Marine chief defends beach smoking ban

[sambum]

"cigarette butts account for the majority of beach pollution." 

[farcanell]

This whole smoking fine per environment law “deal” is so large that it should not be lumped into an existing law/regulation, designed for regulating industry, but given over to a new law ( article 44) or included as an amendment with stipulation of appropriate fines in line with the offense (and even accepted norms for issues of this significance and impact) ..... in this way not only appearing to act fairly.... but actually act fairly

 

wouldnt that be a wonderful thing

Edited December 15, 2017 by farcanell

[mlmcleod]

5 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Thanet and his deputies planned to provide foreigners with a better justification for outlawing tobacco on the beach, explaining that not only is second-hand smoke dangerous to those nearby, cigarette butts account for the majority of beach pollution.

A majority of the beach pollution?????  Has he ever seen the rubbish piled high on the beaches after a strong west wind?  I recall that sailors once spent a weekend picking up 100 tons of trash from the beaches!  I can not imagine that 50 tons of cigarette butts were in the trash they picked up.

 

I have no issue if Thailand wants to ban smoking on the beaches but everyone knows it is just an easy way to improve revenue without too much work,  Without cams on the police there is far too much opportunity to frame tourists for an easy payout. 

 

I can assure the entire world that the beaches will still be just as spoiled after the cigarette ban takes effect.  The litter economy here is too big to stop and the lack of sewage and flood planning is all too obvious after every rainstorm.  Alas, smokers are just easy targets!  A child rapist in Thailand would get a smaller fine than those awful disgusting smokers!

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, Pattaya46 said:

This has been explained many times already. "Smoking on the beach" falls under a big general law about "environment pollution". The industry that dumps toxic products in the nature may get this 100'000 baht fine, but the guy who smoke on the beach very probably will get a fine less than 1'000 baht.

It's not about whether a tourist gets fined 1,000 or 100,000 baht; it's about the scammers that will seize on the opportunity to get a bigger payoff by threatening the 100,000 fine or jail. Most tourists don't know the way things work.

[cookieqw]

49 minutes ago, timendres said:

This is just another example of the "vilify the smokers" trend going on for years now.

If the fine were 1,000 baht, I would be behind it 100%. And it was a mistake to put the smokers "in a box". Just designate an area they can smoke, and put a couple benches there with ash cans to collect the butts. Most smokers are willing to be reasonable about their habit, as they know it annoys others.

 

Not true, cig butts are dropped anywhere as soon as finished !! Except in their own home !!! They don’t give a flying f about others. The Thais sweep them up at the start of every day from outside their establishments. 

[cookieqw]

Nice to know that second hand smoke is not dangerous until feb 1st, why do they not implement it NOW, could possibly save a number of lives

[digger70]

Pollution 55555 my Butt,Cigarette butts don't clog up drains and make the place flood and kill marine life,They should get there act together and Fine /put people in jail for polluting the country with their Rubbish,Supply rubbish bins and empty the bins at least twice a week,,do not let the bins overflow with rubbish all over streets ,,,,No one cleans it up,,, Dirty Lazy people ,,,Dropping rubbish where they stand no matter where they are at home on the street or at someone's place,,, what a load of shit to worry about some cigarette butts,, As an Ex smoker. I  never dropped butts ,always kept and got rid of them in A bin

[sambum]

9 minutes ago, cookieqw said:

Not true, cig butts are dropped anywhere as soon as finished !! Except in their own home !!! They don’t give a flying f about others. The Thais sweep them up at the start of every day from outside their establishments. 

Not true! The non smokers are quick to vilify the smokers e.g. "They don’t give a flying f about others." Yet where are all the equally caustic comments about diesel exhaust fumes from the smokers? The comments about people dropping their "candy" wrappers? The comments about the stinking garbage at street markets? OK, it is mentioned, but not in such hateful terms - mostly by ex smokers I hasten to add - are you one such animal? 

[sambum]

8 minutes ago, digger70 said:

Pollution 55555 my Butt,Cigarette butts don't clog up drains and make the place flood and kill marine life,They should get there act together and Fine /put people in jail for polluting the country with their Rubbish,Supply rubbish bins and empty the bins at least twice a week,,do not let the bins overflow with rubbish all over streets ,,,,No one cleans it up,,, Dirty Lazy people ,,,Dropping rubbish where they stand no matter where they are at home on the street or at someone's place,,, what a load of shit to worry about some cigarette butts,, As an Ex smoker. I  never dropped butts ,always kept and got rid of them in A bin

Can I like this post twice?

[digger70]

14 minutes ago, sambum said:

Can I like this post twice?

555555     5 times if you like   555555

[Golden Triangle]

Can we revisit this in maybe 12 months, and then we will really be able to appreciate Thailand,s / Pattaya,s pristine beaches once again, I feel really confident that this out of his butt idea is really going to improve things   

[wavemanwww]

5 hours ago, ezflip said:

Yes, of course, right...and all those plastic bags, Styrofoam plates/bowls, empty bottles and empty noddle cups don't count?

 

Fine, you made your laws and we will abide by them. BUT, if we don't see a single Thai citizen being caught, tried and convicted of said crime, we (foreigners) will continue to think that this is yet another scheme to get money from foreigners. You can disguise which ever way you want but, at the end of the day, it will only harm the country more.

 

IF we do see that Thai citizen are caught for this, then and only then will we actually believe your intentions are justified.

 

I've written several times on this topic and this one is my final comment on this matter. It is now up to the Thais to show us proof that this law is truly meant for all people, no matter which nationality they be, and not just for fleecing foreigners again.

Your summation is spot on! Only the short term arrests will imply what a bull ...sht land this will become! I strongly suggest all falangs take photos of netzins breaking their own rules and laws and post them on facebook.See if they get the same so called none justifiable fine for  a so called obscene fine for such a minuscule offense!

 

[Commercial Diver]

You don’t like it don’t smoke 

[wavemanwww]

4 minutes ago, Commercial Diver said:

You don’t like it don’t smoke 

That's a simple statement!

[sawadee1947]

7 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Once enforced, the law could see smokers fined up to 100,000 baht and spend a year in jail.

100 Tsd Baht is nothing.....but a year in jail....? I hope they will catch a lot of stupid smokers.....Ban them from entering Thailand again, that would be much better.

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Didn't some other big cheese inspect the beach a couple of days ago? How many of these jokers does it take?

[Parsve]

It seems to be very few none smokers here that have the ability to understand what it all is about. It's not about smoking. You will be judged for littering and that even before the so-called crime has occurred. Do you think that it is right? Do you think that the penalty is on par with the punishment for other "crime"? That's what you should ask yourself, not to spy your own bile over smokers. As long as it is legal to produce, sell and use tobacco, we must accept it and only look at whether the punishment is reasonable or not. All other comments show that you are not able to understand.

[Rimmer]

A flame and reply have been removed

[White Christmas13]

7 hours ago, zaZa9 said:

Whats the fine for leaving a 7/11 bag containing  two half eaten styro bowls of noodles  , 2 plastic spoons, two unused plastic forks  , two unopened straw packs and two large empty bottles of Chang under a palm tree on the beach? Whats the fine  if the same is just chucked into a klong? And does anyone care ?

You mean like this ?

[balo]

What about ban selling cigarettes itself in Pattya ?
 
If they are not allowed smoke, what is the point of selling?

Is it so hard to understand that smoking is only banned in a restricted area ? Like Dongtan beach. Walk 100 meter away from the beach and smoke all you want. Comprende ?

[B4Jazz]

Why target smokers so much, if it's just a litter problem then fine litter droppers the same amount. I'm not a smoker but I think this is crazy, at least cigarettes decompose quickly unlike plastic, glass and  styrofoam. What happens to all the cig, butts in the smoking areas? The way Thailand is going the tourist numbers will be down even more esp. in places like Pattaya. Suggest they put more money and effort into road safety.

Edited December 15, 2017 by B4Jazz

[Chris Lawrence]

18 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

This so far out of whack with other penalties...  Its as if the world is upside down, inside out... 

 

A year in Jail and 100,000 baht for smoking on a beach in Thailand ???? WHAT ? - yet you can get smashed by a taxi driver who receives an insignificant fine of 500 baht... 

 

I agree with being harsh on littering... but feel these laws are targeting foreigners and ignoring the true underlying issue at hand which is that littering is an issue everywhere in Thailand and not just on the beaches foreign tourists like to visit. 

Tea money. What would you pay not to go to goal for a year? Either way its a revenue impost against foreigners.

[Megasin1]

11 hours ago, PerkinsCuthbert said:

Didn't some other big cheese inspect the beach a couple of days ago? How many of these jokers does it take?

Personally I believe that what we have here is a case of Unsureness. The big cheeses are all lining up because they can smell money coming from unsuspecting tourists. What they are doing is staking a claim as we aren't talking small bribes to the police here, we are talking mortgages and I would strongly suggest that until this dumb thing goes completely away that no-one should smoke anywhere near a beach and they should also post warning signs to warn the people on the fringe of the beach that there is a potential risk to their physical well being if they are accidently caught between a smoker and all of the different departments that will be charging in and converging on said smoker in order to claim their 100,000 baht.... so maybe not unsureness....erm greed that's the word I was looking for 

[zoza]

it has been illegal to smoke in any area where the public is allowed whether covered

or not ( markets/beaches) since the law was passed near ten years ago.

the fines are 2000 Baht for the smoker and 20,000 Baht for the manager/owner

this made Thailand one of the most strict countries in the world with regard to anti-smoking laws. the fact that this like 90% of laws are not enforced means that

like most things here its all a show.....unless you tell the truth about some influential figure....and you will get locked up for this crime...TIT.  

but it is good manners to ask others if they mind you smoking , a smoking section of the beach should be marked out with ash trays and bins for the smokers, and fresh air zones for the none addicts. most hotels have smoking area's with fines for smoking where not allowed.    

[Cranky]

Why confuse smoking with littering?  Two totally unrelated issues, both touch many nerves but deal with them separately and keep it simple and consistent nationwide.  

 

Littering is a global problem, deal with it with a central government policy that covers the whole country. Simple penalty structure for disposing of litter in illegal ways.

Smoking bans wherever the fancy takes them, ban it in ALL public areas for all I care.  You wanna smoke? Go home and knock yourself out.

 

KISS - Keep it Simple and Stupid.   

[jaywalker]

22 hours ago, Emster23 said:

They work at being absurd. You can't get to their level simply by being uneducated. All sorts of other factors at play here

I found the school they attend.

 

 

[Broken Record]

Smokers should be fined for sheer stupidity, no matter where they smoke.

[4MyEgo]

On 15/12/2017 at 2:43 PM, Rimmer said:

Thanet and his deputies planned to provide foreigners with a better justification for outlawing tobacco on the beach, explaining that not only is second-hand smoke dangerous to those nearby, cigarette butts account for the majority of beach pollution.

Agree with 1st point, 2nd point is so so so so so so so laughable 555

[KIWIBATCH]

On 12/15/2017 at 1:49 PM, zaZa9 said:

Whats the fine for leaving a 7/11 bag containing  two half eaten styro bowls of noodles  , 2 plastic spoons, two unused plastic forks  , two unopened straw packs and two large empty bottles of Chang under a palm tree on the beach? Whats the fine  if the same is just chucked into a klong? And does anyone care ?

Marine chief defends beach smoking ban   continuous daily dumping of raw sewerage and all sorts of <deleted> into the seas around Pattaya.

"We can do whatever we like" he said  "and we have the photos to prove it"

[NextStationBangkok]

On 12/15/2017 at 11:01 PM, balo said:

 

Is it so hard to understand that smoking is only banned in a restricted area ? Like Dongtan beach. Walk 100 meter away from the beach and smoke all you want. Comprende ?

Compromised.