Vaping could get you ten years in a Thai prison

It’s not a new law, with the import of electronic cigarettes and shisha being banned back in October 2014, but most tourists don’t know about the three year old laws.

By Tanutam Thawan

 

 

Vaping, the popular alternative to smoking cigarettes, might be OK where you come from, but in Thailand sucking on your favourite ‘vape’, or even bringing them into the country, could put put you in a Thai prison for ten years.

 

It’s not a new law, with the import of electronic cigarettes and shisha being banned back in October 2014, but most tourists don’t know about the three year old laws. Adding to the confusion the new laws are often not enforced.

 

In the UK, a travel agent, Pat Waterton, says the law is clear but that more tourists need to know about it. It comes after her nephew had been threatened with time in prison for smoking an electronic cigarette in Bangkok. In the end he was only fined the equivalent of $150.

 

Full story: https://www.phuketgazette.net/news/vaping-could-get-you-ten-years-in-a-thai-prison-2

 

-- © Copyright Phuket Gazette 2018-03-22

This situation is pathetic.

 

I hope all vapers stop coming to Thailand until the law is changed. It will be changed, it's just a matter of when.

This is a foolish law.

 

It is a magnet for corruption.

 

When you have a law with such ludicrous penalties, the temptations for law-enforcement officers is to threaten large penalties and "negotiate' them down to a smaller one. Or, put another way, it is designed for corrupt practices as exampled in the story. 

 

Stupid law and wide-open to abuse.

 

No wonder there is so much corruption here... they make it soooo easy.

 

5 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

This is a foolish law.

 

It is a magnet for corruption.

 

When you have a law with such ludicrous penalties, the temptations for law-enforcement officers is to threaten large penalties and "negotiate' them down to a smaller one. Or, put another way, it is designed for corrupt practices as exampled in the story. 

 

Stupid law and wide-open to abuse.

 

No wonder there is so much corruption here... they make it soooo easy.

 

Vaping = 10 years in jail

Corruption = Wealth and promotion.

Nincompoops are in charge.

Unbelievable ministry of total  fools.

So out of touch with everything. 

Many countries are trying to get rid of outdated or silly rules Thailand just makes or reinforces more. 

 

 

 

 

Quote

It’s not a new law, with the import of electronic cigarettes and shisha being banned back in October 2014, but most tourists don’t know about the three year old laws.

 

 

Correct: Most tourists don't know about the law, but they forgot to add that many Thais don't know about the law either.

 

I think on a daily basis I see more Thais vaping than I do foreigners.

 

Maybe I should take a photo and post on Facebook like they do when foreigners do something wrong. 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Vaping could get you ten years in a Thai prison

 

Wow, that's almost as bad as making a Facebook post.

1 hour ago, webfact said:

in Thailand sucking on your favourite ‘vape’, or even bringing them into the country, could put put you in a Thai prison for ten years.

Yeah, but isn´t that a little bit harsh? I mean, what happens to the rest of the law? According to that possible sentence, jaywalking would give you 3-5 years.

All this in a country where many people are on drugs....A big percentage drive under the influence.....The punishment for beating up a tourist on the Walking Street is a couple of wai's and a 2500 baht fine....

Priorities...priorities.....priorities...

I all makes (Thai) sense....

23 minutes ago, Darcula said:

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Vaping could get you ten years in a Thai prison

Wow, that's almost as bad as making a Facebook post.

So they're both equally unhealthy.

how many have been locked up for 10 years for vaping ?

Wonder when they are going to ban the source of many deaths and hospital admittance?
White rice whiskey?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2 minutes ago, DILLIGAD said:

Wonder when they are going to ban the source of many deaths and hospital admittance?
White rice whiskey?
 

You're in the wrong country to be using using logic.

 

They are very serious about vaping,and smoking a cigarette while

on the beach,but up here in the North, you can burn forests,farm

waste with impunity, and so many people have to suffer the consequences

of pollution.

 

regards worgeordie

 

The tobacco company backed corrupt officials that made up this law should be ashamed.

But shame doesn't seem to translate into Thai....!

I totally agree with the law but i also believe smoking in general should be banned. 

Yet it's perfectly legal to inhale car exhaust, or smoke from the burning and decimated forests. 

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

This situation is pathetic.

 

I hope all vapers stop coming to Thailand until the law is changed. It will be changed, it's just a matter of when.

That would be when the Tobacco Monopoly stops crying and mans up!

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Adding to the confusion the new laws are often not enforced.

Nor are the old laws; Thai police get confused easily by the sight of money.

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

I hope all vapers stop coming to Thailand

Or stop the silly process of vaping.

This might explain  the article in the land of stupid

2 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Vaping = 10 years in jail

Corruption = Wealth and promotion.

Causing fatal car accident Wai+500B+on-screen crying*

*optional

Don't do it, but this is just plain reactionary and not supported by the current best studies...it is just being heavy handed for no rational reason

15 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Or stop the silly process of vaping.

I can't stand vaping - that huge amount of steam/smoke that is emitted by these things is positively anti-social, and it annoys me hugely (as a total non-smoker). I am often exposed to young Thais blowing all this stuff in my face.

 

BUT the draconian punishments threatened for vaping are stratospherically ridiculous - utterly laughable; but then, the whole of Thai officialdom and 'rule-making' (and coup-making - for which no one is even fined a single baht, let alone gets imprisoned!) is beyond a joke.

 

So: for me, vaping is an annoyance - but the Thais should immediately get rid of these ludicrous (corruption-inviting) threatened punishments.

4 minutes ago, robertthesculptor said:

Don't do it, but this is just plain reactionary and not supported by the current best studies...it is just being heavy handed for no rational reason

I have heard that there are vested interests involved regarding tobacco companies and those on the pay roll. In Thailand, everything ultimately is about money, money, money!

14 minutes ago, robertthesculptor said:

Don't do it, but this is just plain reactionary and not supported by the current best studies...it is just being heavy handed for no rational reason

here's one reason.

 

http://www.thaitobacco.or.th/en/

I wonder what vaping on the beach can get you.

3 hours ago, ukrules said:

This situation is pathetic.

 

I hope all vapers stop coming to Thailand until the law is changed. It will be changed, it's just a matter of when.

Absolutely ridiculous law, If they put anyone away for 10 years for this completely legal activity in most educated countries, Thailand should be boycotted internationally, I mean what's illegal about it????

Is nicotine illegal in Thailand? NO

Is propeline glycol illegal in Thailand(used in all disco smoke machines)? NO

Is a fruit flavored liquid illegal in Thailand? That can be bought in supermarkets all over Thailand? No

Basically an electronic vape/cigarette machine is nothing more than a miniturised smoke machine in a disco,

 

It saves lives including mine and bothers nobody, although the people using these great big obnoxious ones to create as much vapor as possible need a slap for being annoying.

 

This law is just an utter joke, since electronic vapour/cigarettes machines are available in almost every Thai market throughout Pattaya, Bangkok, phuket, Chiang mai etc etc being sold in broad daylight, how the court could ever justify a conviction is beyond me.

 

I'm lead to believe the item itself is not illegal and they try get you on the fact that no tax has been paid on it so its now illegal hmm,

 

So I bought my Breitling watch and apple phone in Hong Kong and did not pay tax on them in Thailand am I looking at 10 years in prison NO? LOL

 

It's just another idiotic law that's another nail in the coffin for Thailand, and since TAT seem to love their big spending buss loads of Chinese cattle class tourists LOL and the e-cigarette was designed and developed in China millions of Chinese use them so hopefully the Chinese will boycott Thailand because of this law, which come to think of it wouldn't be a bad thing. :)

 

Get a grip Thailand and deal with the important issues like a Thai girl showing her tits at Songkran or people riding in the back of a Pick up, that went well for you didn't it lol

 

I don't have an issue with vaping

 

but the open use and distribution of highly toxic shisha in pattaya is being totally ignored

 

I see it daily, so if using the stuff has such severe penalties what about distribution supply and equipment rental of shisha 

I only vape when mushroom picking and feeding the fish on the reef!!