UPDATE

 

New guidelines prevent smoking within five meters of a no smoking sign

 

 

BANGKOK, 9th November 2018 (NNT) – A new declaration has mandated that those found smoking within five meters of a no smoking sign will now be subject to at least a 5,000 baht fine. 

The Ministry of Public Health guidelines on demarcating no smoking areas have been promulgated in the Royal Gazette.

 

The fifth point in the guide states that no smoking signs must be posted in accordance with ministry regulations and that the areas surrounding such signs in all directions will be considered off limits to smoking.

 

Signs are only permitted away from doors, windows, entrances and exits, pipes and ventilation openings and must clearly state in Thai and English that smoking is not permitted within five meters. 

Deputy Director-General of the Disease Control Department Dr. Kajornsak Kaeojaras explained today that the new guidelines are more flexible in terms of design but mandate that no smoking signs must be able to accommodate a circular logo of no less than 10 centimeters in diameter. The logo may depict the provincial slogan or other such messages. 

The new five meter stipulation is in response to complaints that while many public areas have no smoking signs, smokers have been engaging in the behavior just outside the immediate areas, such as in front of schools and temples.

 

-- nnt 2018-11-09

14 minutes ago, webfact said:

mandate that no smoking signs must be able to accommodate a circular logo of no less than 10 centimeters in diameter.

I'm not a smoker, but have trouble following the logic. I would have thought a sign at the minimum size is not necessarily easy to spot at a distance of up to 5 metres, in a location which probably isn't a bare wall with nothing else obstructing the view?

 

I was wondering why they had no measuring tapes at my local hardware stop; the cops bought them all!!!????

Eutopia or Thunderdome.  ?

"Sign, sign
Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery
Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that
Can't you read the sign?"

"... must clearly state in Thai and English that smoking is not permitted within five meters."

Why not include Russian and Chinese? My condo has signs only in Thai & English regarding noise levels, using trash cans, sharing lifts. I've told management they need Russian as majority of transgressions are done by Russian speaking tourists staying at condo in Jomtien

As a smoker i like the idea....i hope they also put an ashtray at the spot for smokers.

 

And in malls like central World they should make smoking-rooms on the high floors...somewhere on a balcony with many plants/shade.

Edited November 9, 20187 yr by Thian

Soon cigarettes will come packaged with disposable measuring tapes so smokers can avoid the risk of being caught five centimeters within the 5-meter zone. Those tapes will of course constitute a most welcome additional revenue source for the Thailand Tobacco Authority in light of sharply declining cigarette sales, which on the occasion might consider renaming itself into Thailand Tobacco and Tape Authority. 

2 minutes ago, Thian said:

As a smoker i like the idea....i hope they also put an ashtray at the spot for smokers.

That would prevent all thirsty cops from hiding around these spots and cash for littering in from those trying to get rid of the lit fags.  

Oh boy, five whole meters! That'll fix it. ????

5 minutes ago, Thian said:

As a smoker i like the idea....i hope they also put an ashtray at the spot for smokers.

 

And in malls like central World they should make smoking-rooms on the high floors...somewhere on a balcony with many plants/shade.

CTW 7th floor car park. You'll find a smoking area. Enter the car park next to the customer service desk. Then turn left.

1 minute ago, rheinwiese said:

CTW 7th floor car park. You'll find a smoking area. Enter the car park next to the customer service desk. Then turn left.

That must be the floor with all restaurants isn't it? Do you know to which restaurant it's near? Never seen the customer service desk there nor a carpark.

A local restaurant I use like last night has one old wooden table hear the open entrance , there I can smoke , an old tree stump is used as the ash tray.  If the new sign appears here can I sit in my car outside puff away with the windows open , finish the smoke back to a drink then back in the car for another smoke or will someone stick a no smoking sign on the windscreen ?

1 minute ago, toofarnorth said:

A local restaurant I use like last night has one old wooden table hear the open entrance , there I can smoke , an old tree stump is used as the ash tray.  If the new sign appears here can I sit in my car outside puff away with the windows open , finish the smoke back to a drink then back in the car for another smoke or will someone stick a no smoking sign on the windscreen ?

Either a no smoking sign on the windscreen, or someone might let off a fire extinguisher in your face, claiming they thought you were on fire.

Absolutely some exuberant BIB is gonna end up killing some wayward Falang smoking in the wrong five meter area. I am not gonna respond when that one is posted.

27 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

A local restaurant I use like last night has one old wooden table hear the open entrance , there I can smoke , an old tree stump is used as the ash tray.  If the new sign appears here can I sit in my car outside puff away with the windows open , finish the smoke back to a drink then back in the car for another smoke or will someone stick a no smoking sign on the windscreen ?

Can i do the same while sitting on the motocy?

 

At kaosanroad you can still smoke inside the bar/restaurant...at least last year when i was there for some hours to eat. And some open air restaurants at the river in BKK let you smoke on the terrace where everybody eats.

 

 

They will probably be as effective as the No Parking signs are!! 

No one follows any other signs (speed limit...), why would they  follow this?  5000 baht is the same penalty for manslaughter on the road isn’t it?

4 hours ago, Thian said:

That must be the floor with all restaurants isn't it? Do you know to which restaurant it's near? Never seen the customer service desk there nor a carpark.

Inside the supermarket. The whole area is currently undergoing renovation. The customer service counter is located next to the checkouts.

3 hours ago, Thian said:

Can i do the same while sitting on the motocy?

 

At kaosanroad you can still smoke inside the bar/restaurant...at least last year when i was there for some hours to eat. And some open air restaurants at the river in BKK let you smoke on the terrace where everybody eats.

 

 

No no Thian , a motosai means you are outside , in the car is my domain and a door has to be open by a person who has no authority to open it , this would make me think it is a thief in action causing me to stubb out my fag on the perp's hand.   To follow on I wonder if I could get a drink brought to me in the Vios while I am partaking in a foul un natural habit ( smoking ).

3 minutes ago, toofarnorth said:

No no Thian , a motosai means you are outside , in the car is my domain and a door has to be open by a person who has no authority to open it , this would make me think it is a thief in action causing me to stubb out my fag on the perp's hand.   To follow on I wonder if I could get a drink brought to me in the Vios while I am partaking in a foul un natural habit ( smoking ).

Mate you have given me a perfect idea for my old motocy-helmet...if i close the visor and drill a hole in it for the cigarette i'm in my own domain while smoking...

 

The other day i was smoking outdoors in some kind of shoppingcentre with all shops around the parkinglot....iirc it was the Esplanade at Cheng wattana. 

I stood 5 meters from the door of the Burger king but there was a foodstand with tables at 10 meters distance from me where a thai family with a baby were eating.

 

Then the father came to me but didn't dare to speak..when my wife came out of a shop he went to her and told i can't smoke there....there were no signs at all but maybe he was right, don't know...it was on the huge parkinglot.

 

So if we have a new law where we can smoke at designated area's all problems are solved i hope.

 

But i think that from now on Thai waiting in cars also should turn the engine off since those diesels also stink a lot.

1 hour ago, Thian said:

Mate you have given me a perfect idea for my old motocy-helmet...if i close the visor and drill a hole in it for the cigarette i'm in my own domain while smoking...

 

The other day i was smoking outdoors in some kind of shoppingcentre with all shops around the parkinglot....iirc it was the Esplanade at Cheng wattana.

I stood 5 meters from the door of the Burger king but there was a foodstand with tables at 10 meters distance from me where a thai family with a baby were eating.

 

Then the father came to me but didn't dare to speak..when my wife came out of a shop he went to her and told i can't smoke there....there were no signs at all but maybe he was right, don't know...it was on the huge parkinglot.

 

So if we have a new law where we can smoke at designated area's all problems are solved i hope.

 

But i think that from now on Thai waiting in cars also should turn the engine off since those diesels also stink a lot.

While on this subject Thian , what about the signs at bars that say no smoking 2000B fine . If caught would the owner of the bar call the police ( all in bed here after 6 ) or would one be expected to just say ' Sorry there yer go 2000B ' ?

Your second para.  Just the other day I was smoking outside and some one inside this little coffee place came out to tell me it was a no smoking area and my smoke was blowing in , if I moved a yard to my left I would of been on the pavement . Seems folk are already getting paranoid and like you say it is ok to leave a car/pickup running while going in to 7-eleven.

Hole in the visor , might work , be interesting what folk might think , perhaps sitting by the exhaust would work , ...blame the bike

11 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I'm not a smoker, but have trouble following the logic. I would have thought a sign at the minimum size is not necessarily easy to spot at a distance of up to 5 metres, in a location which probably isn't a bare wall with nothing else obstructing the view?

 

Perhaps they meant that the signs were to be 5 metres in diameter, and that smoking is to be prohibited within 10 centimetres of them. 

2 hours ago, toofarnorth said:

While on this subject Thian , what about the signs at bars that say no smoking 2000B fine . If caught would the owner of the bar call the police ( all in bed here after 6 ) or would one be expected to just say ' Sorry there yer go 2000B ' ?

Your second para.  Just the other day I was smoking outside and some one inside this little coffee place came out to tell me it was a no smoking area and my smoke was blowing in , if I moved a yard to my left I would of been on the pavement . Seems folk are already getting paranoid and like you say it is ok to leave a car/pickup running while going in to 7-eleven.

Hole in the visor , might work , be interesting what folk might think , perhaps sitting by the exhaust would work , ...blame the bike

I sure understand it if people don't want to smell my cigarettes...

 

I live in a nice moobaan where it's good for sporting like walking, swimming, tennis, cycling, fitness...but now i see many cars at night coming here to unload foldable bicycles to go cycling...they don't live here...

And when they leave they let the engine running while they're folding the bicycles to put them in the car...i don't want to smell that when i'm enjoying the nice park during a quiet walk and they even don't live here.

 

I also see many people arriving by car who just come to run/walk the dog (which poops everywhere).

 

Also they come here from outside to give huge weddingparties in our parks, they don't live here and don't pay for that...i even can't walk when they party there and some even bring huge touringcars which have 10 toilets in them for their guests..And those run the engine nonstop for electricity untill late at night.

 

So i hope Thailand goes a step further than only directing smokers to special area's. And small clean vehicles cars/motobikes should get priviliges in the city instead of the big polluting ones. I just went to the mall Ngamwongwan on the motocy but parking there is terrible, very tiny places, i even couldn't step off the motocy while parked.

 

I'm happy with the restaurants where i can still smoke and sure won't publish them here...I rarely go to kaosanroad but i don't understand why it's allowed there.

 

 

Remember, this law will only become effective in early February. So there is time to remove the non-smoking sighns in Bar's. (Remnants of the last no-smoking crackdown, some years ago.)

Just worth remembering that the average Thai can not pay a 5000 Bht fine. This law is made for us Farangs. The "Helmet-Laws" are just not producing enough income for the cops anymore.

Fitting nicely into the ongoing "war on foreighners". The fact that this "war on foreighners" has made "Big Joke" the most popular office holder among Thai's, is a bit worriesome I find.
Or should all of this just tell us something?