Thailand Cracks Down on Vapes with Severe Penalties and Public Reporting

[madone]

44 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This is simply a generalisation. I stopped cigs with vaping and so have some other people I know. 

over covid my smoking got so out of hand I was often finishing 40 a day. More if I drank,

Vaping I go through one vape in 2 weeks and some weeks I don't vape at all.

The benefits have been huge. I quit cigarettes overnight 

[dinsdale]

10 minutes ago, Foek said:

Meantime you can get stoned just walking the streets from Mariuana smokers everywhere

Only in tourist areas and mainly if not only tourists. The rest of Thailand I doubt this very much.

[madone]

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Only in tourist areas and mainly if not only tourists. The rest of Thailand I doubt this very much.

 

i ride my bike all around this city, racking up significant mileage and I can tell you the smell of weed is everywhere. it is not a tourist ghetto thing. 

[dinsdale]

1 minute ago, madone said:

over covid my smoking got so out of hand I was often finishing 40 a day. More if I drank,

Vaping I go through one vape in 2 weeks and some weeks I don't vape at all.

The benefits have been huge. I quit cigarettes overnight 

Yep. Health is absolutely no reason to ban vaping without banning cigarettes at the same time. It's just BS from a non-elected government that want the tax money and protect the tobacco monopoly. I posted last week that in 6 months maybe more vaping will be legalised, taxes will be applied and licences to import will be given to mates or the Thai tobacco monopoly will control it. 

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, madone said:

 

i ride my bike all around this city, racking up significant mileage and I can tell you the smell of weed is everywhere. it is not a tourist ghetto thing. 

Sure. Thais don't walk down the street toking on a joint. Not that I've ever seen.

[madone]

Just now, dinsdale said:

Sure. Thais don't walk down the street toking on a joint. Not that I've ever seen.

 

no, but they do sit on stoops and balconies, and inside shop houses. 

 

the thing about Thai people that many forget is that they are, in fact, just people.

[curious297]

Any time you fine or, and imprison someone for smoking a vape when smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, breathing in smog, trucks chucking out black soot for exhaust and burnings that make the sky full of smoke and ash is no issue then this is only a poor man’s tax! 
 

Vaping got me off almost 20 years of smoking cigarettes yet according to the rules, I should be imprisoned and fined up to 500K THB which by thais standards is almost 3 years salary at 15k per month! 
 

That’s not only a ridiculous amount to fine but could create a  life threatening situation which just penalises the poor plus the night end scale of the fines seems to be geared towards “rich” tourists as we have seen in the past! 
 

you can’t have smoke without fire as you can’t smoke without there being vapes so best stop with the government overreach unless they go after any and all smoking or. One at all but yo go it for the sake of the cigarettes cartels, that just shows who the government takes direction from as it dies not seem to be the people anymore ! The fact the government stopped lunch time alcohol sales to every one in the country just because they needed a way to control their own government workers from returning to work drunk is an embarrassment in itself. I’ve lost count how many government employees smoking vapes caught in camera yet nothing is done but the police are more than happy to extort thousands of THB against holidaying tourist that might not know better!

[zyphodb]

18 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Solution number 1     Everybody needs to go smoking normal cigarettes, they are unhealthier, and will contribute to raise the hospital costs.

Solution number 2  Only not allowed for foreigners.. many Thai policemen, Government officials, military, teachers and others are vaping, but that is no problem

Solution number 3  Legalize the whole thing and make it expensive with more tax so that the country will get money to help people instead of their own cigarettes companies

 

There's a problem with solution no. 3...

 

                 The government owns the cigerettes companies, that's why it wants to ban vapes...

 

 

[dinsdale]

Just now, zyphodb said:

 

There's a problem with solution no. 3...

 

                 The government owns the cigerettes companies, that's why it wants to ban vapes...

 

 

This is the reason but as I said above eventually it will be legalised and taxed and the so-called health issues will no longer be an issue.

[keysersoze276]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

5 years jail or a Bt30,000 fine for vaping is insane. Less for driving drunk where you put other people's lives at risk. It's all about tax and protecting the tobacco monopoly. Simple as that. Health has absolutely nothing to do with this. 

Truth!!  This is way out if control. Keep in mind this comes on the hot on the heels of last week’s news that a member of Parliament was photographed vaping on the job at the Parliament building or wherever. 

[Jingthing]

Does this crackdown apply to dry HERB vapes at weed?

In other words, little ovens to heat up your favorite "organic" HERB.

My current info says that they are illegal, but I wonder if that is intentional, as they are entirely different thing than e-ciggies.

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, keysersoze276 said:

Truth!!  This is way out if control. Keep in mind this comes on the hot on the heels of last week’s news that a member of Parliament was photographed vaping on the job at the Parliament building or wherever. 

And of course absolutely zero fine/jail there.

[keysersoze276]

If you don’t accept the fact that vaping could take anywhere from zero minutes to a few months off your lifespan, we’ll throw you in jail for 5 years. 
 

Let’s get retarded about this as it is pretty goddamn retarded. Let’s pretend someone vapes and it takes 50 years from their life expectancy.  Who cares?  Let them vape and die, if that was the case, which it’s not. It’s not their smoking crack and robbing liquor stores and shuffling through their grandmothers underwear drawer to score another vape pen. 

[dinsdale]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Does this crackdown apply to dry HERB vapes at all?

In other words, little ovens to heat up your favorite "organic" HERB.

No. Thing about dry herb pipes is they're not convenient. Not something you could have a puff on at work.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

No. Thing about dry herb pipes is they're not convenient. Not something you could have a puff on at work.

I've had people in the weed biz say they are illegal.

If they weren't, they would be sold openly in shops selling bongs, and they are not.

If they indeed are illegal, which I think they are, seems to me another case of unintended consequences.

[Smilin in Thailand]

2 hours ago, 2long said:

Is there something called the Thai Tobacco Monopoly, or something similar?

Just sayin'.

 

On their website they proudly boast:  "TOAT is the only tobacco monopoly of cigarette manufacture and distribution."

 

The Thai Gov't holds an absolute monopoly on the tobacco and cigarette industry in this country.     

 

It is now enacting martial law to protect its MONOPOLY on nicotine, one of the most addictive drugs known.

 

This is Dystopian dark, very scary stuff.

 

I believe revolution is in order.    No, that is not a joke.

 

 

[keysersoze276]

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

And of course absolutely zero fine/jail there.

Yeah. Not exactly there.  Cute how it got swept under the rug and no there is a magor crackdown on the citizens. I’m just sitting on my balcony waiting for them to swoop in on the middle aged Thai guy that is selling sliced fruit from 06:00 to 16:30 everyday to pay for his kid’s elementary school fees.  He better hit that vape pen or his life could be ruined forever. 

[James105]

34 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This is the reason but as I said above eventually it will be legalised and taxed and the so-called health issues will no longer be an issue.

 

I doubt it.  I presume they have done the maths and worked out that even with taxing vapes they will not make as much money as they do with the far more poisonous cigarette sales.   If cigarettes were not a government monopoly vapes would already be legal.   People have been so gaslit over this that they even claim they prefer to inhale second hand cigarette smoke to vapes.   Crazy.  Luckily for the government there are plenty of stupid people out there that will believe whatever their propaganda tells them to believe and will happily use the snitching app to snitch on their neighbors.

 

If this crackdown works and people are forced to go back to cigarettes (due to the highly addictive nature of nicotine) then due to the nature of Thailand (and most bars/restaurants allowing people to smoke freely) then we are all going to be inhaling a lot more secondhand stinky cigarette smoke in future.   Great.   

[dinsdale]

11 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I've had people in the weed biz say they are illegal.

If they weren't, they would be sold openly in shops selling bongs, and they are not.

If they indeed are illegal, which I think they are, seems to me another case of unintended consequences.

Yes, dry herb vaping is legal in Thailand. Technically, the ban on importation under the Customs Act includes all types of vaporizers, including those for dry herbs. However, the ban on sales under the Consumer Protection Act only applied to e-cigarettes and refill cartridges, not dry herb vaporizers.

https://asiavape.co/bangkok-warehouse/

 

[QPRFC]

"the government has reversed course..." 

 

The word 'again' would be a nice fit

[Airwolf]

6 hours ago, renaissanc said:

I see that some posters want vaping to be allowed. Here are some facts about vaping harms:

• Vaping can cause lung damage. Research shows that vaping allows tiny particles to be inhaled deep into the lungs. ...
• Vapes contain toxic chemicals. ...
• Nicotine in vapes is addictive. ...
• Vaping causes breathlessness. ...
• Vapes contain cancer-causing chemicals. ...
• Vapes can burn you. ...
• Vaping can cause nicotine poisoning.
• Asthma. Vaping can make you more likely to get asthma and other lung conditions. 
• Lung scarring. 
• Organ damage. 
• Etc.

Ok, by that logic, alcohol and cigarettes should also be banned. They're both worse for your health. 

You could also argue that e-cigarettes are beneficial for smokers, not as good as quitting, but better than regular cigarettes are more toxic. 

That said, random Chinese vapes could be worse, all the more reason for proper regulation. 


 

[Globalres]

Here’s a good read on vaping.  I managed to quit cigarettes (40 yrs, heavy smoker) thanks to vapes.  Lung function improved considerably.  
 

https://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/2022/04/is-vaping-safe.html

[WHansen]

The Thai governments logic is retarded. Get fined and imprisoned for vaping yet the use of methamphetamine is ok, with 4 or less MA tablets on your person not being an offence.

I shudder to think how many deaths are caused by the paranoia of prolonged use and the road accidents due to sleep deprivation. The amount of stories we all read about Thai drivers falling asleep at the wheel and killing people is horrific.

[wensiensheng]

10 hours ago, captnhoy said:

This activity is not for me, But why should I be a busybody and report someone for it? Are rewards on offer?

Thai people will even provide video evidence. It seems they love to be voyeurs

[Hunz Kittisak]

Weed is legal and they want to clamp down on vape. Weird 

[Lucky Bones]

I quit 2009. Mate, now 75, still smokes & has long term GF 40 years younger. 

I must be doing something wrong.🙃🙃

[arick]

I am traveling around the World next month,  4 out of the 8 countries I am traveling to it's illegal to have vapes past immigration check points. 

[hughrection]

On 3/24/2025 at 5:08 PM, snoop1130 said:

Thailand has intensified its stance on e-cigarettes, with individuals caught with these illegal items facing up to five years in prison and substantial fines.

..... and yet the country is burning as we speak choking everyone within it & nothing is being done. Where is the catching of these individuals burning their ground and the national forests. Where are the prison sentences for these individuals? Where are the substantial fines ?

 

Priorities Thailand. 😞

[scorecard]

On 3/24/2025 at 5:08 PM, snoop1130 said:

Photo by mauro_grigollo via Canva

 

Thailand has intensified its stance on e-cigarettes, with individuals caught with these illegal items facing up to five years in prison and substantial fines. Under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who initially favoured legalisation during her campaign, the government has reversed course, emphasising public health concerns, particularly among teens and children.

 

This crackdown includes significant actions from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which has blocked over 9,500 URLs related to vape sales. Using advanced social listening tools, the ministry removed numerous online ads, reinforcing a zero-tolerance policy.

 

Facing substantial penalties, those involved in selling, buying, importing, or using e-cigarettes risk severe repercussions. The legal framework includes imprisonment and fines under the Consumer Protection Act and Customs Act. Public vaping incurs fines under the Tobacco Product Control Act.

 

 

 

To bolster enforcement, residents are encouraged to report offenders via the Tang Rath mobile application, where users can submit details and track report statuses, fostering a community-driven approach against e-cigarette use.

 

The government's stringent measures reflect a broader aim to curb vaping prevalence, especially given recent high-profile incidents, like an MP vaping in Parliament. These developments signal a robust national effort to reduce vaping, aligning legal, technological, and community resources in enforcing anti-vape regulations, reported The Thaiger.

 

-- 2025-03-24

 

 

Many professional investigations say that vaping is just as dangerous re lung cancer as typical cigarettes.

 

My beloved Thai wife (a dr. of medicine) died of lung cancer (second hand smoke).My wife never smoked one cigarette in her life.

 

Her 2 sisters and 1 brother and her mother all died of lung cancer second hand smoke.

 

The smoker was her father, a chain smoker 23 hrs a day. He chain smoked at the meal table, he had a lighted cigarette sitting on the top of the shower wall at all times. He chain smoked in bed. The family car was always full of smoke, and his wife / kids had to have the next cigarette already alight to pass to him. Car windows always up (otherwise air-con can't cool the car).

 

After my wife dies my teenage Thai son got angry with his grandfather 'Why did you kill my mum?' Son's emotional outburst ignored / shrugged off.

 

So I support any moves to stop all forms of smoking. 

[lordgrinz]

8 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Many professional investigations say that vaping is just as dangerous re lung cancer as typical cigarettes.

 

My beloved Thai wife (a dr. of medicine) died of lung cancer (second hand smoke).My wife never smoked one cigarette in her life.

 

Her 2 sisters and 1 brother and her mother all died of lung cancer second hand smoke.

 

The smoker was her father, a chain smoker 23 hrs a day. He chain smoked at the meal table, he had a lighted cigarette sitting on the top of the shower wall at all times. He chain smoked in bed. The family car was always full of smoke, and his wife / kids had to have the next cigarette already alight to pass to him. Car windows always up (otherwise air-con can't cool the car).

 

After my wife dies my teenage Thai son got angry with his grandfather 'Why did you kill my mum?' Son's emotional outburst ignored / shrugged off.

 

So I support any moves to stop all forms of smoking. 

 

I'm betting the PM2.5 kills us all long before vaping does, at least it keeps everyone looking at the boogie man while the country burns.