Brewers and distillers, advertising agencies, hotel associations, restaurants and the tourism industry, plus other businesses connected to alcohol sales had recently appeared before the committee during its second consideration of the bill.

Committee spokesman Tuang Antachai said most of them, such as Thai Beverage, which makes Beer Chang, Siam Winery and Regency supported the bill and were willing to follow the regulations contained in it.

"The representative of Thai Beverage said the law might affect its business, but the company would accept it if the law was equally enforced for all players," he said.

Tuang said Boonrawd Brewery, which makes Singha beer, was concerned that the alcohol-advertising ban might encourage some brewers and distillers to promote sales by cutting prices, which would lure more people into drinking.

"So Boonrawd Brewery suggested a tax increase measure being added to the law," Tuang said. He said representatives of the advertising industry had pointed out that annual advertising budgets for alcohol totalled about Bt2.6 billion and that was only 2 per cent of the whole advertising market, so the ban's effects would be negligible.

The association also supported a tax increase for all kinds of alcoholic products to thwart a price war.

Tuang said committee members were not concerned about a price war after Dr Prakit Vathisathokit, the secretary-general of Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, had detailed the effects of the advertising ban on tobacco since 1989.

Prakit, a member of the committee, said the tobacco ad ban had not caused any price war among the tobacco companies.