I don't know how long ago it happened, but Thailand banned the advertising of all liquor first, and then moved on to banning the advertising of beer and wine coolers as well. It started slowly just like it did in America: First no one was allowed to glamorize drinking, then no one was allowed to show people drinking the beer in the commercials. They then went one step further and banned the advertising of beer on television altogether.
The most popular Thai beer is Chang... i hate it
At one point the government made it illegal to advertise that you even sold beer, which was problematic for bars (including the one that I owned) because we all had those promotional signs on the front of our bars. Many places had their business sign paid for by the beer manufacturers in exchange for a portion of the sign being an ad for a particular brand. There was a time when all bars had a bunch of trash bags covering their light up signs out of fear of being fined for having these things visible from the street. This "law" was quickly rescinded but it was a strange time.
Anyway, because beer advertisers are a relentless bunch, we all of a sudden started seeing all the beer manufacturers pop up with new branches of their brand that included non alcoholic soda water. Chang, Singha, and Leo (the big manufacturers of beer in Thailand) all had a "soda water branch" in their company portfolio.
The commercials would feature sexy socialites hanging out at what is clearly super swanky night clubs and dancing the night away while all enjoying their bottles of soda water..... because that is what people do you know? Go to clubs and drink soda water all night because it is super profitable for the club owner.
You know that old expression "life finds a way" ? Well i find it quite comical about how the government makes silly laws somehow believing that people are all of a sudden not going to want booze anymore because there are no commercials and then the manufacturers comply with the new silly laws and simply circumvent them by introducing another product. Any time the g-men try to suggest that they are attempting to advertise booze to kids by having their logo on a football jersey or something they an always respond with "oh no, we would never do that... that is just for the soda water... we don't actually want anyone to buy the beer."