Senior Thai Police Continue to Warn Vaping is Illegal even as Debate Over Vaping Laws Continues

[webfact]

PHOTO: Bangkok Post

 

By Tanakorn Panyadee

National — A Thai senior police officer from the Legal and Litigation Department said that anyone caught carrying e-cigarettes or vapes can be fined up to 500,000 baht and get a maximum jail term of five years.

Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiewphan, head of the department, said Wednesday, February 1st, that e-cigarettes also known as vapes are prohibited products, which cannot be imported into the Kingdom, according to the 2014 and 2016 directives of the Ministry of Commerce.

 

The statements come after several high profile cases of alleged extortion such as this one with a Taiwanese actress and this one with a group of Chinese tourists have hit Thai news.

People with e-cigarettes in their possession, therefore, violate the law for accepting or owning prohibited products and can be fined up to 500,000 baht and/or get a jail term of up to five years in line with Section 246 and Section 244 of the 2017 Customs Act, said Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong.

 

The officer went on to say that vapes are also considered cigarettes because it puts nicotine into the user’s body according to Section 4 of the 2017 Tobacco Products Control Act, meaning it is illegal for vape users to smoke vapes in a prohibited area.

 

The offenders can face a fine of up to 5,000 baht, said Trairong.

 

He added that the law can be changed in the future to keep pace with the changing trends but noted that police have a duty to enforce the current laws on record.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2023/02/03/senior-thai-police-continue-to-warn-vaping-is-illegal-even-as-debate-over-vaping-laws-continues/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2023-02-04

 

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[Jingthing]

Are some of those bongs?

Are bongs (water pipes) OK?

[madmitch]

People with e-cigarettes in their possession, therefore, violate the law for accepting or owning prohibited products and can be fined up to 500,000 baht and/or get a jail term of up to five years.

 

The officer went on to say that vapes are also considered cigarettes because it puts nicotine into the user’s body .The offenders can face a fine of up to 5,000 baht, said Trairong.

 

In addition, it is illegal to vape in public places, such as offices, educational institutions, hospitals, airports and public transport. Offenders may be fined a maximum of 1,000 baht or sent to prison for up to 30 days.

 

What?

[ukrules]

Wha tif they're manufactured in Thailand and not illegally imported?

[milesinnz]

I hope other tourist countries can up their game as the safest thing for tourists to do is to AVOID Thailand... this sort of nonsense will never end...

[Geoffggi]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that the law can be changed in the future to keep pace with the changing trends but noted that police have a duty to enforce the current laws on record.

If this is the case my question is - Why don't they enforce all the current laws and I believe we all know the answer to this one ................LOL

[hellohello123]

I think they re waffling on with big numbers and bold statements to sound important and to show people that they're serious  about this.......

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

A Thai senior police officer from the Legal and Litigation Department said that anyone caught carrying e-cigarettes or vapes can be fined up to 500,000 baht and get a maximum jail term of five years

Will normal cigarettes and marijuana is legal... backwards Thailand.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiewphan, head of the department, said Wednesday, February 1st, that e-cigarettes also known as vapes are prohibited products, which cannot be imported into the Kingdom

Yet can be found openly for sale at almost every market venue and online.

[goatfarmer]

1 hour ago, milesinnz said:

I hope other tourist countries can up their game as the safest thing for tourists to do is to AVOID Thailand... this sort of nonsense will never end...

"This sort of nonsense" is prevalent in more than 30 countries around the world. The safest thing for tourists is either to stay home or do a little research before travelling. 
https://vapoholic.co.uk/2022/02/11/where-is-vaping-banned-countries-with-strictest-e-cig-laws/

[FriendlyFarang]

3 hours ago, madmitch said:

People with e-cigarettes in their possession, therefore, violate the law for accepting or owning prohibited products and can be fined up to 500,000 baht and/or get a jail term of up to five years.

 

The officer went on to say that vapes are also considered cigarettes because it puts nicotine into the user’s body .The offenders can face a fine of up to 5,000 baht, said Trairong.

 

In addition, it is illegal to vape in public places, such as offices, educational institutions, hospitals, airports and public transport. Offenders may be fined a maximum of 1,000 baht or sent to prison for up to 30 days.

 

What?

If you vape you violate 3 different laws. What what?

[Chongalulu]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The officer went on to say that vapes are also considered cigarettes because it puts nicotine into the user’s body according to Section

So presumably this  officer considers nicotine patches as cigarettes…? Not really the brightest,are they ? ????‍♂️ 

[Orinoco]

They legalize pot but you can't vape.

Just nuts.

Or are the Tabaco companies behind it all.

[TheFishman1]

Yeah we get that the big tobacco companies here are making sure that that will never become a thing here in Thailand Facebook be collecting a lot of money for that one but why are they switching the subjects? Why are they talking about the millions are collecting each month from the traffic stop checkpoints when will they clean that up TIT

[Thingamabob]

Message to the RTP-stop grubbing about on this kind of thing, stop focussing on minor offences committed by the poor, and go after the big time criminals. Will never happen, of course.

[mikebell]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

caught carrying e-cigarettes or vapes can be fined up to 500,000 baht and get a maximum jail term of five years.

What a ludicrous sentence for such an innocuous crime.  How does it compare to that given for driving a car drunk and killing a cyclist or pedestrian ... or policeman?

[dkg224]

It’s funny where I live there are shops you can buy e-cigs at. It’s the police that are selling them. 
also at the immigration office a few weeks ago, 2 of the female employees were vaping right out front in their uniforms. 
 

[terryofcrete]

Gotta be a massive gain for someone very high up the chain to keep the tobacco companies happy.... either have shares in them or get massive "political" donations ..

[PMinThailand]

Biggest scam of the Police to collect money from foreigners while Thai keep vaping in the open without being bothered!

[herfiehandbag]

The penalties seem to vary widely depending on which Police General's turn it is to strut the stage!

 

This is a real "bramah" - half a million and five years in prison!

Edited February 4, 2023 by herfiehandbag

[IAMHERE]

My understanding is that more bribes have been paid than e-vapers have been prosecuted.

[ronster]

So he said all that and basically said they were illegal etc . 
So if that’s the case then why are there a bunch of cops in jail for charging that actress for having a vape ? 
Seems like he’s ranting be afraid, very afraid of us if you vape . Trying to deflect from the fact the police got busted extorting someone ! 

[Tarteso]

What should be illegal are such a waste of time, all those uniforms, caps and medals, the waste of time and the river if ink to finally reach the legalization of the e-cigar.

Edited February 4, 2023 by Tarteso

[digger70]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He added that the law can be changed in the future to keep pace with the changing trends but noted that police have a duty to enforce the current laws on record.

What a statement that is hey,    A duty to enforce the current laws on record.   

So from now on 24/7 policing roads /Crime and corruption correct.

Nah ,ain't gonna happen.

[khunjeff]

16 minutes ago, ronster said:

So he said all that and basically said they were illegal etc . 
So if that’s the case then why are there a bunch of cops in jail for charging that actress for having a vape ? 

They aren't in jail for charging her, they're in jail for "dereliction of duty" for NOT charging her. 

[klauskunkel]

Quote

Senior Thai Police Continue to Warn Vaping is Illegal 

Well, by now I guess the public knows that this is illegal. 

By the same token, does the police know by now that extortion is illegal, or do they need a reminder?

[Sydebolle]

"Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiewphan, head of the department, added that the law can be changed in the future to keep pace with the changing trends but noted that police have a duty to enforce the current laws on record."

Let me translate this for you "we keep such ridiculous laws in high esteem as it allows RTP to carry on with their highway robbery by "negotiating" deals below the limits of the law ... to the benefit of the RTP and certainly not the benefit of the state, the innocent - protection deserving - bystanding citizen." All this of course in the name of the state, religion and so on .......... 

[generealty]

Uhmmm what are these boys doing ? Must be somewhere in South America !

[Marco51]

"I have nothing important to say and I want to communicate this" Damien Hirst.................................

They would be better advised to keep shut , right now they are the target -rightfully so probably being the visible executive and often ignorant to boot- and anything and everything will be ridiculed . Although one of the bigger parts of the meanwhile extremely large problem, the plod is indeed made scapegoat , for the much bigger amounts, the much more consequential , and at times the root of their actions in the first place.........up the ladder tesa baan, municipality, governing and administrating bodies, etc. pp. Examples  like building loud and annoying entertainment and karaoke places into residential areas and/or successively keeping the eyes shut about live music until 1 o'clock , calling the police then .........what for? Yes sir, we will send someone ......to pick up an additional envelope......., ignoring zoning re. building whatever wherever whenever if the money is right, traffic violations apart from "no helmet, being hilltribe, no insurance.....ach, there would be an endless list. The point is that corruption starts at the most invisible parts of the circus and must then proceed up the ladder. It's endemic and can only be fought at the roots with better pay for the obvious people and hard punishment , the more invisible and higher up the ladder the harder. Plus a public campaign , possibly using the TV channels that are bombarding the country with instant noodle ads and replacing them with a regular spot on how much of their paid or unpaid tax money goes down the drain , how much damage corruption does to THEIR country and how in small pieces almost everybody participates, let's not forget that it's much more convenient to slip over 2 or 400 Baht than picking up for example the driver's licence at the cucumber troop's HQ hours later. Or x20 if you want your empty plot of land recognised as farm land with reduced taxes. Or, or, or..............Yes , this is asian and endemic in the region, that is why the red chinese are so good at the game but guys and gals : we do it too, look closely at your behaviour. There is no "never mind, it isn't much......." fight the beginnings. It might have been  charmingly asian in the 80s, you can see what becomes of things. I remember one occasion where I was helped into my car by a friendly policeman at 3 AM or so because my key would not fit the keyhole anymore , he started the engine for me and told me to drive carefully , patiently waiting for the donation.....ach, those were the days, no?  And do you really believe our EU or US countries are incorrupt...........LOL and 555, my bloody axxe............the prices are different, that's all.

 

[Blumpie]

Of all the things I follow this is it - vaping.  This is by far the #1 thing that worries me.  Thank god the thaighland pooleeeze are all over this.  

Excuse me, I'm still drunk from last night.