The Excise Department vowed Wednesday to strip the licences of entertainment venues which operate after legal hours, in prohibited zones or sell alcohol to underage people, particularly during the upcoming New Year holidays.
Department director-general Krisada Jeenawijarana said random inspections will be launched of entertainment venues, local communities and other target areas nationwide, by a joint force of excise officials and other authorities during the New Year celebrations.
Mr Krisada said entertainment venues would break the law if they operate in prohibited zones such as near educational institutes and this was regarded as indirect support for alcohol consumption among teenagers.
Liquor outlets will also face the revocation of their operating licences if they fail to pay liquor, beverages and tobacco taxes in accordance with the Excise Act, Mr Krisada said.
According to the department's inspections of nearly 9,500 alcohol outlets under an order by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the licences of 321 operators found in breach of the excise law were revoked.
Also, between September and November, there were 3,962 cases relating to excise law violations, resulting in fines of 161 million baht in total.
Of the cases, 1,801 involved alcohol beverages, leading to 36 million baht in fines, and 1,544 to tobacco resulting in 111 million baht in fines.
