FTAs and Thailand’s alcoholic beverage market: Balancing economic opportunities and public health concerns under international trade uncertainty

Abstract

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) serve as effective instruments for creating opportunities that promote long-term economic growth across countries. However, international trade uncertainty significantly disrupts trade flows and reduces trade volumes between countries, particularly in the alcoholic beverage market. This study examines the impact of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on alcohol regulation in Thailand, with a focus on tax reforms, demand elasticity, trade performance, and import–export trends over the period 2013–2022. This study still uses econometric methodology to find the results of the study. The results of this study confirm that exports of main products in the alcoholic beverage market will rise under FTAs, especially alcohol consumption in Thailand. However, public health policy must focus on measures to prevent both direct and indirect impacts of alcohol consumption in Thailand, which need to be strictly enforced, particularly among younger populations who show an increasing tendency toward alcohol consumption.