Smoking ban: Hua Hin says 2,000 baht fine would be reasonable as "beach police" at the ready

[webfact]

Smoking ban: Hua Hin says 2,000 baht fine would be reasonable as "beach police" at the ready

 

 

A representative of the Hua Hin authority has indicated that he thinks a 2,000 baht fine would be reasonable for smokers caught puffing on the resorts beaches next month.

 

The statement - reported by Thai Rath - came after alarm was caused Tuesday when environmental agencies announced a 20 beach ban that could lead to a year in jail and a 100,000 baht fine.

 

But - perhaps worryingly for smokers - Hua Hin also announced that "tetsakit", tourist police and what was termed "beach police" would be patrolling to enforce the ban.

 

The local TAT has also thrown their support behind the ban saying they want to make tourists happy.

 

Jirawat Phramanee of the Hua Hin local authority said regarding the fines that they were "looking into what is reasonable". He mentioned 2,000 baht.

 

The ban would apply to a 12 kilometer stretch of beach from the Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villa to Koh Tao beach.

 

Personally he said that he agrees with the ban as it is a public place and he wants to see cigarettes banned for sale in the area too.

 

Signs would be erected in three languages - Thai, English and Chinese. And there would be a designated smoking area on each beach.

 

He said that municipal officers (tetsakit), tourist police and what he termed "beach police" would be around to enforce the law.

 

Though he said he expected warnings would be issued first.

 

The ban is expected to come in on November 1st.

 

Meanwhile Orasa Awutkhom of the Prajuap tourist authority said she also agreed with the ban.

 

"Second hand smoke is annoying," she said, "and we want the tourists coming here to be happy. The ban will help to keep our beaches cleaner".

 

While Seksan Janthorn, a consumer advocate said that the authorities should announce what beaches have been given awards for cleanliness citing three south of Hua Hin that have achieved "five star" status.

 

These are Laem Sala, Sam Roi Yort in the national park and Ao Manao, he said.

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-10-11

[darksidedog]

A decidedly more sensible approach than a year in jail and 100K. I can however see that greed will get the better of the enforcers and what could have been an image enhancer for the country, will end up being a fiasco that will show the country in a very bad light indeed. Again.

[Wiggy]

I can almost guarantee not one Thai person will be fined. It's likely to be the same as when it was enforced in Bangkok, particularly outside Emporium. Litter bins were removed and I personally watched Thais (well, Asians) walking and smoking right under the noses of the Thessakit without any penalty. Those with white faces weren't so lucky, however. I hope I'm proved wrong.

[impulse]

59 minutes ago, Wiggy said:

I can almost guarantee not one Thai person will be fined. It's likely to be the same as when it was enforced in Bangkok, particularly outside Emporium. Litter bins were removed and I personally watched Thais (well, Asians) walking and smoking right under the noses of the Thessakit without any penalty. Those with white faces weren't so lucky, however. I hope I'm proved wrong.

 

AFAIK, smoking isn't illegal there.  At least, I've never heard of anyone getting fined for smoking outdoors.  Dropping cigarette butts on the ground is what gets foreigners fined on Sukhumvit.

 

[Wiggy]

26 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

AFAIK, smoking isn't illegal there.  At least, I've never heard of anyone getting fined for smoking outdoors.  Dropping cigarette butts on the ground is what gets foreigners fined on Sukhumvit.

 

That's what I meant. My apologies for neglecting to highlight that. The charge was littering, not smoking.

[dotpoom]

Personally, I think Thailand has a very low smoking population. I don't go into bars but I can go for a week here (and longer) without coming across a smoker.

    Now Europe....you would need a gas mask in many ares.

[Destiny1990]

Hua hin how about those horses shitting on the beach? 

[dictater]

Yes, the 5,000 baht fine in Bangkok about 15 years ago? A cop tried to hit me up with that one time on Soi Ari where I lived, I hadn't been smoking, had no cigarettes with me, was surrounded by Thai's smoking, there was a cop smoking nearby and yet still they were pointing to the cold butt on the ground and insisting I pay. Luckily his superiours Mia Noi was my neighbor and so I was able to make a call. This will go so wrong. 

[realenglish1]

This is a joke Why just target smoking Target all refuse that is littered on the beach Then this makes sense Otherwise its just a way to get more money from foreigners

 

Thais dont have that type of money for a fine . Even if you get caught punching someone it only carries a 1000 baht fine Fighting is 2000

 

Lets get real here people Its to target foreigners with money Sick

[55Jay]

Activists and SJWs require adult supervision, or things can get stupid very quickly. 

 

The "Don't feed the fish at the beach" events spring to mind. 

[Cheops]

Meanwhile, dozens of people get killed each day in traffic,  which easily van be reduced by drastically increasing the fines and enforce it. But it seems there is no prio for people's lives here. 

[Moonmoon]

[miamiman123]

Those horses defecating on the beach is much more dangerous. I would not walk or sit down there. There was a foreign teacher who sat on the beach in HH. Got her butt and legs infected w parasites. Very very sick ...had return home for treatment. Never came back. 

[observer90210]

Another farang extortion enforcement rule that reaches the shores of HH ?

 

I would also recommend not to maintain the "no smoking" signs at the entrance of the beach and let the salt rub it off...it would help in "enforcing " the hefty fines !!!

[hobobo]

1 hour ago, realenglish1 said:

This is a joke Why just target smoking Target all refuse that is littered on the beach Then this makes sense Otherwise its just a way to get more money from foreigners

 

Thais dont have that type of money for a fine . Even if you get caught punching someone it only carries a 1000 baht fine Fighting is 2000

 

Lets get real here people Its to target foreigners with money Sick

I can see a time coming soon where a tetsakit or a beach police would say "You pay 10,000 now, no need to go to Police Station", followed by "Sorry, my Receipts book finished now"

[bbbbooboo]

hmmmm..... the police coffers are going to be overflowing indeed..... pity that no one is going to be "safer" as a result.... hmmmm

[1337markus]

The local TAT has also thrown their support behind the ban saying they want to make tourists happy.

 

Well they better market future tourists on this topic; smokers dont come to Thailand would be a fair heading. Delusional at the grandest level this mob.

[dinsdale]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The ban will help to keep our beaches cleaner"

Ban Chinese and Thais from the beaches and I'd bet there would be a noticeable difference. 

[PAIBKK]

[PETERTHEEATER]

1 hour ago, Destiny1990 said:

Hua hin how about those horses shitting on the beach? 

No action required. There is unanimous agreement amongst smokers that when dried and shredded horseshit is a really bad smoke.

[mdmayes]

Its about time.

[Bantex]

Yet another way to get beer money from tourists and foreign residents but the Thais who drop litter everywhere will get off scott free as usual.

 

[wavemanwww]

2 hours ago, dotpoom said:

Personally, I think Thailand has a very low smoking population. I don't go into bars but I can go for a week here (and longer) without coming across a smoker.

    Now Europe....you would need a gas mask in many ares.

Where do you walk? From your bedroom to front door?

[wavemanwww]

"Though he said he expected warnings would be issued first"

 

What? He's from the Administration dept. and not sure if warning signs will be in place or if at all????

Mmmmm TAT will have a field day with unaccountable fines.

[gamini]

Good for Thailand. Smoking should be banned in public everywhere. I am dying from COPD caused by secnd hand smoke.

[HerbalEd]

1 hour ago, bbbbooboo said:

hmmmm..... the police coffers are going to be overflowing indeed..... pity that no one is going to be "safer" as a result.... hmmmm

Evidently you've never stepped barefood on a still-burning cigarette butt on the beach. 

[John Richards]

2 hours ago, Destiny1990 said:

Hua hin how about those horses shitting on the beach? 

The vast majority is picked up - even so I would rather step in that than someone's disgusting fag end !!

[SGD]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

 

AFAIK, smoking isn't illegal there.  At least, I've never heard of anyone getting fined for smoking outdoors.  Dropping cigarette butts on the ground is what gets foreigners fined on Sukhumvit.

 

 

3 hours ago, Wiggy said:

That's what I meant. My apologies for neglecting to highlight that. The charge was littering, not smoking.

 

5 hours ago, Wiggy said:

I can almost guarantee not one Thai person will be fined. It's likely to be the same as when it was enforced in Bangkok, particularly outside Emporium. Litter bins were removed and I personally watched Thais (well, Asians) walking and smoking right under the noses of the Thessakit without any penalty. Those with white faces weren't so lucky, however. I hope I'm proved wrong.

As noted the disgusting point was removing the bins so that there was nowhere to place rubbish purely in the hope of extorting cash from westerners. Scum they are.

[impulse]

11 minutes ago, SGD said:

As noted the disgusting point was removing the bins so that there was nowhere to place rubbish purely in the hope of extorting cash from westerners. Scum they are.

 

I'd agree with you, but I think the official story is that the bins represented a security threat-  somewhere to plant a bomb in a very public, very crowded place.

 

[ukrules]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

"Second hand smoke is annoying," she said, "and we want the tourists coming here to be happy. The ban will help to keep our beaches cleaner".

 

The beaches will definitely be cleaner because they will be largely unused. A smoker will sit around the hotel pool maybe drinking a beer while smoking and not go to the beach.

 

They did something in the UK much like this by banning smoking inside bars many years back. Surveys were done providing 'evidence' that many more people would flock to the bars/pubs once smoking was banned inside.

 

What happened ? The surveys were complete horseshit. The industry has been slowly decimated with dozens of bars closing down every week for years, it started the day of the smoking ban.