When international stars and local laws collide.
According to media sources, Thai authorities have decided to investigate the extensive sharing of images and videos of alcohol commercials starring Lisa, a Thai member of the popular K-pop group Black Pink.
According to the Bangkok Post and Nation, the Ministry of Health's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the Alcohol Control Committee (OACC) on the 17th to investigate anyone who post and promote Lisa's alcohol promotional photographs or videos on social media. Thailand, a Buddhist country, prohibits all forms of alcohol advertising.
Lisa, according to these sites, is a brand ambassador for a well-known whiskey company in Asia. According to the media, photographs, and videos of Lisa's marketing whiskey have been widely shared on social media.
Netizens are unsure whether it is appropriate for Lisa to advertise alcohol and whether she would face the same penalties as other celebrities, according to Nation.
Additionally, the OACC is reportedly investigating if Lisa's alcohol advertisement breaches any applicable regulations. According to Nation, Kachonsak Kaewcharat, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Lisa's participation in advertisements may not have breached other countries' regulations, as not all countries control alcohol promotion the way Thailand does.
He did not, however, make any statement on what would happen in Thailand, according to reports. Article 32 of Thailand's Liquor Control Act, which took effect in 2008, outlaws the advertising of alcoholic beverages as well as the exhibition of glasses holding alcohol or certain brands of alcoholic beverages.
Additionally, it is prohibited to encourage people to use alcohol. Violation of this rule carries a penalty of 500,000 baht (approximately 18 million won) or up to one year in prison, or both.