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

[spectrumisgreen]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

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.

Yes, this is always the biggest real 'issue; here, sadly!! I could actually agree with smoking areas and minimal fines for smoking outside of them - I am not a smoker, anyway - but really, '2nd-hand smoke' a problem on the beach? Personally, I don't care who smokes or where as long as they don't blow it in my face! (And then THEY would know about it sharpish!!).. But this whole 'You smoke, I choke.. pay the fine, scumbag!' mentality is just a live as I do, or insist YOU do, or you will be ARBITRARILY punished for thinking you had some freedom to do your own thing, even if you do it reasonably!!!

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, John Richards said:

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

Lmao.... really?

 

You would rather step in parasite infested horse shit than on a cigarette butt?

 

each to his (or her own) I suppose, but.... Im not sure you've really thought this through. ??? 

[650721]

The more i read this garbage the more i am convinced i have come to the wrong country to retire, even though i have never smoked. The glaring problems go neglected while the trivial money grabbing thrives. They may want to think about signs including Russian, they do like to smoke .... but try fineing them 2,000bht and you could be in for trouble !

[slippery snake]

The fine shouldn't be for smoking but for people that leave their cigarette butts in the sand.

But rather than a fine, make them go and pick up 100 other cigarette butts,,  but then NO money for the police !! 

And they should do the same for anyone with any type of drink  that drops their bottle top in the sand,, 

go pick up 100 bottle tops. 

They would soon learn not to do it again and that would help clean up the beach too.. 

But again no money for the enforcers !!! 

[cookieqw]

in pattaya all fags should be restricted to boyz town

[garbolino]

6 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.

 

and just HOW MANY people have been fined???

[Destiny1990]

2 hours ago, John Richards said:

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

Hmmm so u rather set ur foot in the horse shit then on some fag end can u motivate this please.

[Psychic]

Good, have the "litter" police on beaches.

Since I don't believe it is the smoking that is the issue but the cigarette butts, then use those upright guardians of the law that are being assigned to the beaches for this to monitor everything.

 

If you put down a picnic mat and leave Styrofoam food containers, plastic bags and bottles and glass bottles in your wake then you should be fined relative to your pollution.

 

Cigarette butt...2000 baht.

Plastic bag.......4000 baht.

Plastic bottle...10,000 baht.

Food in Styrofoam...7500 baht.

Horse droppings.....1000 per kilo.

 

Collect all those fines and use the money to buy sealed garbage containers and pay people to empty them regularly.

 

Never going to happen. When I've went swimming around there it wasn't cigarette butts that were a big problem but all the other crap the tide washes out.

 

And mentioning this to several falang who live in the HH area, they said there are people who walk the beaches and clean up on a volunteer basis. Most of them aren't Thai.

 

I used to smoke. I'd put the butt out and dump it in the garbage bin if I was on the beach. I did the same with any other garbage I produced.

Its not a difficult thing to master.

 

It disgusts me after a Thai holiday to look at the garbage that is left on the beach. Just roll up the mat and leave everything there.

 

I've said for a long time they need police monitoring and fining people who do this, at least until it becomes ingrained that it is unacceptable.

 

Smokers aren't the big problem, but if it leads to policing those people who think it is OK to leave their trash on the beach it might actually be a good thing.

[mogandave]

Yes, only the rich should be allowed to smoke on the beach and litter

[CG1 Blue]

Of all the things Thailand could clamp down on (road safety, corruption, poor electrical wiring, mafia gangs), why do they keep focussing on taking away tourist freedoms/fun?

 

A poor version of Singapore will not be the destination of choice in the future.

[hocuspocus]

6 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.

Some dickheads in Chiang Mai can be seen smoking in bars close to the 2000 Baht no smoking sign and when I tell them to stop because it is affecting my pregnant wife they will just not stop and are prepared to get abusive towards you over this. If I see someone in a bar smoking it is my choice weather or not to go in the bar or not but when you are already in the bar and the idiots come in smoking then I feel I am justified in telling them to stop.

[johnarth]

6 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.

you have your head in the sand, Thai people smoke like volcanos 

[650721]

Yes most fag smokers need to clean up their act. Especially Thai ! The Chinese and Russians, well good luck with that !!!!!

[ukrules]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

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.

 

I've noticed over time that many people appear to be under the misapprehension that the 'tourist police' are there to help the tourists.

 

They're not. They exist to arrest, hassle and fine tourists whilst speaking to them in a language other than Thai.

 

[DjSiN]

7 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.

Thank goodness. My biggest peave are public smokers. 

I actually saw a Thai woman smokin the other day, first one in 4months. Such a useless and gross habit. 

[wvavin]

Brains are supposed to be in the head and not the ass!

[DjSiN]

5 hours ago, gamini said:

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

Like this x 1,000,000

[madusa]

I suggest to TAT to make this more fun for tourists would be to have a huge drum (preferably those big chinese drums for lion dance) hanging on a stand and all the fine for the smoking will be collected on the spot at office where they beat the drum very loud so as to let everyone knows there is an offender and he is paying the fine. Build small offices in several places with big drums hanging there.

Wouldn't that be fun for everyone after all they are there for the fun. 

Make it fun so tourists paying the fine would feel the sting so much. They would love to hear the drum and they shout when the drum is strike. Make it a joy both to tourists and the police. Wouldn't it?

After all Thailand is a tourists friendly country so please don't spoil it by a little cigarette fine.

Would you like to pay 2,000 baht to hear the drum?

 

[joecoolfrog]

10 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.

 

And the justification for removing the litter bins was ?

[rodney earl]

As a non smoker I agree with trying to keep the beaches clean but they do not mention anything about all of the other rubbish that is thrown and left on the beaches. As far as I can work out it is only a ban on tourists smoking and yet they say they want to keep tourists happy, they are not going to be too happy when they are hit with a 2,000thb or whatever figure they come up with. It was 2,000 in BKK years ago. Maybe the smoking police would be better off if they were given a broom and a bucket.

[ripley]

Okay. I went along with the ban on smoking indoors. No choice, really, although a smokers only area would have served the purpose. But a ban on smoking outdoors makes no sense. The smoke quickly dissipates or is blown away on the breeze. (Unlike automobile exhaust.) If you don't like someone smoking close to you, politely ask them to scoot over a bit. All of this is a non-issue promoted by sanctimonious prigs who cannot stand the fact that other people make choices different from their own. And a legitimatized excuse for the normally timid to get up in my face. 

I field strip my cigarettes when outdoors and carry the filters to a disposal area. 

[ripley]

Almost forgot - now e-cigarettes are being banned & possession carries not only a heavy fine but possible imprisonment. I agree that the "juice", usually made in China, might contain nasty things. But a good solution of nicotine and glycerin is a much healthier option than the contents of cigarette smoke. Hundreds of doctors have spoken up to say that these electronic gizmos have saved lives and would save many more.

You know the reason given for banning them in my country of origin? "They emulate 'smoking behaviour' thus corrupting others!"  I haven't words to express my fury, which is good because I would probably be banned from TVF for obscenity! 

[wvavin]

No, 2,000 baht is too little. Let’s set at 10,000 baht and this will include Thais as well.

[marquis22]

On 11/10/2017 at 3:55 PM, Wiggy said:

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

I think dropping plastic bags is more environmentally unfriendly than cigarette butts. We should all encourage sensible measures in taking home and disposing of all our rubbish properly. 

[wavemanwww]

1 hour ago, wvavin said:

No, 2,000 baht is too little. Let’s set at 10,000 baht and this will include Thais as well.

For a "Super Member". Your Super idea rates as "A super dud Member" Lets see some basic comparisons that the fine should be greater than 2000 Bah and set at 10,000:

• I can ride a Motor Bike anywhere in Thailand and without a licence or helmet and possibly kill someone as no proof of my ability even though I rode bikes in the past but licence expired in Australia. Fine 200 Bah and coppers let me ride away.
• A 2000 to 10000Bah fine  as you suggested is a great deal of money for a Thai. You must be a wealthy Thai! Related to Red Bull or Yingluck?
• Most other finds such as bashing innocent victims in Thailand who end up in hospital usually 500 bah fine for scumbag offender plus medical expenses which are rarely paid.
• So on and so on

 

 

 

[anon789561]

2k is much more reasonable in my opinion

[ukrules]

4 hours ago, wvavin said:

No, 2,000 baht is too little. Let’s set at 10,000 baht and this will include Thais as well.

Yeah, sure - that'll work wonders.

[the guest]

Why just the beaches ?

[mogandave]

Yeah, it should be the men too


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[spidermike007]

I really do not think any of this means anything. In many places within Thailand the no smoking ban already in place, is never enforced. Samui is the most blatant of all places in Thailand. There is absolutely no enforcement of any kind, but then again there is very little law enforcement on that outpost. But, there are many other areas where this applies. Will this law be upheld? I really doubt it. I like the idea, as I despise second hand smoke. But, these authorities are quite weak,  and the lack of follow up, on any law or policy is really ridiculous and comical.