Are there any vape-free nightlife venues left?

[PingRoundTheWorld]

I'm sick and tired of sacrificing my health so inconsiderate people can smoke in my face. My favorite clubs in Bangkok used to have a no-smoking room and a smoking room, and when people were smoking real cigarettes that worked out great. Now, instead of banning vapes in the no-smoking room and allowing them in the smoking room they allow them everywhere. Every 2nd person puffs questionable fumes nonstop and this gets everywhere. It's insane that in Thailand where everyone is so obsessed with levels of outdoor PM2.5 they are pumping PM2.5 into the air indoors where it is much more harmful.

 

And before someone says vape vapor is harmless: it is not harmless, and not all vape juices are created equal - plenty of them have actual toxic substances in it. Inhaling it can and does cause harm whether you like it or not. Is it less harm than a cigarettes? depends on the juice and depends on the vape, but a large number of people pumping it into the air all night long cannot be healthy. Personally I get throat irritation, nonstop coughing that lasts days after exposure, and in extreme cases after being around too much of it I gag and nearly puke.

 

So the bottom line is: I go out very often, I would like to continue going out often, but coughing and nearly puking every time someone in the next table chain-vapes is not an option and needs to stop. Are there any nightclubs in Bangkok or Pattaya where the owner actually cares about the health of his patrons and BANS vaping in the no-smoking room? I'd be sad to ditch my favorite venue, and they're stupid for sacrificing the literal millions of baht I spend there every year, but enough is enough. I'm sitting home now because my throat is too irritated to go out after a particularly vapey weekend.

 

And if there are any venue owners in the crowd: why are you allowing this??

[flyingtlger]

I bet there are lots of others that feel the same way as you.

Have you considered started a club that bans vaping?

If you are spending millions of baht year, it's totally doable....

[PingRoundTheWorld]

3 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Have you considered started a club that bans vaping?

The thought has crossed my mind- yes. Financially speaking if I liquidated some of my portfolio I could probably start a small club, however having to actually manage it and deal with staff and police and connections and other such factors is a deterrent. I could hire a manager for the day-to-day stuff, but at least in the beginning would want to be involved in managing it. You can't just open a club and hope people will come- you have to advertise, you have to run word of mouth, you have to hire staff and dancers and PR to bring people in.

 

So now you got me googling "costs of starting a nightclub in bangkok"... 

[goloeilmanz]

How dare those pesky vapers ruin your glamorous nights out in Bangkok! I mean, the audacity of venue owners for not banning vaping in the no-smoking room! How dare they prioritize profits over your delicate throat? This is unacceptable!

[Bangkok Barry]

 

Vapes are illegal in Thailand so you must be hallucinating. All the YouTube and other videos of people vaping - always women, strangely - are AI fakes.

Edited April 2 by Bangkok Barry

[newbee2022]

10 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

I'm sick and tired of sacrificing my health so inconsiderate people can smoke in my face. My favorite clubs in Bangkok used to have a no-smoking room and a smoking room, and when people were smoking real cigarettes that worked out great. Now, instead of banning vapes in the no-smoking room and allowing them in the smoking room they allow them everywhere. Every 2nd person puffs questionable fumes nonstop and this gets everywhere. It's insane that in Thailand where everyone is so obsessed with levels of outdoor PM2.5 they are pumping PM2.5 into the air indoors where it is much more harmful.

 

And before someone says vape vapor is harmless: it is not harmless, and not all vape juices are created equal - plenty of them have actual toxic substances in it. Inhaling it can and does cause harm whether you like it or not. Is it less harm than a cigarettes? depends on the juice and depends on the vape, but a large number of people pumping it into the air all night long cannot be healthy. Personally I get throat irritation, nonstop coughing that lasts days after exposure, and in extreme cases after being around too much of it I gag and nearly puke.

 

So the bottom line is: I go out very often, I would like to continue going out often, but coughing and nearly puking every time someone in the next table chain-vapes is not an option and needs to stop. Are there any nightclubs in Bangkok or Pattaya where the owner actually cares about the health of his patrons and BANS vaping in the no-smoking room? I'd be sad to ditch my favorite venue, and they're stupid for sacrificing the literal millions of baht I spend there every year, but enough is enough. I'm sitting home now because my throat is too irritated to go out after a particularly vapey weekend.

 

And if there are any venue owners in the crowd: why are you allowing this??

Vaping is strictly forbidden

[Dirk Z]

I totally agree with the OP. Vaping is the new plague. After having gotten rid of second hand smoke we now have to fight a (uphill I am afraid) battle against these vapes. And yes, vaping inside is totally anti-social and inconsiderate.

[ABCDBKK]

7 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

So now you got me googling "costs of starting a nightclub in bangkok"... 

10% succeed. 90% fail within the first 2 years. Good luck!

[eisfeld]

13 minutes ago, ABCDBKK said:

10% succeed. 90% fail within the first 2 years. Good luck!

 

So if you make it past the first two years you have a 100% chance of succcess. Amazing.

[Retfed50]

50 minutes ago, Dirk Z said:

I totally agree with the OP. Vaping is the new plague. After having gotten rid of second hand smoke we now have to fight a (uphill I am afraid) battle against these vapes. And yes, vaping inside is totally anti-social and inconsiderate.

And illegal in Thailand!

[ABCDBKK]

4 minutes ago, eisfeld said:

 

So if you make it past the first two years you have a 100% chance of succcess. Amazing.

So where do I send the award to Thailand's most brilliant genius? 

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Vaping is strictly forbidden

 

As it is in Cambodia, should you be considering a border run, however vapes can be purchased at illegal "underground" outlets but there is a risk:

 

Cambodia banned vaping back in 2014 along with shisha products. To top it off, just to prove how serious they were, they banned it again in 2021. (ref. Google)

 

The Consumer Protection and Fraud Repression General Department of Ministry of Commerce, in cooperation with the National Authority for Combating Drugs on Saturday burned 288 boxes of UOLO e-cigarettes, equivalent to 7,200 packs, at a landfill in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/?s=e-cigarettes

 

vaping in cambodia is very much illegal in all regards, you can and will face judicial punishment and could be giving time in prison as well as outrageous fines.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293939-i9162-k11437675-Vaping_in_Cambodia-Cambodia.html

[newbee2022]

19 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

 

As it is in Cambodia, should you be considering a border run, however vapes can be purchased at illegal "underground" outlets but there is a risk:

 

Cambodia banned vaping back in 2014 along with shisha products. To top it off, just to prove how serious they were, they banned it again in 2021. (ref. Google)

 

The Consumer Protection and Fraud Repression General Department of Ministry of Commerce, in cooperation with the National Authority for Combating Drugs on Saturday burned 288 boxes of UOLO e-cigarettes, equivalent to 7,200 packs, at a landfill in Phnom Penh’s Dangkor district.

https://www.khmertimeskh.com/?s=e-cigarettes

 

vaping in cambodia is very much illegal in all regards, you can and will face judicial punishment and could be giving time in prison as well as outrageous fines.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293939-i9162-k11437675-Vaping_in_Cambodia-Cambodia.html

What this has to do with Thai laws? 😳

[Robin]

I was under the impression that smoking 'indoors' ( aircon premises,) was illegal in Thailand.  Like so many rules, widely ignored.

A ew bar owners in Nana once tried to ban smoking in their bars, but this was ignored, by staff as well as customers so now smoking is the norm again and non-smokers have to suffer. 

Just think of the revenue missed by RTP by not raiding every bar/club once a week.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

4 minutes ago, Robin said:

Just think of the revenue missed by RTP by not raiding every bar/club once a week.

I would be surprised if they're not making "revenue" for avoiding those raids.

3 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Vaping is strictly forbidden

Forbidden and illegal, but has been gaining in popularity recently and it's become a big problem for non-smokers who were "safe" before in no-smoking areas - which are now effectively nonexistent as the air is full of PM2.5/vape vapor. Police enforcement has gone down to zero, and staff at the venues I talked to are instructed by the owners to allow it (which is bizarre in itself - you'd think an owner who went through the trouble of establishing a no-smoking room would realize that a significant portion of their clientele does not want vape secondhand smoke either).

[PingRoundTheWorld]

9 hours ago, goloeilmanz said:

How dare those pesky vapers ruin your glamorous nights out in Bangkok! I mean, the audacity of venue owners for not banning vaping in the no-smoking room! How dare they prioritize profits over your delicate throat? This is unacceptable!

How exactly is this prioritizing profits? They already have a smoking area - all they need to do is ask vapers to go there. They are losing revenue from people who do not wish to be around vape vapor, and I'm sure that will only increase as people become more aware that it isn't harmless as the tobacco/vape industry would have you believe. I just it doesn't take as many years and as many deaths for people to wake up that it's dangerous too.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

2 hours ago, ABCDBKK said:

10% succeed. 90% fail within the first 2 years. Good luck!

That depends on your criteria of success. Financially speaking I'd be alright either way as not spending money in other venues would offset losses, if there are any. Having said that- I wouldn't enjoy nor want to operate a nightclub that isn't at least somewhat successful. If there's no people there's no fun and no point.

 

I do have some ideas about how to bring in customers, but it'll be an uphill battle for sure starting from scratch.

[Burma Bill]

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

What this has to do with Thai laws? 😳

 

With respect, nothing other than to inform vaping is also illegal in Cambdia should anyone from Thailand decides to do a border run into Cambodia who uses vapes.

[bangkok19]

14 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Vapes are illegal in Thailand so you must be hallucinating. All the YouTube and other videos of people vaping - always women, strangely - are AI fakes.

Vaping is illegal in Thailand but it's happening at places (indoors and outdoors) around Bangkok, you need to get away from your keyboard more and venture out the front door and OPEN YOUR EYES. It's more widespread than you think.

I suppose the next thing you're going to ask me is for names, dates and venues for proof!

Lots of things are illegal in Thailand but are still happening.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, bangkok19 said:

17 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Vapes are illegal in Thailand so you must be hallucinating. All the YouTube and other videos of people vaping - always women, strangely - are AI fakes.

Vaping is illegal in Thailand but it's happening at places (indoors and outdoors) around Bangkok, you need to get away from your keyboard more and venture out the front door and OPEN YOUR EYES. It's more widespread than you think.

I suppose the next thing you're going to ask me is for names, dates and venues for proof!

Lots of things are illegal in Thailand but are still happening.

 

I think you need to OPEN YOUR EYES to recognise that what I wrote was sarcasm. Others recognised it as such, something clearly beyond you. Have a nice day.

[OneMoreFarang]

You could go to the police and complain... 

[MrPancake]

On 4/2/2024 at 3:01 AM, PingRoundTheWorld said:

And before someone says vape vapor is harmless: it is not harmless

 

Nothing is harmless. A glass of wine or a beer isn't harmless.

That said, scientific evidence is clear. Vaping is much much safer than cigarettes.

Real harm comes with excessive consumption or when the consumer is a young person with a brain that ain't fully developed yet.

I doubt passive vaping is gonna cause you any long-term irreversible damage.

If I'm not mistaken, the main component in the vapor is propylene glycol which is also used in clubs to create a foggy atmosphere on the dance floor.

You'll be alright.

Edited April 3 by MrPancake

[RocketDog]

On 4/2/2024 at 2:04 AM, ABCDBKK said:

So where do I send the award to Thailand's most brilliant genius? 

Send it to Gamma the Glob of course.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

16 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

You could go to the police and complain... 

Thanks for the laugh 🙂 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

6 hours ago, MrPancake said:

A glass of wine or a beer isn't harmless.

Yes, but I can choose to put that in my body or not. With secondhand vapor I have no choice (other than to avoid the venue). This argument is the same as cigarettes - if cigarettes aren't allowed in a room because secondhand smoke (may) cause harm then why are vapes allowed?

6 hours ago, MrPancake said:

I doubt passive vaping is gonna cause you any long-term irreversible damage.

If I'm not mistaken, the main component in the vapor is propylene glycol which is also used in clubs to create a foggy atmosphere on the dance floor.

You'll be alright.

Wrong. Read up about it. Not all vape juice is made alike, and plenty of them contain toxic substances including paint solvent, formaldehyde, metals, etc.

 

Regardless- personally I seem to be allergic and it's affecting me severely. This is a fact.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Update about last night:

Asian-American douchebag on the dancefloor vaping nonstop for 2 hours. Had one drink the whole time.

Russian hooker vaping like a chimney for hours, also just one drink. She is one of many I've seen lately.

 

Again- how is this good for business? people vaping and not drinking.

 

Driving away heavy drinkers to accommodate one-beer heroes does not sound like a winning strategy.

[MrPancake]

15 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Yes, but I can choose to put that in my body or not.

 

Well you don't choose to put gazoline vapors in your body but you do everytime you walk outside.

Big deal. Modernity is what it is and the perfect world doesn't exist. Deal with it, bro.

Stop being such a puss.

 

15 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Wrong.

Provide your source(s).

[PingRoundTheWorld]

9 hours ago, MrPancake said:

Well you don't choose to put gazoline vapors in your body but you do everytime you walk outside.

Big deal. Modernity is what it is and the perfect world doesn't exist. Deal with it, bro.

Stop being such a puss.

Do you not understand English? I am allergic to it and it leads me to violent fits of coughing, gagging, and nearly vomiting for days after being exposed to too much of it. Gasoline vapors are in open air - not indoors - and they don't affect me the same way (likely because it's outdoors so the concentration in the air is significantly lower). I'm guessing you're a vaper and it's inconvenient to accept the truth that it's harmful.

 

Speaking of concentration- it would be an interesting experiment to take a PM2.5 meter to a venue that allows vapes. I bet it'd be off the charts.

 

9 hours ago, MrPancake said:

Provide your source(s).

Google it. I don't work for you. Vape juice is mostly unregulated, you have no idea what some Chinese company put in it, and even the substances we do know are in it can be toxic, especially at high temperatures. I know- inconvenient truth.

[MrPancake]

10 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

I am allergic

 

No you are a drama queen.

 

10 hours ago, PingRoundTheWorld said:

Google it. I don't work for you.

 

Exactly. You have no idea what you're talking about.

[PingRoundTheWorld]

12 hours ago, MrPancake said:

No you are a drama queen.

And you are a clown who cares about no one else but himself. Zero empathy. Great human.