Smoke on Thai beaches this high season and face jail or 100,000 baht fine

[webfact]

Smoke on Thai beaches this high season and face jail or 100,000 baht fine

 

 

Smoking will be banned on 20 major Thai beaches from November. And smokers who flout the law will face a year's jail or a 100,000 baht fine....or both.

 

The strict penalties are in line with existing ordinances concerning causing damage to the environment.

 

Studies have shown that cigarette butts are a major cause of environmental damage not just to the sea and beaches but Thailand in general.

 

And the government - in a step by step by step approach - is targeting smokers as it tries to rid the country of an unwanted tag as one of the biggest environmental polluters in the world.

 

No mention was made about smokers' health in a Daily News story - the Thais are getting more concerned about the well being of the environment.

 

Smoking will be banned in November as the tourist high season gets rolling in many high profile locations - these include all beaches in Pattaya, Jomtien, Phuket, Cha-Am, Hua Hin and Bang Saen. Others mentioned in the story were in Pangnga and Samila in Songkhla, Mae Phim and Laem Singh.

 

Environment ministry expert Jatuporn Burutphat said that studies - particularly one in Phuket - showed that cigarette butts made up a major proportion of all trash on beaches and in the sea. Surveys revealed up to 138,000 butts on each 2.5 kilometer stretch of Thai coast.

 

Nationwide there are thought to be 100 million cigarettes discarded each day. When leached of their harmful contents by water, potentially deadly substances such as cadmium and lead enter the environment and food chain.

 

No new laws need to be made. The authorities will use ordinances passed in 2015 about damage to the environment. These allow for one year prison terms and 100,000 baht fines or both.

 

Jatuporn said that people will not be allowed to walk along the beach and smoke. A certain proportion of smokers' cigarettes would always end up on the beach if that was permitted, he said.

 

So smokers will have to stub out their cigarettes at places that will be set up before entry to beaches.

 

Authorities will be on hand to enforce the law, he said.

 

Also plans are being made to enforce the no smoking law on all passenger boats and pleasure boats in Thai waters as cigarettes discarded directly into the sea are a major problem.

 

Jatuporn said that Thailand would host a major ASEAN environment conference in Phuket from October 22 to 23 in which sea and beach trash issues will be top of the agenda.

 

He said that he was determined to do something serious about the tag of "sixth worst polluter oif the ocean in the world" that has been applied to Thailand this year.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-10-10

[petedk]

Replace the words  "cigarette butt" with "plastic bags/bottles" and maybe Thailand could do something about environmental pollution.

 

I don't smoke, but I can imagine that an ordinary cigarette would disappear quite quickly as tobacco and paper are organic. Filters on the other hand may be more difficult to get rid of.

 

Also, I have noticed that most places that have deck chairs provide ash trays for the customers.

 

I have a feeling that this is just another way to sting the farangs.

 

Edit: Sorry, I didn't see the bit about Cadmium and lead the first time I read the article.

[smedly]

oh dear, how about a general clamp down on all types of littering, if I smoke anywhere I use an ashtray or a bin and that includes on a beach, if I have litter it goes in a bin, I am all for cleaning up and stopping people littering but stopping people smoking on a beach adds absolutely nothing to this, how many April 1st's are there in Thailand, they seem to have one every week.

 

This is stupidity beyond belief

[djayz]

It's ok to bring tons of plastic bags, bottles, cuttlery, etc. with you to the beach and just leave it all there after you've finished your pic-nic. That doesn't cause any environmental damage at all and it makes the beaches look more "suwai". 

 

They never seem to get anything right here...

[richard_smith237]

This is an excellent step in the right direction, but it's too easy to see it for what it really is....  And Thailand, please enforce the already existing laws against littering which plagues the nation.

 

This stinks somewhat of a 'easy target'... much in the same way as the Sukhumvit 2000 baht fines where only foreigners are caught meanwhile a multitude of street vendors litter the streets, plug up the drains with fat etc...  I can see this going much the same way. 

It seems to me that there is an incredibly hypocritical holier than thou approach whereby quick revenue can be collected from tourists who have no idea that smoking on a beach is even remotely considered given the obvious and blatant littering going on all around. 

 

On the face of it seems like an extremely xenophobic approach blaming the foreigners... which I'm sure some are to blame, but taking this individually without addressing the other major littering issues comes with a putrid stench.

[jackdd]

Of course as people mentioned before all littering should be addressed at all places, not just cigarettes at the beach (and of course the government / shops etc. should be responsible to put enough trash cans), but that's at least a start. And besides of the littering aspect i also don't want to smell the smoke of the cigarettes, so i welcome this step

[lordblackader]

Quote

When leached of their harmful contents by water, potentially deadly substances such as cadmium and lead enter the environment and food chain.

Does this mean that banning cigarettes on beaches will remove these deadly substances from Thai chocolate, or is that an unrelated issue? :)

[Chrisdoc]

I saw a Thai person dispose of a cigarette butt properly - once.

Sent from my SM-J120G using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[z42]

Just when you think the authorities can't get any more illogical, and look any more stupid.... I should really drink more before reading the news here ?

[baansgr]

A good start would be with the buses and trucks that chuck out so much smoke it takes 5,000 families in the UK to  recycle their rubbish for 5 years to save the Earth the same as these buses drive 100 yards.

[charly58]

In jomtien they give you aschtray at the beach if you smoke!I think cigarette buds come from ships out fishing in the evening til morning

Sent from my SM-T715Y using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Bill Miller]

How about people who smoke unfiltered cigarettes? Those are biodegradable.
Will cigars and pipe smoking be likewise illegal? The lead article does not differentiate.

[impulse]

37 minutes ago, webfact said:

Smoke on Thai beaches this high season and face jail or 100,000 baht fine

 

That'll really draw in droves of tourists...

 

[losername]

12 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Of course as people mentioned before all littering should be addressed at all places, not just cigarettes at the beach, but that's at least a start. And besides of the littering aspect i also don't want to smell the smoke of the cigarettes, so i welcome this step

Agreed.  All littering, all places and, I would like to add, all times.  Why just high season?  The obvious answer to that one is "a major ASEAN environment conference in Phuket from October 22 to 23 in which sea and beach trash issues will be top of the agenda."  Must be seen to be doing some thing by then.

[ezflip]

So...while in Jomtien, I will have to cross the road to have a cigarette then go back to my deckchair for a sip of beer? Oh, wait! Didn't they outlaw drinking alcohol on the beach as well?

 

Never mind then. Better to find a restaurant across from the beach and give them your business instead. Stay tune for complaints from beach chair operators loosing all their customers.

[YTP]

Beat somebody up = 500 baht fine.

Get caught smoking cig on beach = 100,000 baht fine.

 

[alation]

Well clearly they are wanting to make a difference but obserdly enough the environment is what is cared for rather than the human life. 

But maybe just maybe it may indirectly help people to stop smoking as they may put that cigarette out then head off for a walk along the beach for an hour or two and just not feel like another one again so ok there you go let's just hope so eh !!!!

[Furryman]

Awesome idea. Gotta start somewhere with the trash problem and cigarette butts are disgusting. Great place to start.

[thequietman]

The ongoing plastic bag issue is a serious problem but I feel they are definitely going after the tourists as a source of revenue. The BIB have lost many avenues for making money since the army were introduced. This is another revenue stream plain and simple.

Cigarette butts are a problem though ! People just throw them everywhere as you can see in the pics. Outrageous ! 

[300sd]

Tourists are singled out again. Upholding the littering laws is all they had to do.

 

How many Thais have been sentenced to one year in prison and 100,000 fine for littering? Name one!

Can't fix stupid.

[jackdd]

12 minutes ago, ezflip said:

Never mind then. Better to find a restaurant across from the beach and give them your business instead.

Smoking at restaurants is forbidden, maybe if they check the beach they will check the restaurants at the beach too

[hstew]

13 minutes ago, ezflip said:

So...while in Jomtien, I will have to cross the road to have a cigarette then go back to my deckchair for a sip of beer? Oh, wait! Didn't they outlaw drinking alcohol on the beach as well?

 

Never mind then. Better to find a restaurant across from the beach and give them your business instead. Stay tune for complaints from beach chair operators loosing all their customers.

I believe beach vendor alcohol sales (not consumption) has been banned on the beach for the month of October only.

 

Maybe stand in the water to smoke, that might create real confusion for the bulli police.

[Bullie]

The Chinese are the world's largest consumers of tobacco, so good luck with extorting money out of quality tourists. Especially the ones that can not read the Thai or English signs. They will be well pleased.

On the other hand, we could consider giving Thai families a hefty fine for everything they leave behind on the beach. Never in my life have I seen such litterbugs.

Then there's the public burning of plastic, the unfiltered clouds of black smoke out of extremely old and loud diesel engines..., the list goes on and on but no, the Thai government decides in its infinite wisdom to once again target the foreign milkcow.

[lapamita]

stupidity in accomplishment

anything what i read ,  is a comic.

they lost controll

ecigarette 5yr jail, cigarette 100k ..and a truck full of waist in the nature 2000

 

all  this notchange the real problem of waste

 

good luck, i prefer the pool , bcs even 100 times moe clean  and no rubbish

 

Its helps to increaase tourism numbers  hahahhahah

 

[worgeordie]

Call me a  sceptic,but I think this is just another money making 

scheme,100,000 THB fine,1 year in jail,! than trying to clean up

the beaches,rolled out just as the high season starts,and i don't

suppose there will be signs posted to warn tourists not to smoke.

another nice little earner for the Police ,Government.

regards Worgeordie

[maximillian]

36 minutes ago, djayz said:

It's ok to bring tons of plastic bags, bottles, cuttlery, etc. with you to the beach and just leave it all there after you've finished your pic-nic. That doesn't cause any environmental damage at all and it makes the beaches look more "suwai". 

 

They never seem to get anything right here...

They never get anything right...

 

How about the big announced "plastigbag free day once a month"?

It lasted not even one month.

 

When I lived by the beach I collected tons, literally tons, of trash.

Not many cigarette buts but thousands of lighters besides oneway cups, plates, forks, spoons, straws, flipflops, bottles, fishing nets, 500 W bulbs and neon lights, ropes etc. from the fishing fleets and all kind of garbage that doesn't belong to the sea.

But then, look around, see how they keep even their own yards full of garbage. Maybe as a sign of wealth. See, all the stuff I can afford... Environment, tidiness, cleanliness ?  How uncool.

[bristolgeoff]

just like the bar signs saying do not smoke,no one takes any notice as police never come round to check the bar owner or person attending the bar.everyone will on the sidewalk if they enforce it

[Nurseynutcase]

This is crazy - another nail in the coffin for tourism.

 

Yes, I am a smoker but I ALWAYS use an ashtary.  If one is not close by then I take my cigarette ends home with me to be disposed of properly.

 

The larger rubbish on the beach - plastic of all types, polystyrene trays, dirty nappies, tampons and condoms.  These are all items I have picked up and disposed of properly on the stretch of beach I visit most days.  IMHO these items pose a far greater pollution problem than cigarette ends - although there is NO excuse for leaving them on the beach/floor, pavement and any other surface you can think of.

 

The motto should be - if you bring disposable items to the beach then it is your responsibility to dispose of it properly.

[owl sees all]

11 minutes ago, lapamita said:

anything what i read ,  is a comic.

they lost controll

ecigarette 5yr jail, cigarette 100k ..and a truck full of waist in the nature 2000

Big fines there.

 

Never mentioned pipe smokers!

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

The BIB will love this new law, imagine how much money they can extort from tourists with this law.