Butts Out: Smoking Ban To Hit 24 Thai Beaches

[Grusa]

Would it not be simpler and more effective, simply to ban the manufacture, import and sale of tobacco products altogether?

 

Oh sorry, I forgot, tax revenue!

[bristolgeoff]

day time no smoking,then the night if the thais are sitting on the beach where do they leave them.just like helmets drivers not old enough to hold a license.u see it everyday in thailand with children or whole famlies driving scooters without a care in the world.if you hit them our they have  a accident you have a problem

[Nurseynutcase]

With regard to the smoking ban in the UK, there were six pubs close to where I lived - now there is one that is just about hanging on.  Following the ban many viable pubs had to drastically reduce their staff - this happened to three friends of mine because of the reduced amount of time customers were prepared to spend in a no - smoking establishment.

 

One rare sunny Sunday afternoon I was on the patio of the last remaining hostelry with my friend enjoying a drink and a fag.  The person at the next table asked us to either move or stop smoking as the smoke was bothering him.  In polite terms I told him to go inside as that was the no smoking area.  Please note we were the only two females on the patio and he did not say anything to the chaps behind or on the other side of him.  Thankfully the other chaps there came to my aid with a big round of applause.

 

It works both ways you know.

 

I despair of this ban in Thailand and would prefer to see the polystyrene cups, plastic straws, glasses, cutlery banned instead as these do far greater damage to the environment.

 

As an aside one of my friends from Southern Ireland went back home and was talking to a doctor there who complained about the smoking ban.  She stated that he said there had been an increase in childhood chest infections and an increase in asthma due to the ban.  When asked why he replied that now everyone was meeting up in other peoples houses, the children, instead of being exposed to smoke from or two people now had to contend with nine or ten people all smoking in a small enclosed area.

 

Food for thought eh?

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, PEE TEE said:

what about e gigs they make a bigger mess .... not 

They are illegal for a different reason.

[alex8912]

31 minutes ago, Nurseynutcase said:

With regard to the smoking ban in the UK, there were six pubs close to where I lived - now there is one that is just about hanging on.  Following the ban many viable pubs had to drastically reduce their staff - this happened to three friends of mine because of the reduced amount of time customers were prepared to spend in a no - smoking establishment.

 

One rare sunny Sunday afternoon I was on the patio of the last remaining hostelry with my friend enjoying a drink and a fag.  The person at the next table asked us to either move or stop smoking as the smoke was bothering him.  In polite terms I told him to go inside as that was the no smoking area.  Please note we were the only two females on the patio and he did not say anything to the chaps behind or on the other side of him.  Thankfully the other chaps there came to my aid with a big round of applause.

 

It works both ways you know.

 

I despair of this ban in Thailand and would prefer to see the polystyrene cups, plastic straws, glasses, cutlery banned instead as these do far greater damage to the environment.

 

As an aside one of my friends from Southern Ireland went back home and was talking to a doctor there who complained about the smoking ban.  She stated that he said there had been an increase in childhood chest infections and an increase in asthma due to the ban.  When asked why he replied that now everyone was meeting up in other peoples houses, the children, instead of being exposed to smoke from or two people now had to contend with nine or ten people all smoking in a small enclosed area.

 

Food for thought eh?

Oh yes the old  " someone I  know who knows someone story"  That one was a doozie!!  I'd love to here a real Irishmans first hand account. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by alex8912

[PAIBKK]

I wonder when we see the first newspapers with the header: "Foreigner banged up for smoking on a Thai beach !"

Edited January 26, 2018 by PAIBKK

[wavemanwww]

18 hours ago, mercman24 said:

need to get off ya bike matey, yep i live on beach road

He can't stop as there is too much plastic bags tangled in his bikes breaks.

[flyingdoc]

Smoking was banned years ago inside restaurants, but look at the result.  Flagrant disregard, and owners too afraid of losing custom, to even consider upholding it !

[farcanell]

1 hour ago, shackleton said:

when I was last in Pattaya in a restaurant people smoking everywhere I mentioned to the guy serving behind the bar where is the non smoking area he said we don't have one so we departed they lost the business if people want to poison there lungs its up to them but think of those who don't and where there is children involved who don't have a say

It sounds like the restaurant is quite willing and happy to loose your clientele, to keep the smokers happy.

 

mrs farc smokes ( quitting today... again!), and when we go to a restaurant, we deliberately pick seats away from and downwind of other diners.... and also ask for a fan to blow the smoke away (and so I can get upwind of her)

 

anyway, on the weekend gone, we went for a walk along lovely nai harn beach... a beautiful late afternoon stroll, but the smell was atrocious.

 

The smell wasn’t caused by the smokers, it was caused by the burning rubbish at the temple above the beach.... and it was truly disgusting. I ended up downwind of mrs farcs smoking, in an attempt to use cig smell to mask the stench from the temple fire.

 

i note that this beach isn’t on the banned list.... which I’m glad of, as I can continue to use this wee trick, should the missus once again fail in her quitting attempt... butt... please... all you Patong Beach smokers, please stay away as the beach is already overcrowded! ????

[CLW]

I'm a non-smoker and if someone wants to have a cigarette in an open environment that's okay for me (except restaurants).
What I'm more concerned is the proper disposal of the cigarette butts.
However I would guess that most educated westerners put them in some kind of trash already

[yogavnture]

how will they enforce this?  its a great idea. though. we should protect environment. i dont even like to visually see a person injest smoke into thier fragile lungs. its a form of self hate

[StevieAus]

1 hour ago, Nurseynutcase said:

With regard to the smoking ban in the UK, there were six pubs close to where I lived - now there is one that is just about hanging on.  Following the ban many viable pubs had to drastically reduce their staff - this happened to three friends of mine because of the reduced amount of time customers were prepared to spend in a no - smoking establishment.

 

One rare sunny Sunday afternoon I was on the patio of the last remaining hostelry with my friend enjoying a drink and a fag.  The person at the next table asked us to either move or stop smoking as the smoke was bothering him.  In polite terms I told him to go inside as that was the no smoking area.  Please note we were the only two females on the patio and he did not say anything to the chaps behind or on the other side of him.  Thankfully the other chaps there came to my aid with a big round of applause.

 

It works both ways you know.

 

I despair of this ban in Thailand and would prefer to see the polystyrene cups, plastic straws, glasses, cutlery banned instead as these do far greater damage to the environment.

 

As an aside one of my friends from Southern Ireland went back home and was talking to a doctor there who complained about the smoking ban.  She stated that he said there had been an increase in childhood chest infections and an increase in asthma due to the ban.  When asked why he replied that now everyone was meeting up in other peoples houses, the children, instead of being exposed to smoke from or two people now had to contend with nine or ten people all smoking in a small enclosed area.

 

Food for thought eh?

Which shows how irresponsible those people are for exposing the children to cigarette smoke, obviously it is more important for them to smoke than care about the health of the children.

[malibukid]

already banned in Malibu, who wants to sit in someone else's ashtray

[Jonnapat]

23 hours ago, halloween said:

Before the gloom and doom predictions, remember what happened when smoking was banned in pubs.

More went out of business 

[Cranky]

32 minutes ago, Jonnapat said:

More went out of business 

And who cares.  Remember smoking on Airlines? Did banning that make sense?  It's simply wrong to impose deadly gas on people that don't want it, any argument to the contrary is bonkers.  

 

You want to smoke, knock yourself out.  In your own private gas-chamber.

[Lokie]

Only back in Los last week but observation on my daily early morning Patong beach walk is; Tourists using smoking areas pretty much on the whole and Jet Ski/Parasailing concessions in place (as par the course) as they are the only people I have seen smoking on the beach.

 

The smoking areas with the blockwork and concrete box sections (seats?) money well spent?? Each now has four individual concrete 4ft high sand traps for dog ends, looks a right state with all the cig dimps in them as you pass. I don't smoke but where as before I did not choose to walk near smokers (and yes dog ends are not good on the beach) but maybe deal with the M150 bottles and plastic bags, beer bottles all over the show first? I now have to pass these silly smoking areas every hundred meters or so and smell/breath in the $ h itty fumes while doing my daily exercise routine, Thanks Thai Health - good idea NOT. 

 

Talk about fixing things that didn't really need fixing, meanwhile back in the Real world; Road deaths/accidents, flooding, infrastructure issues, lack of decent public transport, Lol you do forget how screwed up this place is when you have been away a month or so - ahh back to reality and Thai Logic, Another great Idea is the drain work in High season along Rat-u-Thit 200 pee rd, I bet that took some planning, must have been good to plan it in just after last seasons water pipe work on other side of the rd... 

[sawadee1947]

I appreciate the idea of banning smokers. Smokers may follow their addiction but not in public....Alternatively stay away 

[digger70]

It would be a Far better idea to Fine /Jail all the people that just trow their rubbish everywhere,, ( they would make THB Millions a day )  and supply every house with a rubbish bin for a small charge to empty the bins ones or twice  week...Nah nah ,,,, that would make sense ,can't have that. 

[Cranky]

3 hours ago, Nurseynutcase said:

With regard to the smoking ban in the UK, there were six pubs close to where I lived - now there is one that is just about hanging on.  Following the ban many viable pubs had to drastically reduce their staff - this happened to three friends of mine because of the reduced amount of time customers were prepared to spend in a no - smoking establishment.

 

One rare sunny Sunday afternoon I was on the patio of the last remaining hostelry with my friend enjoying a drink and a fag.  The person at the next table asked us to either move or stop smoking as the smoke was bothering him.  In polite terms I told him to go inside as that was the no smoking area.  Please note we were the only two females on the patio and he did not say anything to the chaps behind or on the other side of him.  Thankfully the other chaps there came to my aid with a big round of applause.

 

It works both ways you know.

 

I despair of this ban in Thailand and would prefer to see the polystyrene cups, plastic straws, glasses, cutlery banned instead as these do far greater damage to the environment.

 

As an aside one of my friends from Southern Ireland went back home and was talking to a doctor there who complained about the smoking ban.  She stated that he said there had been an increase in childhood chest infections and an increase in asthma due to the ban.  When asked why he replied that now everyone was meeting up in other peoples houses, the children, instead of being exposed to smoke from or two people now had to contend with nine or ten people all smoking in a small enclosed area.

 

Food for thought eh?

Here's food for thought: Lock the ignorant dirtbags up that inflict fags on kids; it's  already illegal in the UK to smoke in a car with kids in there.  Not only are they more likely to take up the habit (like I did and spent the better part of 10 years kicking it 9 years ago), if they don't they are likely to get sick anyway.  Any Doctor that complains about a smoking ban should be struck off, or taken away to the funny farm at the very least.

 

Also, just because it's nice and sunny outside in the fresh air, does that entitle you to call the entire outdoors your personal 'Smoking Area' and pollute anyone downwind of your stinking habit?  

 

You wanna smoke, go sit in your car and light up with the windows closed.  See how long you last - that's what you are inflicting on other people.

 

 

[Ossy]

45 minutes ago, digger70 said:

It would be a Far better idea to Fine /Jail all the people that just trow their rubbish everywhere,

Unless the law was repealed as unworkable, it was illegal to drop litter, incl. fag ends, in UK streets, 30 or 40yrs ago. I'm sure it's the same in many other countries. So, why the hell does Thailand have to repeat - almost as if out of addiction, like a smoker lighting-up - its laughing-stock spectacle by trying to tackle the litter problem at its most difficult end? On the spot fines or arrests for people seen dropping litter - any litter - and make ash-cans available for people to take onto the beaches would surely be a better, easier and more effective way of tackling beach pollution. I find it hard to believe that there can be so much smoking, outdoors, on a beach, that the fumes are strong enough to spoil other people's pleasure. There's always been smoking, outdoors, including beaches, so let's see the non-smokers making a little more effort to keep things honky-dory in Thailand . . . move a few yards up the strip, if necessary. Yes, let's stop the butt-dropping, but let's be serious and sensible about tackling the 'fumigating' issue.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Ossy
omisson

[smotherb]

On 1/25/2018 at 2:47 PM, PatOngo said:

One smoke on the beach is a far greater risk to national security than a general "possessing" 25 undeclared watches........ok.......mai phen rai.

Neither has anything to do with national security. Unless you are going to claim covert activity by foreign governments buying favors for watches.

[akampa]

On ‎25‎/‎01‎/‎2018 at 2:23 PM, halloween said:

Before the gloom and doom predictions, remember what happened when smoking was banned in pubs.

not the same one is in a smoky stinky environment the other sea breeze freshish air

[smotherb]

21 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

The big bonanza for the local police mafia is about to kick off, gentlemen!

 

Soon scores of pesky foreigners who are unaware of that ban will be rounded up en masse and "requested" to make donations into the police mafia welfare fund if they want to await a ridiculous jail term of 1 year. (or a 100,000 baht fine).

Ah yes, another double-standard, smokers get fined and non-smokers get framed

[Cranky]

1 minute ago, akampa said:

not the same one is in a smoky stinky environment the other sea breeze freshish air

I think you mean 'One is a stinky polluted environment full of drunks and hookers smoking, the other is a bar' 

[hubahuba]

On 1/25/2018 at 2:47 PM, PatOngo said:

One smoke on the beach is a far greater risk to national security than a general "possessing" 25 undeclared watches........ok.......mai phen rai.

So its do as we say. Not what we (government ministers) do

[akampa]

14 minutes ago, Cranky said:

I think you mean 'One is a stinky polluted environment full of drunks and hookers smoking, the other is a bar' 

oh silly me!

[Grumpy Duck]

I never became a tobacco smoker, tried it, got sick to my stomach no problem. I am also not interested in beaches, don't like sand, wind or shitty disposable diapers. But the objections I have against such laws are that with the large fines, they seem directed at tourists any Thai person that could afford such fines would be untouchable anyway. Then there is the stupidity of second hand smoke injuries in the open air. Is it illegal to smoke at a football stadium?

[sambum]

On 1/25/2018 at 2:23 PM, halloween said:

Before the gloom and doom predictions, remember what happened when smoking was banned in pubs.

Yes, and how many traditional pubs have had to close down because of it, or seen their profits drop drastically?

 

Many traditional pubs in my "home" town have had to close in recent years and many of the managers blame it partly/mostly on the smoking ban. Higher drink prices also play a factor, but a working man's traditional night out included a few pints and a few smokes down at the local with his mates, and maybe fish 'n chips on the way home. 

 

Sadly, the combination of higher drink prices and rents (implemented by greedy breweries) and forcing smokers out on to the pavement like lepers on a cold wet, miserable night have only served to encourage drinkers/smokers to stay at home, or take it in turn to visit each others houses armed with a carry out from the local supermarket. Would it not have made more sense to allow the landlords to allocate one room in their pub for smokers only and possibly instal an extractor fan to satisfy Health and Safety requirements? But no - a blanket ban chased many of these hardened drinkers/smokers to "fields anew", and the landlords were the first to suffer - the breweries just put their prices up to compensate for the lack of customers (Sounds like the Thai bar owners' logic in a way!) and now the traditional English pubs are a dying breed - except in rural areas where they are now expanding their trade to include "pub grub" (which is a good thing), but the traditional town pub is a rare sight these days.

 

Getting back on topic, I think the "beach smoking ban" on Thailand will have a similar effect - the smoking tourist will just choose to go to a country where smoking is allowed on beaches, and in hotels because that is a main part of their enjoyment of their holiday (whether you like it or not!) but no doubt TAT will be able to adjust their figures accordingly! 

 

P.S. I'm a non smoker!

Edited January 26, 2018 by sambum

[sambum]

14 hours ago, nisakiman said:

 

 

 

Well they've been a hell of a long time returning, and the publicans are still waiting. In fact most pubs aren't even pubs anymore - they had to turn themselves into restaurants with a bar (and snotty, screaming kids running around) to survive, such was the influx of non-smokers that rushed to enjoy the now 'smoke-free' pubs. I guess the sheer numbers of non-smokers rushing to the pubs is why only 17,000 pubs and clubs have closed in the UK since the smoking ban. Yes, that's 17,000. Seventeen thousand.

 

Sorry, sunshine, but the only reason any pub might be gaining customers is because all the others in the area have been forced into liquidation by the smoking ban. The smoking ban was a disaster for the hospitality industry. Tens of thousands lost their jobs, thousands of good businesses were forced to close, millions of older people had their only social lives taken from them. Why do you think that, for the first time ever, the UK government is creating a 'Minister for Loneliness'? It wouldn't be because nearly all the British Legion clubs and Working Men's clubs and bingo halls were forced to close in the wake of the smoking ban, would it? Those places where the older generation would traditionally meet and socialise? But then, you would never have been to one of those establishments, so you wouldn't know, would you? Nor do you care.

 

You're just like all the other zealots. Self-centered, intolerant, bigoted and not very clever. You obviously know nothing about the actual science and research, but have memorised all the propaganda soundbites you've read in the 'Daily Mail' or whatever, which you trot out at every opportunity to display your level of indoctrination, your status as one of the 'in crowd', those who are 'acceptable' because they say the 'right' things; tick all the PC boxes.

 

I usually avoid getting annoyed at other people's lack of understanding, but sometimes the unctuous sanctimony of some people's attitude really does irk me.

 

You ever heard the biblical quote "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone"?

 

Think about it.

Very good post - from your opening line to the closing one!

[Ossy]

1 hour ago, Grumpy Duck said:

I never became a tobacco smoker, tried it, got sick to my stomach no problem. I am also not interested in beaches, don't like sand, wind or shitty disposable diapers. But the objections I have against such laws are that with the large fines, they seem directed at tourists any Thai person that could afford such fines would be untouchable anyway. Then there is the stupidity of second hand smoke injuries in the open air. Is it illegal to smoke at a football stadium?

Yes, it is illegal, if Thailand is in line with the rest of the world. Been like this for some time, now, I think.