Ads that are included in broadcasts from overseas, such as sporting events, will still be allowed, he added. The law raised the drinking age from 18 to 20 and prohibits alcohol sales near schools, temples and government offices.

"The government has seen the need to reduce the chance that teenagers will be able to reach for alcoholic drinks and especially to stop them from becoming heavy drinkers," Mongkol told reporters. "Along with more education, we need to introduce measures to control drinking by under-age people to minimise both social and economic effects of over-drinking."

The ban was originally proposed in October, but implementation was delayed while the government resolved technical issues in the law. Under the new regulations, health authorities will also place warning labels on alcoholic beverages to alert consumers to potential risks of drinking. Violators of the new rules will face up to one year in prison or a 100,000 baht (2,840 dollars) fine.

A group representing the alcohol, media and tourism industries said the new law would not prevent under-age drinking. A health ministry study two years ago found that per capita, Thais consumed 41.6 litres of alcohol in 2001, up 67 percent from a decade earlier. That placed Thailand only behind Portugal, Ireland, the Bahamas and the Czech Republic, the study found. AFP; March 13, 2007