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

[AGareth2]

31 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

It's not rocket surgery.

Just don't smoke on the beach...

and if you are a smoker don't go to the beach

[AGareth2]

Just now, AGareth2 said:

and if you are a smoker don't go to the beach

you can always go to Laos

[wvavin]

This needs a collective effort to stay away from the beach and we shall see what come next.

[Get Real]

Only 100 000 in fine? I guess that was under the bar for that kind of sofisticated crime.

[jenny2017]

 

     Let music answer

 

     

 

[anon789561]

i live next to a beach and i doubt very much if i was caught smoking and threw a fag but on the beach someone would insist i pay 100,000 baht. thats taking the piss 555. i don't litter so won't find out but i just can't see them getting away with that. 5,000 maybe but 100,000 baht. come on

[Mainhattencitizen]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

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

I wonder if the Minister of Tourism will inform all Travel Agencies around the world of this new law to warn tourists.

Stupid thought of me, of course not because these tourists are the ones the law aims to pull over the table.

[Lucky mike]

Bandaid on shark bite ? Another knee jerk reaction, maybe at least it is something !

[newnative]

Pity they don't have 100,000 Baht fines for double-parking, driving motorcycles on the sidewalks, speeding, running red lights, parking in no parking zones, etc., etc. 

[PerkinsCuthbert]

One is astonished that a mere neung saen Baht, and a year in pokey will allow the perpetrator to offend again; capital punishment, or at least amputation of the offending limb, would seem a far more appropriate penalty in these intolerant times.

[Tchooptip]

3 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

 

That would be an average of over 55 cigarette butts per linear metre, which seems unlikely.

Yes probably more

 

[wealthychef]

4 hours ago, smedly said:

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

Non sequitor beyond belief.  Your argument seems to be, "I want to smoke on the beach, and why aren't you talking about plastic bags instead?"  Cigarette butts are indeed a danger to sea life.  Just because they don't have the bag thing handled yet (but they are working on it to their credit) doesn't mean this is "stupidity beyond belief" to address another valid concern.  

[tropo]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

Presume all the Thai guys hanging around the beach can smoke ? Thais are the ones that leave the litter on the beach, not tourists.  However tourists are rich and easy prey aren't they ???????

I don't believe this new initiative was specific about the nationality of the offenders. 

[sambum]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

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

No, when they take away the public wheelie rubbish bins because people aren't paying their garbage tax is stupidity beyond belief!

[hugh2121]

Is there anyone on the beaches?

 

[sambum]

6 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

Non sequitor beyond belief.  Your argument seems to be, "I want to smoke on the beach, and why aren't you talking about plastic bags instead?"  Cigarette butts are indeed a danger to sea life.  Just because they don't have the bag thing handled yet (but they are working on it to their credit) doesn't mean this is "stupidity beyond belief" to address another valid concern.  

 "Just because they don't have the bag thing handled yet (but they are working on it" By taking away the wheelie bins?

[bbbbooboo]

hmmmm...... the police coffers will be overflowing

[harleyblacknight]

Wow! tell me this place is not getting worse??...the fines seem steep but will they also apply to the locals???....it seems obvious to me that they don't want you to go the beach then it might stay clean, first beer is banned now cigarettes, not a smoker myself but they are taking away peoples rights in open areas. No mention if they will create designated smoking areas at the beach spots and provide receptacles for ash/butt disposal???...surely this can easily be set up.......They should also look at banning plastic food bags with elastic bands and water bottles with blue or green plastic tops on the beach because that's all I see when I walk the beach!!! and there are not many Farangs that eat from a plastic bag!!! 

 

[slippery snake]

5 hours ago, smedly said:

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

Really ? you use an ash tray while smoking on the beach ? and I guess you've never stamped out a butt on the footpath ?Wow,  amazing,  as you must be the only one that does. I see countless smokers just push their cigarette butts into the sand and leave them there..  In fact I have never seen any smoker anywhere take their butts away with them, ever.. 

And if you walked along the beach you would see that too.

As for litter I agree, but they do clean up the beach each day at Patong for litter,  but don't pick up cigarette butts... 

[garbolino]

who is going to control/enforce this ridiculous idea/rule/law??????????????????

[poohy]

I live in the countryside 15km from town.

The road down from me  is littered with plastic bags because "old bags" making merit leave food in them for dogs on side of road

is that 100 000 THB fine? 

Then there's the trash just chucked out cars an pick ups

Sorry Thais dont give a flying **** about the environment

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Toshiba66 said:

I am all for it but a fine of 2000 baht being enforced will do the trick without sending tourists away. 100,000 must surely top the world list of fines for this behaviour.

Don't give them ideas- in a couple of days there will be some clown pontificating as to how Thailand is now at the forefront of fining people for smoking on the beach. Give it a week and it will be a hub...

[Thechook]

1 hour ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Utterly ridiculous, as ridiculous as the fools who say they will stop polluting after China does.  You can put a cigarette butt in a bin and avoid killing fish or you can leave in on a beach and kill some, the latter is the most common outcome of people smoking on the beach so taking away their right to smoke in a place they pollute is fair, if that makes you go someone with less care for the environment so that you can continue to pollute at your freewill then good riddance.

Geez lucky I dont smoke

[farcanell]

5 hours ago, petedk said:

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

Lol.... that was in the post a few days ago about chocolate!

[Pchan25]

Maybe I have to look for another birthday present - not going to Thailand that is -  for my mother (she smokes one cigarette after another, and I am not sure if she can live with such a regulation).

And btw. she does never throw away the stubs . She allway scollects them and throw them in a bin.

 

 

[wealthychef]

22 minutes ago, sambum said:

 "Just because they don't have the bag thing handled yet (but they are working on it" By taking away the wheelie bins?

You can't smoke on the damn beach.  Deal with it.  LOL

[TKDfella]

5 hours ago, petedk said:

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.

The difference with litter is that you can clearly see it and here it's a matter of educating people, in some way, to take their litter home or use large containers if provided. With smoking people also need educating about the things you can't see.. The list of chemicals in cigarettes is long and Cadmium & Lead are just two of the dangers. Two more common solids are there, Arsenic and Naphthalene (ingredient of mothballs). You'll find a surprising list of other elements apart from Lead. The filter which incidentally blocks only a small number cigarette ingredients, will contain Tar which itself contains harmful chemicals.  Having worked in chemical labs most of my working like I have some idea of what these chemicals can do (in bulk build up, that is). So smokers also need to be educated about disposal. I too, am not a smoker.

[JAG]

4 minutes ago, Pchan25 said:

Maybe I have to look for another birthday present - not going to Thailand that is -  for my mother (she smokes one cigarette after another, and I am not sure if she can live with such a regulation).

And btw. she does never throw away the stubs . She allway scollects them and throw them in a bin.

 

 

Golly, if I had bought my dear old mum (God rest her soul) a trip to Pattaya for her birthday I wouldn't half have got a thick ear!

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, Boon Mee said:

It's not rocket surgery.

Just don't smoke on the beach...

So the powers that be will fine folk exorbitant amounts for smoking on pattaya beachs, despite the fact that the powers that be permit the unbridled dumping of all manner of crap onto the same beach.

 

excellent idea... a great safety initiative, needing to be implemented before someone strikes a light and blows themselves up in a methane bubble.

 

meanwhile, millions of Thais will still drop their butts into the storm system, which will eventually run into the ocean.... idiots

 

the correct method would be to impose fines for littering (which included butts), nation wide, vs attacking the tourists

 

ironically, it doesn't matter how badly any single individual acts, in impuning Thailand reputation, when the government keep coming up with this rubbish

[JAG]

23 minutes ago, bbbbooboo said:

hmmmm...... the police coffers will be overflowing

Heavens above - I'm sure that nothing was further from their minds!