Terrible news for beer lovers in Thailand: Plans to sell Beer Lao throughout Thailand have been put on hold… until 2011. That’s four years we’ll have to wait before we can drink one of my favorite beers when we please.

Lao Brewery had planned to expand its business in Southern Laos with the aim of the beer making its way to Thailand. However, the governments of Laos and Thailand decided that beer is “too sensitive” a product to be tariff free. While the beer market is protected, beer drinkers will miss out.

Tariffs will be kept on beer until 2011. A new beer plant being built in Southern Laos would have been the beginning of Beer Lao spilling over into Thailand. Let’s face it, Beer Loa tastes a heck of a lot better than Chang, Singha, Leo and even Heineken. This would have been fantastic.

It looks like Thailand is a bit protective of its beer market though, so don’t expect Beer Lao in a 7-Eleven near you any time soon. Beer Lao is just about the only branded product Loas is known for. Selling the product in Thailand would be a great step for Laos because of the high number of tourists who pass through here, most of who speak highly of Beer Lao, as reported by DPA.

http://whatismatt.com/beer-lao-not-coming-to-thailand/