New Smoking Laws

[Bananaman]

As I was sat downwind of a table full of smokers yesterday in a restaurant in Chiang Mai, I thought I'd politely point out to the restaurant owner that new smoking regulations were now in operation in the country. He was equally polite in informing me that these laws have yet to come into force in Chiang Mai and that he'd already made no smoking signs in preparation for the official announcement but confessed to having no idea when it would be made. I was under the impression that these laws covered the entire country from the date on which they were introduced ie. at the end of last year. Anybody able to shed any light on the matter?

[Dupont]

As I was sat downwind of a table full of smokers yesterday in a restaurant in Chiang Mai, I thought I'd politely point out to the restaurant owner that new smoking regulations were now in operation in the country. He was equally polite in informing me that these laws have yet to come into force in Chiang Mai and that he'd already made no smoking signs in preparation for the official announcement but confessed to having no idea when it would be made. I was under the impression that these laws covered the entire country from the date on which they were introduced ie. at the end of last year. Anybody able to shed any light on the matter?

Came in 3 or years ago so its very seriously forgotten about by most.

BTW, this really is the wrong country to be scolding folk on their habits in bars (for the record I am a non smoker and don't like it at all).

It is rare to annoy anybody here and get into trouble, but when trouble brews it is very big and very very nasty and FC UK expensive paeng maak maak djang loi to get out of.

Bite the bullet mate! Read the papers, people here die every day for much less than asking somebody to put out a fag!

One bar guy last week held the bottle the wrong way when pouring, pissed off a Thai guy who shot him dead at the wedding party they were all at.

[Bananaman]

As I was sat downwind of a table full of smokers yesterday in a restaurant in Chiang Mai, I thought I'd politely point out to the restaurant owner that new smoking regulations were now in operation in the country. He was equally polite in informing me that these laws have yet to come into force in Chiang Mai and that he'd already made no smoking signs in preparation for the official announcement but confessed to having no idea when it would be made. I was under the impression that these laws covered the entire country from the date on which they were introduced ie. at the end of last year. Anybody able to shed any light on the matter?

Came in 3 or years ago so its very seriously forgotten about by most.

BTW, this really is the wrong country to be scolding folk on their habits in bars (for the record I am a non smoker and don't like it at all).

It is rare to annoy anybody here and get into trouble, but when trouble brews it is very big and very very nasty and FC UK expensive paeng maak maak djang loi to get out of.

Bite the bullet mate! Read the papers, people here die every day for much less than asking somebody to put out a fag!

One bar guy last week held the bottle the wrong way when pouring, pissed off a Thai guy who shot him dead at the wedding party they were all at.

3 years ago? Uh-uh, get with the news, these are NEW laws.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/12/29...es_30022827.php

I'm no fascist but i believe in my right to eat at my favourite restaurant without having my meal ruined by the stench of tobacco smoke and if laws are being passed that are intended to preserve my rights then I don't think it's going over the top to ask that they might be upheld. I'll take my chances that the guy with the ciggy is packing a 45, ya can't go thru your life never speaking up for anything because you might just pick on the one person likely to put a bullet in your head.

[Strap]

As I was sat downwind of a table full of smokers yesterday in a restaurant in Chiang Mai, I thought I'd politely point out to the restaurant owner that new smoking regulations were now in operation in the country. He was equally polite in informing me that these laws have yet to come into force in Chiang Mai and that he'd already made no smoking signs in preparation for the official announcement but confessed to having no idea when it would be made. I was under the impression that these laws covered the entire country from the date on which they were introduced ie. at the end of last year. Anybody able to shed any light on the matter?

Any place thats sells Booze ( beer / whiskey ) is not included in the added ban. Entertainment places, a resturant with music / drinks or even a live band in the corner is considerd entertainment. Most of the places you currenly cant smoke in are the same as in the 'New Law' not much of a change when it comes to night time places.

anyplace that has to close at 1am or 2am due to the late night closings clampdown is a entertainment venue.

This is the way it was explained to all the bizz owners in lumpini last week.

The ban forbids smoking on public transport, at bus stops, in elevators, public phone booths, libraries, theatres, children's playgrounds, drugstores, meeting rooms, massage parlours and spas.

Smoking in indoor stadiums is also banned - excluding snooker rooms. The ban on smoking also includes schools and educational institutes.

Air-conditioned areas in art exhibition halls, galleries, museums, shopping malls, barbershops, Internet cafes and karaoke booths are also no-smoking zones.

The ban includes the lobbies of hotels, resorts, condominiums, apartments and restaurants, excluding entertainment areas.

I hope this helps some.

Cheers

Edited January 8, 2007 by Strap

[John K]

I think there is a phone number you can call. But do it from a pay phone to report it. I think 20,000 baht fines will change their minds quickly.

[chiang mai]

if laws are being passed that are intended to preserve my rights then I don't think it's going over the top to ask that they might be upheld.

[BigSnake]

Bet 10 to 1, it will only be enforce for a short while, mostly against farang. Any takers?? bring it own.

[Mid]

guess there's always a first time .......................

[tuky]

Came in 3 or years ago so its very seriously forgotten about by most.

3 years ago? Uh-uh, get with the news, these are NEW laws.

3 years ago (or so) a law did come into effect banning smoking in enclosed eateries. I did see some no smoking signs go up in enclosed places but never saw anything in outside eateries.

I believe Dupont was probably referring to those laws.

[Dupont]

Came in 3 or years ago so its very seriously forgotten about by most.

3 years ago? Uh-uh, get with the news, these are NEW laws.

3 years ago (or so) a law did come into effect banning smoking in enclosed eateries. I did see some no smoking signs go up in enclosed places but never saw anything in outside eateries.

I believe Dupont was probably referring to those laws.

Thanks tucky I was.

Had it all before mate, many times and I only replied to save him from death by Thai smoker which is what would happen if you start sounding off in bars and restaurants.

Jai yen yen Bananaman if its meant to happen it will happen. Prostitution, gambling, speeding, drink driving, over-charging are also illegal!

Edited January 8, 2007 by Dupont

[Ulysses G.]

I detest the disgusting stench of cigarettes, but as long as a room has good ventilation, I don't want to infringe on smokers enjoyment. The problem is when people insist on smoking in restaurants with little to no ventilation.

[Donz]

I hate having a smoke then some person sits next to you and starts coffing and making funny noises because they dont like me smoke and then gives ya dirties.

Bloody non-smokers, should charge him for breathing in what I paid for.

[Rinrada]

Illness caused by smoking

Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases, and reduces quality of life and life expectancy.

It has been estimated that, in England, 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to diseases caused by smoking.

This translates into 7,000 hospital admissions per week, or 1,000 day.

For every death caused by smoking, approximately 20 smokers are suffering from a smoking related disease.

In 1997/98, cigarette smoking caused an estimated 480,000 patients to consult their GP for heart disease, 20,000 for stroke and nearly 600,000 for COPD. 1

Half of all teenagers who are currently smoking will die from diseases caused by tobacco if they continue to smoke.

One quarter will die after 70 years of age and one quarter before, with those dying before 70 losing on average 21 years of life.

It is estimated that between 1950 and 2000 six million Britons, and

60 million people worldwide, died from tobacco-related diseases.

I know smokies dont like reading about the consequences of wot their filthy habit entails and maybe the attitude should be reversed to......

6 mil Brits and ..60 million others DEAD world wide....

......NOT ENOUGH .......sad init

[ColPyat]

I detest the disgusting stench of cigarettes, but as long as a room has good ventilation, I don't want to infringe on smokers enjoyment. The problem is when people insist on smoking in restaurants with little to no ventilation.

And that is how common sense compromises can be worked out. These ridiculous laws are only aggrevating heavy smokers like me. We don't need any more repression than we already have.

There is almost always a solution with a little bit of tolerance from both sides. Laws are taking away our abilities to communicate a compromise.

In a badly ventilated place i have no problems with stepping out and having a cigarette there. But not being allowed to smoke in public parks is way over the top.

I don't infringe on non-smokers right not to smoke, and i expect non-smokers not trying to convert me. I am a responsible adult, i know that smoking is not the healthiest thing, and so are many other things. But i do enjoy smoking. Up to me.

So, to our militant non-smokers - stay out of my way. You may have gotten your laws, but you have pissed off many otherwise tolerant and compromising smokers as well.

[Mighty Mouse]

Many restaurants do have "No Smoking" signs but you can't see them through the thick tobacco smoke.

[Bananaman]

Came in 3 or years ago so its very seriously forgotten about by most.

3 years ago? Uh-uh, get with the news, these are NEW laws.

3 years ago (or so) a law did come into effect banning smoking in enclosed eateries. I did see some no smoking signs go up in enclosed places but never saw anything in outside eateries.

I believe Dupont was probably referring to those laws.

Thanks tucky I was.

Had it all before mate, many times and I only replied to save him from death by Thai smoker which is what would happen if you start sounding off in bars and restaurants.

Jai yen yen Bananaman if its meant to happen it will happen. Prostitution, gambling, speeding, drink driving, over-charging are also illegal!

Hey man, i'm jai yen, apologies if I came across otherwise. I appreciate your sentiment and have been here long enough to know that telling Mr. Thai Marboro he can't enjoy a puff while he chugs away on his bottle of Singh, ain't the most sensible behaviour in the world. The kids polluting the air in my fave eatery were in fact farang and far from wanting to single them out as recipients of any militant anti-smoking views, I guess I was simply curious to know whether local business owners were in fact prepared to observe the new law.

If what Strap says about restaurants selling booze being excluded from the ban is true, then this really is just another worthless Thai law as pretty much every restaurant in LOS has grog on the menu.

[kmart]

I think a poster earlier nailed it when they said that it will only be enforceable in Western bars / restaurants, ie; selectively enforced by the cops like every other law here.

I'm not a smoker myself, but in a pub I don't mind other people smoking as long as the place is well ventilated. In a restaurant, I don't like it at all when I'm eating.

The Thais like to adopt laws such as this one from Western countries to make them feel like they're also a developed country. They always end up looking rather ridiculous in that you might have a long road of cigarette smoke-free establishments and restaurants, being used by ten-wheel trucks belching out massive plumes of blue-black <deleted>, night and day.

[pampal]

It's funny to watch militant non smokers sitting by the roadside eating and breathing in diesel and petrol smoke lightly accented by tuk tuk fumes and not complaining. But if someone next to them lights a ciggie, they get bent out of shape. Wake up whiners, the diesel fumes are worst and much more concentrated than any cig smoke. But you don't get all bent out of shape about it do you? You most probably contribute to smog pollution with your vehicles so stop being so righteous and work to solve the real problem, vehicle emmisions. For the record, I don't smoke and I ride a bicycle as my main form of transport.