Non-Alcoholic Beer Rules in Thailand
In Thailand, an amendment to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act that took effect on 8 November 2025 excludes beverages with an alcohol content of 0.5 degree or less from the definition of an alcoholic beverage. The degree is commonly read as percent by volume, although the Act does not define it. The Act's rules on the sale age of 20, places of sale and hours of sale therefore do not apply to such drinks as products.
Checked on 2 October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice: laws change, so confirm with the regulator before you rely on a rule.
The rules in Thailand at a glance
- At what alcohol level does a drink count as alcoholic in Thailand?
- Above 0.5 degree. Since 8 November 2025, drinks at 0.5 degree or less are outside the alcohol control law.
- What may a label call a non-alcoholic beer in Thailand?
- No legal term found. The 0.5 line excludes drinks from the definition of alcohol; it is not a product name.
- Who may sell or buy non-alcoholic beer in Thailand?
- Rules on sale age (20), places and hours apply only above 0.5. Advertising a product that uses an alcoholic drink's name or mark is banned.
The detail, with sources
The same amendment added section 32/3, which bans advertising any product that uses the name or mark of an alcoholic beverage in a way that may be understood as advertising that alcoholic beverage. On its wording, this can reach a non-alcoholic drink sold under a beer's name. Food labels in Thailand must be in Thai.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia
Singapore, Thailand since November 2025 and Malaysia since April 2026 treat a drink as alcoholic above 0.5% alcohol by volume, and Indonesia's halal rules use the same 0.5% line. Vietnam, the Philippines and Brunei set no line for non-alcoholic beer in the laws we read. In Malaysia and Indonesia, food law and halal standards also limit what these drinks may be called, including whether the word beer may appear on the label.
| Country or territory | A drink counts as alcoholic from |
|---|---|
| Malaysia | More than 0.5% ABV is an alcoholic beverage, since 1 April 2026. Before that, the line was more than 2%. |
| Indonesia | The 2013 Presidential Regulation defines an alcoholic beverage by fermentation and sets no lower limit. Its lowest class covers drinks of up to 5%. |
| Singapore | More than 0.5% ethanol by mass or volume is liquor. |
| Vietnam | No 0.5% line. The alcohol harm law defines beer as a malt drink containing food-grade alcohol, with no minimum. |
| Philippines | We found no legal line for alcohol content. The excise tax on beer and other fermented liquors has no threshold. |
| Brunei | The law does not define liquor by alcohol content. The Syariah Penal Code uses "liquor or intoxicating drink" without defining it. |
Across the whole region
- All 27 countries and territories in one table
- What halal authorities have published
- What regulators say about drink-driving laws and non-alcoholic beer
- The same rows as JSON or CSV, free to reuse with credit
If a rule for Thailand has changed, or a source no longer says what we say it does, write to getsoma.store@gmail.com and we will correct it.
Who publishes this page
SOMA is a non-alcoholic craft beer brand founded in Bangalore, India, and its beers are under 0.5% ABV. Our first deliveries will be in Bangalore, and we do not ship outside India. We keep these pages because the rules on non-alcoholic beer differ a great deal between countries, and many pages online state them without a source.
To learn how non-alcoholic beer is made and what is in it, read Non-Alcoholic Beer 101.