption laws," researcher Duenden Nikomborirak of Thailand Development Research Institute said in the Bangkok Post.

The listing would be a first by a local liquor company, and its rival Boon Rawd Brewery, the country's oldest, has plans to follow suit, the English-language daily reported.

The SET's board will make a final decision on Thai Beverages' listing on Wednesday, it said.

Thailand is the fifth largest per capita consumer of alcoholic beverages in the world and consumption among young people has surged, the health ministry warned last August.

[benjaminjjones]

Isn't Thailand the sex tourism capitol of world? Wasn't Thailand the destination one of those Catholic prevert priests had in mind?

And the Buddist monks are worried about beer?

[benjaminjjones]

Buddist=Buddhist

prevert, I meant to spell it that way.

[Goldwater4ever]

Las Vegas or Amsterdam probably holds the title of sex capital of the world.
As for the pedophile priests, I think they do most of their perverted acts on American soil.

[benjaminjjones]

My point was that Thailand is a bleeped-up turd world country, including being a sex tourism destination, and that Buddhist monks should be protesting something other than beer.

BTW, anyone know what vows Buddhist monks take? Are they celibate, or do they favor little boys?

[Goldwater4ever]

And you don't think that Las Vegas is a sex tourism destination?

Unlike many priests, Buddhists do not favor little boys.

[JimSEA]

The monks are celibate. The rules for their behavior are lengthy and strict. The Singha (Buddhist hierarchy) is responsible for most of the sex trade reform (locals and farangs are being prosecuted for child sex and slavery through raids on parlors and limited hours -- hours being a pretext for raids where ages are checked). Now Cambodians and Burmese make up the majority of the "new" sex workerws as the monks have spread the word on the scam artists tricking young people into the sex trade. In the past several years the number of tourist families on vacation has drastically increased and you see far fewer "rent-a-Wives). The police raid the "massage parlors" owned by influential persons to check ages and screen for drugs (everyone there has urine test).

The Thai public views national problems as:

1. The economy

2. Corruption (including sex tourism)

3. Drugs

4. Muslim violence in the South

The current government, for all it's intolerance of opposing views, has moved decisively against each of these ingraned problems. The monks see alcohol as a central problem, leading to prostitution, family violence, drugs, death on the highways. This is not to day there are not big problems, however, there are meaningful moves to reform which have accelerated as the middle class has grown and the economy has grown beyond the tourism base .

[AlaskaErik]

I just spent a week in Thailand and after a long hard day a cold bottle of Singha beer was just a perfect way to beat the heat.

[Goldwater4ever]

I like Thailand's solution to the drug problem. You deal drugs, the police kill you. Reportedly, thousands of drug dealers have been sent on the path to Nirvana with the aid of a 7.62 round.

The next most pressing problem is the Muslim situation which, I assume will eventually be dealt with like the drug problem.

Hope to retire in Thailand where the mountains are green, the food is great, and most everything is inexpensive.