Polathep Vichitkunakorn
polathep.bsky.social
Polathep Vichitkunakorn
@polathep.bsky.social
MD PhD (Epidemiology), Director of Centre for Alcohol Studies, Thailand | Assist. Dean of Research Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla Uni
New in APJPH: ASEAN alcohol policy vs WHO “SAFER.”
✅ Progress: drink-driving, availability, ad limits
⚠️ Gaps: AUD care, digital marketing, unrecorded alcohol
ASEAN-level coordination needed.
Read: doi.org/10.1177/1010...

#AlcoholPolicy #ASEAN #SAFER #PublicHealth #HealthPolicy
Alcohol Control Policy in Southeast Asia: A Descriptive Review - Sawitri Assanangkornchai, Wit Wichaidit, Gianna Gayle H. Amul, Ian Yi Han Ang, Surasak Chaiyasong, Pheak Chhoun, Chean Lin Chong, Andre...
Southeast Asia plays a vital role in the global alcohol trade, with rapid economic growth and increasing intra-regional travel contributing to shifts in alcohol...
doi.org
January 23, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Polathep Vichitkunakorn
Open Access - Automated Detection of Digital Alcohol Marketing Using SCANNER: An Integrated Deep-Learning Approach

Florentine Martino, Navoda Liyana Pathirana, Luai Saif, Asim Bhatti, @kbackholer.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1111/dar....

@deakinuniversity.bsky.social
January 19, 2026 at 12:34 AM
Reposted by Polathep Vichitkunakorn
"Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, through the Department of Disease Control (DDC), has completed a public consultation on a draft regulation that would ban the sale of alcoholic beverages in and around educational institutions."
www.nationthailand.com/blogs/news/p...
Health ministry pushes tighter alcohol controls near educational sites
Department of Disease Control has completed public consultations on a draft ban on alcohol sales in and around educational institutions, with exact radius to be announced later.
www.nationthailand.com
January 19, 2026 at 11:01 AM
CAS Thailand and @camhnews.bsky.social Canada (Jurgen Rehm and Kevin Shield held a joint meeting & workshop (15–16 Jan 2026) with two objectives: alcohol control policy under the new Alcohol Act, and preparing a joint grant on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) using linked survey data.
January 17, 2026 at 10:08 AM
🚨 Thailand's Alcohol Crisis: By the Numbers
Drinkers hit 20.9 Million in 2024 (+5M in just 3 years). The economic cost? 165 Billion THB/year.
The cause? Inflation is making alcohol cheaper in real terms. Here are 3 Urgent Tax Reforms proposed to the NCD Committee 👇 #AlcoholTax #TaxForLife #Thailand
January 12, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Tax isn’t just about revenue.
It shapes behavior—and health.
Join our panel & Open SPACE on Health Taxes: alcohol, tobacco, sugary drinks & salt.
📅 Jan 12, 2026 | Bangkok
#HealthTax #NCDpolicy #AlcoholPolicy
January 11, 2026 at 10:44 PM
🌱 Dry January 2026
1 month alcohol-free = better sleep, heart & liver health, clearer mind.
Some things don’t need to continue—so your health can. 💪
📞 Quitline 1413
#DryJanuary #CAS
January 5, 2026 at 3:11 PM
🎊 Published (03 Nov 2025) in Primary Health Care Research & Development (CUP): Thai chronic disease patients’ experiences after the 2022 cannabis policy change. Key message: use cannabis products cautiously—avoid use without medical guidance. doi.org/10.1017/S146... #Cannabis
Cannabis use experience of patients with chronic disease after revisions to the cannabis legalization regulations: a mixed-methods study in primary care settings in the south of Thailand | Primary Hea...
Cannabis use experience of patients with chronic disease after revisions to the cannabis legalization regulations: a mixed-methods study in primary care settings in the south of Thailand - Volume 26
doi.org
December 31, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Mentor, New Gen-HPSR—building capacity of early-career researchers in health policy & systems research to support evidence-informed health system strengthening.
December 31, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Joined a panel on Advancing National Health Workforce Indicators for Health Workforce Development in Thailand on 29 oct 2025—great discussion on practical indicators to strengthen health workforce management and planning.
December 31, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Centre for Alcohol Studies with the Thai NCD Network Association, hosted a public forum on 11 Dec 2025:
“Alcohol: An Accelerator of NCDs—and solutions to protect Thai health.”
Evidence + multi-sector dialogue + policy options to reduce #AlcoholHarm and strengthen #NCD prevention.
December 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Representing Centre for Alcohol Studies (CAS), Thailand, at the APAPA–SEAAPA Regional Networking Meeting 2025 in Bangkok (8–10 Oct).
Strong regional collaboration to advance effective #AlcoholControl.
#APAPA #SEAAPA #CAS
December 31, 2025 at 8:52 AM
​Thailand's decision to unlock alcohol sales 14:00–17:00 (since Dec 2) puts the economy before safety. 🇹🇭🍺
​As New Year travel peaks, we warn of a tragic surge in drunk driving mortality. The cost of this policy will likely be measured in lives.
​#Thailand #RoadSafety
December 28, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Big step for Thailand 🇹🇭 in tackling alcohol dependence.

The national sub-committee just approved the use of Acamprosate & Naltrexone as “anti-alcohol” medicines—expanding access to treatment and pushing for full ICD-10 coding so hospitals can get reimbursed properly.

www.hfocus.org/content/2025...
อนุกรรมการบำบัดผู้ติดแอลกอฮอล์ เคาะใช้ “ยาเลิกเหล้า” เพิ่มเข้าถึงรักษาผู้ติดสุรา | Hfocus.org
ที่ประชุมคณะอนุกรรมการด้านบำบัดรักษาหรือฟื้นฟูสภาพผู้ติดเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ ไฟเขียวใช้ยาเลิกเหล้า Acamprosate และ Naltrexone เพื่อการบำบัดรักษาในไทย
www.hfocus.org
October 9, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Just published in IJADR 🎉

ASEAN collaborative protocol on alcohol policy → consumption → life expectancy / economy (2000–2023) 🌏📈

Co-funded by @who.int Western Pacific and Centre for Alcohol Studies (CAS), Thaihealth 🤝

🔗 ijadr.org/index.php/ij...

#ASEAN #AlcoholPolicy
View of Protocol to study the role of alcohol consumption and alcohol control policy for economic development and health in membership countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ...
ijadr.org
October 2, 2025 at 10:58 AM
Recently published in BMC Public Health: WHO-ThaiHealth shows ~1 in 2 Thais cared for a drinker in the past year 😮 Cleaning (~31%) • rides (~20%). Reducing heavy drinking = less burden on families & workplaces. @who.int @moph.neocities.org
...
doi.org/10.1186/s128...
Association between caring for drinkers and the sociodemographic factors of caregivers in Thailand: data from the WHO-ThaiHealth project - BMC Public Health
Introduction This study aimed to determine the prevalence of various kinds of care for drinkers in Thailand and investigate the relationships between the sociodemographic factors of caring and the experiences of caring for drinkers. Methods Secondary data from the World Health Organization (WHO)/ThaiHealth International Collaborative Research Project were analyzed. The survey included 1,695 participants aged between 18 and 70 years from four regions, and Bangkok. The data were collected using face-to-face interviews and collected a range of data on the impact of alcohol on others. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regressions are presented. Results Among 1,580 respondents, approximately 695 respondents (45.41%) had given at least one type of care for a drinker in the last 12 months. Respondents took extra responsibility for cleaning the house of drinkers after drinking (n = 476:31.22%), followed by spending time caring for a drinker (n = 317: 21.48%) and driving or picking up a drinker (n = 301:19.82%). Men had a higher proportion of giving care than women (55.65% vs. 38.23%), with significant differences in all types of care (p-value < 0.001). Approximately two-thirds of respondents aged 18‒39 years reported giving any care for people who drink. Respondents who infrequently drank five or more standard drinks per day were 4.11 (95%CI 2.49 to 6.76) times more likely than non-drinkers to report giving any care, while those who frequently drank five or more standard drinks were 4.51 (95%CI 2.44 to 8.31) times more likely than non-drinkers to report the same. Discussion and conclusions The study showed that the burden of caring for drinkers was more likely found in males and was positively associated with more drinking. Thus, a policy approach that reduces consumption would reduce the impact on the prevalence of caring for others.
doi.org
October 1, 2025 at 12:43 PM
JAMA Network Open meta-analysis (13 studies) shows that each +1 L increase in per-capita alcohol consumption (APC) is associated with ~3.59% higher suicide mortality, with no sex difference. Alcohol policy should be integrated into suicide-prevention strategies.
doi.org/10.1001/jama...
September 26, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Polathep Vichitkunakorn
"Contrary to some claims that marketing is about market share rather than increasing consumption, the evidence base, comprising 26 studies, suggests that there is a relationship between marketing and consumption"

- Public Health Scot's alc marketing review

publichealthscotland.scot/media/34628/...
September 22, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Big Alcohol/Tobacco/UPF are blocking health reforms. Meanwhile in Thailand, the new Alcoholic Beverage Control Act (No.2) B.E.2568 adds industry reps to the national alcohol-control committee; provincial/BMA rules pending.
...
🔗 www.reuters.com/business/hea...
www.reuters.com
September 20, 2025 at 1:56 AM
The 2–5 PM alcohol sales ban is still enforced in Thailand. This remains in effect pending sub-regs under the newly promulgated Alcohol Beverage Control Act (No. 2) in the Royal Gazette.
September 18, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Thailand’s Alcohol Control Act (first enacted in 2008) has been amended.
📢 The 2nd Act was published in the Royal Gazette on Sept 9, 2025.
⚠️ CAS is concerned: new relaxations may increase youth access, health harms & social violence.

#AlcoholPolicy

ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/documents/83...
September 9, 2025 at 10:06 PM
📍9 กย วันตระหนักรู้ภาวะผิดปกติของทารกในครรภ์จากแอลกอฮอล์
(International FASD Awareness Day)

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders กลุ่มอาการผิดปกติของทารกจากการดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ของมารดาขณะตั้งครรภ์

สมองได้รับผลกระทบตั้งแต่ในท้อง ส่งผลต่อ พฤติกรรม การเรียนรู้ และสุขภาพตลอดชีวิต

การไม่ดื่มแอลกอฮอล์เลยในระหว่างตั้งครรภ์ คือการปกป้องลูกน้อย 💙

#FASD
September 9, 2025 at 5:32 AM
📢 The Center for Alcohol Studies (CAS) is now accepting research proposals on alcohol control (2025–2027, Round 1).
Priorities: New Act, small producers, large industry, youth & women, alcohol & drugs, and more.
Details 👉 cas.or.th/content?id=965
September 8, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Thailand’s drink drive repeat-offense law turns 3. Credit to the Road Safety Academic Center (RSAC) and the Center for Alcohol Studies (CAS) for evidence support and coordination. Goal: make “repeat offense = the end.” #drinkdrive #RoadSafety ##AlcoholPolicy @moph.neocities.org
September 7, 2025 at 11:55 PM