War on smokers: Smoking rooms at airports scrapped

[Chelseafan]

8 hours ago, Date Masamune said:

Another “Mai Phen Rai “ zone where they also give out booze freely on dry days.

Double standards eh! Works for me though ????

 

[Rc2702]

15 hours ago, fruitman said:

Those smoking rooms were a total disgrace for any human being anyway...everything was filthy, broken or missing.....it never gave me a warm welcome feeling when arriving on swampy...and at don muang the ground staff took all the seats for smokers.

Rubbish. They were adequate. Built for having a quick puff. Cleaned regularly and a godsend after coming off a long flight before queuing up to pass immigration.

[dcnx]

16 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Excellent news.

 

The Chinese won't like this though. 

 

????

They will smoke anyway. I’ve seen them fire up while standing in line to get through immigration. They get jumped on but they try because to them it’s normal. 

[Kerryd]

So glad I finally quit smoking years ago. Made flying so much easier. No more fidgeting, scrambling aggravation trying to find a smoking room before (or after) a flight. Not to mention the disgusting smell (of the smoking rooms and other smokers). You just know that you smell the same to other people as the other smokers smelled to you.

 

Vancouver airport got rid of their smoking rooms before 2008, but Canada had banned smoking on airlines long before that. The first banned smoking on domestic flights (and international flights that started or finished in Canada) back in the early 90s.

Now when I fly I could care less about whether an airport has smoking rooms or where the nearest smoking area to the gate is.

And no - they are not going to lower any prices, for anything, after they get rid of those rooms. Sheesh - they'll be turned into shops and rented out so they can make more money ! 

[ChipButty]

Airports Authority of Thailand chief has said that public health is more important. 

Whats he been smoking? He needs to get out more

[overherebc]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

So glad I finally quit smoking years ago. Made flying so much easier. No more fidgeting, scrambling aggravation trying to find a smoking room before (or after) a flight. Not to mention the disgusting smell (of the smoking rooms and other smokers). You just know that you smell the same to other people as the other smokers smelled to you.

 

Vancouver airport got rid of their smoking rooms before 2008, but Canada had banned smoking on airlines long before that. The first banned smoking on domestic flights (and international flights that started or finished in Canada) back in the early 90s.

Now when I fly I could care less about whether an airport has smoking rooms or where the nearest smoking area to the gate is.

And no - they are not going to lower any prices, for anything, after they get rid of those rooms. Sheesh - they'll be turned into shops and rented out so they can make more money ! 

Selling duty free cigarettes but only the brands they decide. ????

[Rugon]

They must be reconsidering the legalization of Snuss. 

[Aussieroaming]

20 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

I gave up on travelling back to Europe to see family/friends when UK airports decided that smoking rooms were abolished - no smoking at all within the airports.

 

I 'wasn't happy' when they abolished smoking within airplanes, but lived with it as I needed my holidays - and could see how the air for non-smokers might be polluted by the air from smokers.

 

Sad to see that Thailand is following the same (stupid and pointless) path when it comes to smoking rooms at airports .

You can smoke in Heathrow T4 in any of the designated areas, both before and after check in. 

 

[dick dasterdly]

1 minute ago, Aussieroaming said:

You can smoke in Heathrow T4 in any of the designated areas, both before and after check in. 

 

It was years ago, so I can't recall from which Heathrow terminal I departed (Heathrow to Bangkok flight), but when I asked an employee where I could smoke - was told nowhere, as the smoking rooms had been abolished.

 

Perhaps things have changed?

[HLover]

On 2/4/2019 at 9:14 AM, webfact said:

However, Sanook said that smokers will still be able to find a place to smoke at airports

Yes, in the WC. 

[Aussieroaming]

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

It was years ago, so I can't recall from which Heathrow terminal I departed (Heathrow to Bangkok flight), but when I asked an employee where I could smoke - was told nowhere, as the smoking rooms had been abolished.

 

Perhaps things have changed?

I was there 12 weeks ago. A big sign in the departure area near the Qatar Lounge stating Smoking Area. Escalator down leads you to a smoking cage (best descriptor for the area).

[dick dasterdly]

10 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

I was there 12 weeks ago. A big sign in the departure area near the Qatar Lounge stating Smoking Area. Escalator down leads you to a smoking cage (best descriptor for the area).

So there are smoking rooms in all Heathrow terminals now?

 

I was there in 2007 (IIRC), and the smoking room in the terminal had gone - which is why I asked an employee where I could smoke, and when told "nowhere" - which is when I decided I would give up on flying to visit friends and family in the UK.

 

But as I said in my earlier post, perhaps things have changed and they've started to again provide smoking rooms now?

Edited February 5, 2019 by dick dasterdly

[Lucius verus]

They banned smoking in pubs 15 years ago. I haven't been to a beer bar in about the same time.

Can punters still smoke in open street beer bars? I'll assume you can although they will eventually get the chop as well.

They can turn all the former farang  bar smoking establishments into Chinese cookie shops and soupy rice outlets.

Last farang out,please turn off the lights.

 

[cracker1]

Very sensible decision.

 

[fruitman]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:24 AM, saigonsunset said:

Anyone told them the Chinese still like to smoke ... see a slight 180 degree adjustment of strategy coming up here soon.

 

I went to smoke at Don Muang at 1 am....the booth was loaded with chinese who were all getting nervous when i entered...they were examining me from top to toe nonstop...one made a joke about me (my size i guess), the others started laughing but when i looked him in the eyes they all shut up and got very nervous haha...Guess they had never seen a tall westerner.

[Dumbastheycome]

22 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

I gave up on travelling back to Europe to see family/friends when UK airports decided that smoking rooms were abolished - no smoking at all within the airports.

 

I 'wasn't happy' when they abolished smoking within airplanes, but lived with it as I needed my holidays - and could see how the air for non-smokers might be polluted by the air from smokers.

 

Sad to see that Thailand is following the same (stupid and pointless) path when it comes to smoking rooms at airports .

In actual act the air  quality on commercial aircraft has become worse since  smoking at the rear was  banned simply because when smoking was permitted it required a through  flow air exchange to flush the smoke. Now  all the  farts , coughs and sneezes  hang about longer and the bacteria load is much higher than previously  despite filtered recycling . 

[Aussieroaming]

2 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

So there are smoking rooms in all Heathrow terminals now?

 

I was there in 2007 (IIRC), and the smoking room in the terminal had gone - which is why I asked an employee where I could smoke, and when told "nowhere" - which is when I decided I would give up on flying to visit friends and family in the UK.

 

But as I said in my earlier post, perhaps things have changed and they've started to again provide smoking rooms now?

No idea about all, I have only ever flown into T4 and the same place was there in 2015 when I first went there.

[Rimmer]

Off topic baiting post removed

[Mac98]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:24 AM, saigonsunset said:

Anyone told them the Chinese still like to smoke ... see a slight 180 degree adjustment of strategy coming up here soon.

 

Beijing closed smoking rooms. 

[Kerryd]

On 2/5/2019 at 11:32 AM, HLover said:

Yes, in the WC. 

Lol - that reminds me of the "Terminal 4" departure lounge at the Dubai airport years ago. The main terminals had smoking rooms, but Terminal 4 (used mainly by small, regional airlines flying short hops to nearby destinations) had a small smoking area at the far end of the Departure lounge - right next the the children's play area.

 

Then they did some renovations and removed the smoking area. For a short while, you could smoke at the back of one of the restaurants but then they stopped that. Then it was the bathrooms.

Go into the bathroom, tip the cleaner and smoke away. Even with the bathroom door closed you could see the smoke coming out the top of the doorway. They ended up shutting that down as well. 

I quit not long after that and never noticed if they ever did put a proper smoking area in there. The ones in the main Terminal 2 building were OK - kept clean and usually not crowded.

I think the ONE smoking room I found in the Terminal in Taipei was the best though. Trudged from one terminal to another and found it between the 2. Clean, spacious, well ventilated, nice wooden benches and the back end looked out onto the tarmac. Much nicer than most smoking rooms I've seen.

 

Smoking will soon be a thing of the past in most places around the world (except perhaps in the poorer countries and places like China). In some places you're lucky you can still smoke in your house (and expect that to change in the future as well).

Better off to quit now and get ahead of the trend !

[overherebc]

On 2/5/2019 at 1:08 PM, Dumbastheycome said:

In actual act the air  quality on commercial aircraft has become worse since  smoking at the rear was  banned simply because when smoking was permitted it required a through  flow air exchange to flush the smoke. Now  all the  farts , coughs and sneezes  hang about longer and the bacteria load is much higher than previously  despite filtered recycling . 

Strange but true. Have you ever seen how much dead skin has to be cleaned from planes during full service now.

Cleaners in almost CNBC bio-hazard suits.

[dick dasterdly]

13 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Lol - that reminds me of the "Terminal 4" departure lounge at the Dubai airport years ago. The main terminals had smoking rooms, but Terminal 4 (used mainly by small, regional airlines flying short hops to nearby destinations) had a small smoking area at the far end of the Departure lounge - right next the the children's play area.

 

Then they did some renovations and removed the smoking area. For a short while, you could smoke at the back of one of the restaurants but then they stopped that. Then it was the bathrooms.

Go into the bathroom, tip the cleaner and smoke away. Even with the bathroom door closed you could see the smoke coming out the top of the doorway. They ended up shutting that down as well. 

I quit not long after that and never noticed if they ever did put a proper smoking area in there. The ones in the main Terminal 2 building were OK - kept clean and usually not crowded.

I think the ONE smoking room I found in the Terminal in Taipei was the best though. Trudged from one terminal to another and found it between the 2. Clean, spacious, well ventilated, nice wooden benches and the back end looked out onto the tarmac. Much nicer than most smoking rooms I've seen.

 

Smoking will soon be a thing of the past in most places around the world (except perhaps in the poorer countries and places like China). In some places you're lucky you can still smoke in your house (and expect that to change in the future as well).

Better off to quit now and get ahead of the trend !

Many years ago I used to spend a few hours in Dubai airport (IIRC) every now and again, as it was the 'stop' to change 'planes on long haul flights from the UK to Thailand/Maldives etc.

 

I always loved it as it had a 'pub' that sold Guinness and allowed smoking.  Heaven after flying for several hours!

[Traubert]

In my local Chinese airport, they have closed the smoking room in the international departure lounge but there's still a room in the domestic side.

 

The Chinese aviation authority are also quite fanatical about taking lighters or matches on planes both in your hand luggage and stowed baggage. It's an arrestable offence to even try. I had a cunning little electronic lighter that looked like a USB, and indeed charged through a USB port, but it got lifted at security.

 

Someone could make a fortune opening lighter sales franchises at airports where the Chinese arrive.

[overherebc]

Just an idea.

Wouldn't it have been possible to get the outdoor smoking areas finished first and then close down the old ones?

I have this terrible thought; what if they planned to build all new toilets???????

[evadgib]

I haven't had a fag in nearly two decades but can clearly remember being miffed at seeing vast 30 metre+ sized rooms in which half a dozen could do their 'hail marys' in their chosen faith while up to 50 smokers were trying to get into the 'phone box' allocated for smokers hoping in vane that it might be like a Tardis on the inside.

[Prince77]

I wouldn't mind about closing the smoking rooms at arrival, but I mind about closing them on departure. So this Khun Sutheewat Suwanwat decided in a mood to close all smoking rooms, although it would be legal according to the law to keep them open. Wow, this guy really feels he is above the law.

 

As a frequent traveller I have access to various lounges, however, just checked and the smoking room in Sakura Lounge (JAL) is also closed.

 

I don't like it.

[ChipButty]

Thailand follows Hawaii in raising the legal age for smoking to 100, I'll be first in line for a fake ID

[bubblehead]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:58 AM, dick dasterdly said:

I gave up on travelling back to Europe to see family/friends when UK airports decided that smoking rooms were abolished - no smoking at all within the airports.

 

I 'wasn't happy' when they abolished smoking within airplanes, but lived with it as I needed my holidays - and could see how the air for non-smokers might be polluted by the air from smokers.

 

Sad to see that Thailand is following the same (stupid and pointless) path when it comes to smoking rooms at airports .

Very sad.!!

Not being able to see family and friends because you smoke. This is something you will live to regret.

Goes to show the the terrible impact smoking has on peoples lives.

Read the book "Easy way to stop smoking" by Allen Carr, it will help!!

[Myran]

Good, I can't imagine a more disgusting place. Not to mention that some poor employees probably had to go in there to clean.

[dick dasterdly]

32 minutes ago, bubblehead said:

Very sad.!!

Not being able to see family and friends because you smoke. This is something you will live to regret.

Goes to show the the terrible impact smoking has on peoples lives.

Read the book "Easy way to stop smoking" by Allen Carr, it will help!!

I realised the same 'philosophy' he taught long before the book came out!  As a result, I stopped smoking (happily) for more than 2 years .

 

Unfortunately, then something extremely stressful happened, and I longed for a fag, .....  I withheld the physical symptoms (lump in the throat etc.) for a couple of days, before finally giving up and going to a shop to buy cigarettes .

 

A bit later, I read Allen Carr's book and realised that his solution was exactly the same as I'd worked out myself previously.  By this point he'd added an addendum, that a psychological addiction is far more difficult to cure.....

 

Which is when I gave up on 'giving up'.....