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FREE weekly issue 15 6
11 November 2011
Hua Hin Golf Local Listings Classifieds FIFA Goes Poppy
beer Papayita supplies Bar drying up? singha main casualty; some bars soi selakam
classics 80’s 90’s Happy hour until 9pm all beers 55 b spirits 80 b cocktails 100 b
struggling to find stock
hua hin, THAILAND While it may seem churlish to report on a potential ‘beer crisis’ when hundreds are dead and possibly millions face severe risks from polluted water and disease caused by the flooding in Thailand, for many the possibility that stocks will not be available as we enter the high season is a serious cause of concern. Some suppliers are predicting two months of uncertain beer supply, with one of the country’s most popular beers Singha already badly affected and impossible to get hold of in some places. Singha has many of its production facilities based in flood-hit central provinces such as Phathum Thani, and was recently forced to close one brewery that was effectively surrounded by water. The Phuket Gazzette quoted Weerawit Kurasombat, president of the Patong Entertainment Business Association, as saying “This is the beginning of the high season. If the supply situation does not improve within about 30 days, I believe the entertainment business will start showing real signs of a crisis.” This would apply equally to Hua Hin, although the reports AWOL has received from bar owners in the area has been mixed; some say they have been ‘scrabbling around’ to find stock, while others have reported receiving supplies with no problem from their usual sources. However most have said that they had been trying to stay ahead of the game by ordering extra supplies in case of shortages, and that Singha and Tiger Light seem to be the most difficult to get hold of. Some also reported some small price increases. Most bars we spoke to were confident that their customers would switch to another beer if their favourite was not available, but the worry is that CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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