Big Joke: E-cigarettes are bad for you and they are illegal

[webfact]

Big Joke: E-cigarettes are bad for you and they are illegal

 

Picture: Thai Rath

 

Immigration chief Lt-Gen Surachate Hakparn has responded forcefully to the use of e-cigarettes in Thailand.

 

Calls to go easy have been ignored and the top cop known as Big Joke has clamped down with a stark message for sellers and users instead.

 

He told the media at a Ram Inthra market after a series of busts last night:

 

"Tell the people that e-cigarettes are illegal. And smoking them is bad for your health".

 

His short, sharp message was accompanied by giving information about where to find out more. He advised the public to go to his Facebook page, contact the tech police or dial 1155.

 

Lt-Gen Surachate was speaking after arresting 23 people in raids on 30 shops across the capital last night. 

 

Nineteen Thais and two each from Myanmar and Laos were nabbed. 

 

A million baht's worth of vaping fluid and equipment was seized. 

 

Those arrested face up to eight charges including selling the merchandise and illegal working. 

 

The raids came after Maris Karanyawat from the End Cigarette Smoking Thailand Group asked for clarification about the police approach following allegations that a French woman in Phuket was caught up in bribery allegations. 

 

Thaivisa notes that the message seems to be clear - Thailand is not going easy on e-cigarettes. 

 

And the most high profile cop in the land is putting his weight behind the enforcement of the law. 

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-03-04

[SammyT]

So are normal smokes, so why are they still legal?

 

[BestB]

Would be good if he also provided some medical study to back his assertion it was bad for you.

 

But got to love the irony , after the fiasco he raids a few dozen shops to prove the point .

 

what is more ironic is that he is the boss of immigration and last time I checked immigration had nothing to do with raiding shops for illegal products 

 

one might start to think BJ is the boss of all police as he is involved in all sectors of it from immigration to road blocks 

[keith101]

1 minute ago, SammyT said:

So are normal smokes, so why are they still legal?

 

Tobacco is much worse than E-cigarettes and should be banned as well but as with most countries around the world it brings in a heap of money in taxes and lives seem to matter less here than elsewhere .

[RotBenz8888]

4 minutes ago, BestB said:

one might start to think BJ is the boss of all police as he is involved in all sectors of it from immigration to road blocks 

And minister of health.

[AhFarangJa]

As I  have iterated in other threads, they are only illegal until the Thai Tobacco Monopoly cronies have worked out all the tax and supply angles, then they will be the same as normal ciggies.

[a977]

18 minutes ago, BestB said:

Would be good if he also provided some medical study to back his assertion it was bad for you.

 

But got to love the irony , after the fiasco he raids a few dozen shops to prove the point .

 

what is more ironic is that he is the boss of immigration and last time I checked immigration had nothing to do with raiding shops for illegal products 

 

one might start to think BJ is the boss of all police as he is involved in all sectors of it from immigration to road blocks 

The vaping fluid is imported into the country so it comes under immigration

[BobbyL]

Thanks for the info BJ, but I am pretty sure there has been no law passed to say having an e - cig is illegal. It is a complete grey area. Also, I didn't realise he was involved in medical research now too. 

[BestB]

8 minutes ago, a977 said:

The vaping fluid is imported into the country so it comes under immigration

Unless products became people it still remains under customs and not immigration 

[NCC1701A]

10 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

Thanks for the info BJ, but I am pretty sure there has been no law passed to say having an e - cig is illegal. It is a complete grey area. Also, I didn't realise he was involved in medical research now too. 

go test your theory. let us know what happens.

[BobbyL]

1 minute ago, NCC1701A said:

go test your theory. let us know what happens.

People have been posting on here and other places about being stopped by the police, but legally they can't fine you. Someone posted recently. 

 

However, the foreign woman in Phuket last week would seem to suggest otherwise. 

[NCC1701A]

1 minute ago, BobbyL said:

People have been posting on here and other places about being stopped by the police, but legally they can't fine you. Someone posted recently. 

 

However, the foreign woman in Phuket last week would seem to suggest otherwise. 

it is illegal. 

[BobbyL]

1 minute ago, NCC1701A said:

it is illegal. 

Well, unless that has changed it contradicts what others have said very recently. I have read on here and heard from someone else they were stopped by the police with one, the police wanted a bribe or they threaten to take you to the station. However, there isn't then actually anything they can do at the station as there is no law to say having an e - cig is a crime. 

 

 

 

[rkidlad]

26 minutes ago, a977 said:

The vaping fluid is imported into the country so it comes under immigration

But what if the vaping liquid has a legitimate visa? 

[NCC1701A]

2 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

Well, unless that has changed it contradicts what others have said very recently. I have read on here and heard from someone else they were stopped by the police with one, the police wanted a bribe or they threaten to take you to the station. However, there isn't then actually anything they can do at the station as there is no law to say having an e - cig is a crime. 

 

 

 

will you visit your friends in prison after you tell them it not not illegal?

[otherstuff1957]

Why is the head of Immigration arresting people for vaping?  Those busted were mostly Thai, not immigrants!

 

We really should have a poll:  How long before Super BJ is promoted to Prime Minister?

[lemonjelly]

Are there any signs at Thai immigration entry points warning tourists of the illegality of vaping? If not, there bloody well should be.

[BestB]

10 minutes ago, otherstuff1957 said:

Why is the head of Immigration arresting people for vaping?  Those busted were mostly Thai, not immigrants!

 

We really should have a poll:  How long before Super BJ is promoted to Prime Minister?

Ever wondered how and why tourist police captain becomes LT General and a chief of immigration in under 2 years? Skipping a few ranks and possibly decades.

 

May be he also has good watch collection????

[mok199]

You stick with your soft targets.and leave the tough issues to fate .

[BestB]

25 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Are there any signs at Thai immigration entry points warning tourists of the illegality of vaping? If not, there bloody well should be.

Truth is Thailand is not the only country where vaping is banned but may well be the only country with such draconian punishments for vaping. Note not selling or importing but fir actually vaping, even though actual vaping is not illegal .

 

you recall net idol who was arrested for having vape gear in her car? In an interview she argues that vaping in private is not illegal and vape was in her car so she did nothing wrong . 

 

Police countered that because vape was visible from outside from the window it makes it illegal, which is insane.

 

so vaping in private is legal but if anyone sees the cloud or the mod then it’s illegal. 

[Thechook]

Why is an immigration officer doing raids for e cigs, no passengers to process at arrivals/departures

[thaiguzzi]

Meanwhile, walk around any cities in neighboring countries, such as Siem Riep, Phnom Phen, Savannakhet, Vientienne, Luang Praban, and watch the locals, trendy young kids & students vaping away.

Numpties.

Absolute numpties.

As someone mentioned, the Thai Tobacco Monopoly have just been too slow to get in on the Vape Act...

[geriatrickid]

 

Thailand is to be commended for its stand on e-cigarettes aka vaping. The products are dangerous and encourage young people to  vape under the misleading claim that the vape is  not harmful.

 

1 hour ago, SammyT said:

So are normal smokes, so why are they still legal?

The fact that one harmful activity has been grandfathered into  legal acceptance does not justify the permission for a new harmful activity. 

 

1 hour ago, BestB said:

Would be good if he also provided some medical study to back his assertion it was bad for you.

The obligation is not on BJ to support the  now established  view that vaping is harmful to physical health. The onus is on the promoters of the activity to show that it is not causing direct physical harm. Common sense tells us that the ingestion of unregulated toxic chemicals will cause damage. Because vaping is a relatively new activity, long term studies  have not been  available to show just how dangerous it is, but as time goes by, the evidence is becoming unassailable. For example;

E-cigarette vapor disables key immune cells in the lung and boosts inflammation: Effects similar to those seen in regular smokers and patients with chronic lung disease published British Medical Journal August 2018

 

Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 120, November 2018 recapped the  existing knowledge that smoking flavoured e-cigarettes can produce unacceptably dangerous” levels of formaldehyde and other carcinogenic compounds.

 

I can cite 20+ studies and presentations in the past year which all  discuss the damage done and  harmful effects of vaping. Those who claim there are no harmful  effects have a vested interest. The positions adopted by some health agencies that vaping was less harmful than heavy cigarette smoking have been taken out of context. What they said was common sense: If vaping could be used as a smoking cessation  tool then it was less damaging than continuing to smoke cigarettes. No one has greenlighted the activity, nor the  dangerous chemicals  used,

 

43 minutes ago, lemonjelly said:

Are there any signs at Thai immigration entry points warning tourists of the illegality of vaping? If not, there bloody well should be.

The notices are on many foreign service websites as a travel advisory. A quick google search will show many articles warning against vaping.

 

Although vaping in itself is technically not illegal. The import, sale and servicing of the products is. Therefore, if a foreigner is vaping, the foreigner has illegally obtained the product. The concept is no different than  being in possession of stolen merchandise. The holder need not have stolen the merchandise.

 

 

[Lucius verus]

Definitely no coincidence this crackdown happened hours after French media exposed the corrupt police extorting money from a French woman vaping.

Pointless really.Thai tobacco monopoly will be stuffed when cigs go to 90-120 baht a packet soon.Laos smokes will be pouring over the border.  They cost less than 1 baht each.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Lucius verus

[sammieuk1]

Everything is illegal here apart from embezzling generals and fresh air????

[BestB]

28 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

 

Thailand is to be commended for its stand on e-cigarettes aka vaping. The products are dangerous and encourage young people to  vape under the misleading claim that the vape is  not harmful.

 

The fact that one harmful activity has been grandfathered into  legal acceptance does not justify the permission for a new harmful activity. 

 

The obligation is not on BJ to support the  now established  view that vaping is harmful to physical health. The onus is on the promoters of the activity to show that it is not causing direct physical harm. Common sense tells us that the ingestion of unregulated toxic chemicals will cause damage. Because vaping is a relatively new activity, long term studies  have not been  available to show just how dangerous it is, but as time goes by, the evidence is becoming unassailable. For example;

E-cigarette vapor disables key immune cells in the lung and boosts inflammation: Effects similar to those seen in regular smokers and patients with chronic lung disease published British Medical Journal August 2018

 

Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 120, November 2018 recapped the  existing knowledge that smoking flavoured e-cigarettes can produce unacceptably dangerous” levels of formaldehyde and other carcinogenic compounds.

 

I can cite 20+ studies and presentations in the past year which all  discuss the damage done and  harmful effects of vaping. Those who claim there are no harmful  effects have a vested interest. The positions adopted by some health agencies that vaping was less harmful than heavy cigarette smoking have been taken out of context. What they said was common sense: If vaping could be used as a smoking cessation  tool then it was less damaging than continuing to smoke cigarettes. No one has greenlighted the activity, nor the  dangerous chemicals  used,

 

The notices are on many foreign service websites as a travel advisory. A quick google search will show many articles warning against vaping.

 

Although vaping in itself is technically not illegal. The import, sale and servicing of the products is. Therefore, if a foreigner is vaping, the foreigner has illegally obtained the product. The concept is no different than  being in possession of stolen merchandise. The holder need not have stolen the merchandise.

 

 

I will not get into a debate with you on how harmful or not ecigs are as it’s off topic and been covered plenty of times before but most of not all of your post is bs.

 

not a single company markets ecig as harmless , all mods come with a warning , however what all market is that ecigs are less harmful than regular cigs. 95% less harmful to be precise .

 

there is not nor have been any studies to support your claims that youth pick up vaping instead of smoking , however plenty of stats to show smoking in youth is on the rise.

[geriatrickid]

14 minutes ago, BestB said:

I will not get into a debate with you on how harmful or not ecigs are as it’s off topic and been covered plenty of times before but most of not all of your post is bs.

 

not a single company markets ecig as harmless , all mods come with a warning , however what all market is that ecigs are less harmful than regular cigs. 95% less harmful to be precise .

 

there is not nor have been any studies to support your claims that youth pick up vaping instead of smoking , however plenty of stats to show smoking in youth is on the rise.

The BS  is your dismissal of substantiated scientific fact. You cannot  cite one recent peer reviewed public health study that backs up your position.

As for your claim that  ecigarettes are 95% less harmful, you are lying. Provide the established data that substantiates  your claim.  You don't even know what is in the liquids used, so how can you even claim they are not harmful.  Yes  a .38cal bullet fired from 100m is less harmful than a tossed grenade at 50 m. However, the  bullet can still be lethal sometimes.

 

Thailand is doing the right thing and it is supported by public health professionals around the world. Vaping is  harmful and causes serious and significant lung damage.

 

[RotMahKid]

yes one more Joke of this man.

He starts to irritade me.

 

[mommysboy]

Sadly, I fear e-cigs will never be legal in Thailand, or even tolerated.  It's totally bizarre when one considers that mainstream science concludes that they are very much safer than cigarettes.  Public Health England estimates they are 95% safer than cigarettes.

[webfact]

E-cigarette busts in Bangkok land 18 in custody

By The Nation

 

 

Sixteen Thais and two Myanmar men were arrested in Bangkok on Sunday night for selling e-cigarette devices, nicotine chargers and baraku (hookah) tobacco-smoking products.

 

 

Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpal, speaking in his capacity as deputy chief of the Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression, told reporters on Monday the arrests were made at several night markets.

 

 

Twenty-one shops were found to be selling the illegal e-cigarette devices and baraku pipes and 18 people were arrested.

 

Police confiscated 81 e-cigarette devices, 1,127 bottles of e-cigarette chemicals and 777 baraku and other illegal items, Surachet said.

 

The operation followed a February 28 raid on the Klong Thom market in which three Thais and two Lao were arrested for selling the same kind of gear.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30365143

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-03-04