Protesters contest plan to float beer company

Hundreds of people have demonstrated outside the Stock Exchange of Thailand to protest plans by the country’s largest beer maker to list its shares on the market. They say the move would encourage drinking.

The company’s senior vice-president Ueychai Tantha-Obhas earlier said Thai Beverage PLC has submitted an application for listing.

It plans to complete the listing by the end of the year. The company brews Thailand’s top seller, Beer Chang (Elephant Beer).

If successful, it would be the first alcoholic beverage company to list on the market in the predominantly Buddhist country.

Today’s demonstrators were largely anti-alcohol activists and members of Buddhist organisations, inspired by the religion’s principle of abstinence from alcohol.