28 minutes ago, johng said:

Well wear some shoes you'll need them for the broken glass, bottle tops,sharp shells,jellyfish

dog turds and all the other debris..and wear an N95 mask for the air pollution and wear factor 100 sunscreen for the UV protection but remember not to go swimming with that sunscreen on unless it is on the list of "approved for marine life safety" that'll get you a hefty fine as well

ohh and remember not to collect shells, touch any marine life ,feed or take photos of it either ! that should cover most of the rules but I'm sure they have a few lurking in a dark crevice to be brought out on a whim. 😋

Meanwhile, back on topic, do you take your foul, stinky cigarette butts back home?

14 hours ago, petermik said:

Many smokers believe they have the divine right to polute anywhere they feel like... wrong they should try considering the effect it has on others... but there is fat chance of that... you ever see a smoker picking up the butts they leave behind...rarely if ever?

And discharging your cigarette butt anywhere you please just seems like an extension of the filth of the habit of smoking, total disregard as to where they discharge their smoke, along with total disregard as to where they throw their cigarette butt, lots of disrespect all the way around.

4 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Yes it is their turf and laws and no the Thais break them law ALL the time. I can tell you’ve been here all of five minutes. Not a smoker but there’s every chance they had no clue they were breaking the law—how often are those signs posted? No excuse for ignorance, I get it, and secondhand smoke does suck, but they look like they’re in the middle of nowhere. Police on the take—them smoking there is not affecting anyone else—while pissant burning plastic in the city and umpteen polluting tuk-tuks chokes thousands and goes on daily unabated. Doubt those tourists will return. SMH.

Those tourists not returning benefits the expat community on so many different levels, sure it hurts the locals but does it affect us one iota? No it actually improves the quality of life for all of us.

In the hierarchy of things that detract from the quality of life and tourism in Pattaya, I can think of a few dozen other things that I wish they'd focus on instead. Like the ladyboy gangs that are going to mug me every time I walk through certain areas. Or the scooters that I have to dodge on the sidewalks. Or... Or...

People smoking 25 yards away from me? Pfft. Wait until they actually litter, then book 'em Danno.

54 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Meanwhile, back on topic, do you take your foul, stinky cigarette butts back home?

No I do not..take a guess why ?

Love it. Not so much the 2nd hand smoke, as annoying as it is, but the butts the slob tourist leave all over.

20 hours ago, johng said:

It's ridiculous to bust 'tourists’ for smoking on the beach a wide open well ventilated space...while the huge air pollution from burning the forests and fields continues unabated as well as the dumping of black water straight into the sea often right at the designated roped off swimming areas for the very same tourist....just ridiculous.

You are obviously a smoker. That said, the problem is people treating the beach like an ashtray and stubbing out their butts in the sand. Additionally, on a crowded beach your smoke will still blow into other people's faces, so "wide open ventilated space" does not apply when you're in a chair next to someone making them gag and cough while they're trying to relax with some food and drink, and that's unacceptable. People who come to the beach are entitled to breath clean fresh air without having to maneuver and detour around the cigarette pigs. I'd like to see better enforcement in bars and restaurants. It's actually against the law to smoke inside a building of any sort regardless of whether there is an open front, and restaurants have a prohibited exclusion zone of at least 5 meters in front of dining areas as well. Enforcement of those laws IS progressing. Mostly though it's a matter of cigarette addicts having consideration for other people who just want to breathe clean air. No one should even have to bring it up. When I was a kid and smoking was part of the culture decent and polite people would still ask if you minded if they smoked. Passive smoke is unhealthy and people need to recognize that and stop being so selfish. Western countries have evolved to that point, including beaches and any public area where people congregate. Why is that? So get ready people, get your hankies and violins out, get your whining and crying out of your system, this is where Thailand is headed. I see new signs every day.

Maybe non smokers should make their minds up...smoking is allowed outside, yet go to a bar and all the non smokers sit outside, they don't want to be "stuck' inside the cool air con..think about it

4 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Maybe non smokers should make their minds up...smoking is allowed outside, yet go to a bar and all the non smokers sit outside, they don't want to be "stuck' inside the cool air con..think about it

OK I thought about it. Blame the non smokers, right? Maybe smokers here should develop some consideration and respect like most of you have in your home countries. You don't have the right to pollute another person's clean air regardless of your declaration of your "smokers' rights", and non smokers are under no obligation to have to steer clear of your unhealthy stink just because you want to indulge your filthy addiction without consequences to others. You're the ones who should show consideration for those in your immediate vicinity. And as to sitting outside, non smokers are just as entitled to sit under the fans outdoors and enjoy the sun and that atmosphere and ambience, you know perfectly well why, air conditioning doesn't matter to those who are not spoiled to a climate controlled life, which would be most of us. That said from a moral perspective, under the law it's illegal to smoke within an exclusion zone outside of any place that serves food. It is being increasingly enforced and for good reasons. Your statement is self centered, ignorant, and illogical. Attitudes like yours are why laws are required, because people won't voluntarily do the right thing.

21 hours ago, johng said:

It's ridiculous to bust 'tourists’ for smoking on the beach a wide open well ventilated space...while the huge air pollution from burning the forests and fields continues unabated as well as the dumping of black water straight into the sea often right at the designated roped off swimming areas for the very same tourist....just ridiculous.

It generates revenue for Thailand from unsuspecting tourists. Don't like the policy? Vietnam has more beaches and unsuspecting tourists are allowed to smoke on those wide open beaches. As a non-smoker, that is exactly where I want smokers to smoke - outside in well ventilated areas like windy beaches.

18 minutes ago, baansgr said:

Maybe non smokers should make their minds up...smoking is allowed outside, yet go to a bar and all the non smokers sit outside, they don't want to be "stuck' inside the cool air con..think about it

Agree, if Non sitting in smoking section ... then STFU

BUTT ... amazing how many, most smokers are so inconsiderate to people around them. And then, the 'butts', littered everywhere, and why they (per news) passed the law to begin with. Aside from tourist targeting & money grab, topic for another day, another thread.

Also don't think smokers know how disgusting and off putting they smell, as their senses are so dull to the stink, they haven't a clue. Also from reading ex-smokers thoughts, everything tastes better after they quit smoking.

But please continue, far enough from me, and pick up your butts, as gives me a morning chuckle, when taking the dog for morning walk at the hotel, and the smokers conjugate outside, lighting up, and coughing seconds later. Hilariously stupid.

15 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

OK I thought about it. Blame the non smokers, right? Maybe smokers here should develop some consideration and respect like most of you have in your home countries. You don't have the right to pollute another person's clean air regardless of your declaration of your "smokers' rights", and non smokers are under no obligation to have to steer clear of your unhealthy stink just because you want to indulge your filthy addiction without consequences to others. You're the ones who should show consideration for those in your immediate vicinity. And as to sitting outside, non smokers are just as entitled to sit under the fans outdoors and enjoy the sun and that atmosphere and ambience, you know perfectly well why, air conditioning doesn't matter to those who are not spoiled to a climate controlled life, which would be most of us. That said from a moral perspective, under the law it's illegal to smoke within an exclusion zone outside of any place that serves food. It is being increasingly enforced and for good reasons. Your statement is self centered, ignorant, and illogical. Attitudes like yours are why laws are required, because people won't voluntarily do the right thing.

But non smokers have a designated place inside, as do smokers outside...so why not use that air con space inside?...

OK all you militant cigarette addicts declaring your "smokers rights", here's the deal. There is no safe amount of smoke that you can vent around people who have to breathe it. That's been established, and the well documented health risks from passive smoke are why US health insurance companies have forced a cultural change to occur leading to smoking in public being all but gone. You have no more right to stink up someone else's clean air than someone has the right to sit next to you and shoot meth and leave their dirty needles, or take a dump on your bartop or dining table. No real difference - unhealthy addiction, unhealthy stink. Thailand anti smoking laws are actually on the books, the only difference now is that they are increasingly being enforced. Thailand is slowly but surely going the way of most western countries. If you don't like it you can switch to vaping and that will take care of your nicotine addiction and cravings.

57 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You are obviously a smoker.

Really ? I learn something new on this site everyday.

30 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

when taking the dog for morning walk at the hotel

Hope you clear up all the smelly pee and poo ?

18 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Thailand is slowly but surely going the way of most western countries.

In many cases that is not a positive thing.

22 hours ago, Explorator en Actione said:

you wouldn’t poop on the beach because you have to walk a block to a toilet would you??

This all depends upon who you might be.

2 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

You are obviously a smoker. That said, the problem is people treating the beach like an ashtray and stubbing out their butts in the sand. Additionally, on a crowded beach your smoke will still blow into other people's faces, so "wide open ventilated space" does not apply when you're in a chair next to someone making them gag and cough while they're trying to relax with some food and drink, and that's unacceptable. People who come to the beach are entitled to breath clean fresh air without having to maneuver and detour around the cigarette pigs. I'd like to see better enforcement in bars and restaurants. It's actually against the law to smoke inside a building of any sort regardless of whether there is an open front, and restaurants have a prohibited exclusion zone of at least 5 meters in front of dining areas as well. Enforcement of those laws IS progressing. Mostly though it's a matter of cigarette addicts having consideration for other people who just want to breathe clean air. No one should even have to bring it up. When I was a kid and smoking was part of the culture decent and polite people would still ask if you minded if they smoked. Passive smoke is unhealthy and people need to recognize that and stop being so selfish. Western countries have evolved to that point, including beaches and any public area where people congregate. Why is that? So get ready people, get your hankies and violins out, get your whining and crying out of your system, this is where Thailand is headed. I see new signs every day.

I would like to see you become a smoker as soon as possible....Heck I will even buy your first pack...Then maybe you would understand smokers better....Also the beach is a lovely place to smoke....

Why would I do that, waste that grass food ... from AI:

... " dog feces and urine contain nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous that can act as a natural fertilizer " ...

@johng unlike cig butts ...

30 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Why would I do that, waste that grass food

So that no one steps on the smelly stuff and little kids don't play/eat it causing them to go blind ?

3 minutes ago, johng said:

So that no one steps on the smelly stuff and little kids don't play/eat it causing them to go blind ?

Don't think anyone will be stepping in or eating. You think I walk the dog a children's playgrounds.

Not all dog owners are as inconsiderate as many smokers.

4 hours ago, redwood1 said:

I would like to see you become a smoker as soon as possible....Heck I will even buy your first pack...Then maybe you would understand smokers better....Also the beach is a lovely place to smoke....

What's to understand? Their foul-smelling nicotine craving is killing them.

I like smoking cigars on the beach.

19 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

I like smoking cigars on the beach.

How is smoking a cigar on the beach any different than smoking a cigarette on the beach ?

On 2/4/2026 at 2:37 PM, Explorator en Actione said:

Their Country, Their Rules, Their Laws - would the ‘tourists’ break those laws in their own country had they been enacted?? - I think not. 5000 baht fine for each of them, advertise it on television, newspapers, and social media’s so others will learn - The Thai’s won’t tolerate you breaking their laws. You want to smoke?? go to a designated smoking area…….just like going to the bathroom, you wouldn’t poop on the beach because you have to walk a block to a toilet would you?? I know some people w]probably would. Peace

The Nine Thumbs Down people must be smokers that take offense to only smoking in designated areas……..may they live long and prosper, but methinks not. Peace

2 hours ago, johng said:

How is smoking a cigar on the beach any different than smoking a cigarette on the beach ?

Mouth and tongue cancer just called....they want his stupid comment back.

Also shows the entitlement certain people feel.

13 hours ago, johng said:

Well wear some shoes you'll need them for the broken glass, bottle tops,sharp shells,jellyfish

dog turds and all the other debris..and wear an N95 mask for the air pollution and wear factor 100 sunscreen for the UV protection but remember not to go swimming with that sunscreen on unless it is on the list of "approved for marine life safety" that'll get you a hefty fine as well

ohh and remember not to collect shells, touch any marine life ,feed or take photos of it either ! that should cover most of the rules but I'm sure they have a few lurking in a dark crevice to be brought out on a whim. 😋

I must defend Jomtien beach here. As well as swimming there, I regularly walk along the beach a couple of km from North Dongtan all the way to where the beach is sadly being widened near Jomtien Beach Condos. As well as no more cigarette butts, I’ve never seen any broken glass, and rarely bottle tops. There were lots of small jellyfish today, but unlike Australian bluebottles, they’re stingless. Very pleasant, clean sand, there must be a litter patrol, maybe early in the morning. The air pollution during the burning season’s the only thing that concerns me, admittedly a hugely greater worry than a few smokers.

On 2/5/2026 at 6:36 PM, johng said:

How is smoking a cigar on the beach any different than smoking a cigarette on the beach ?

If you need to ask.

But you did, sio here we go, no filthy toxin and chemical ridden un-biodegradable filter to casually flick into the sand or sea.

On 2/5/2026 at 8:38 PM, blaze master said:

Mouth and tongue cancer just called....they want his stupid comment back.

Also shows the entitlement certain people feel.

Bugger all to do with "entitlement". Some people like Guinness, others like grits. Think of it as a guilty pleasure.

15 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

no filthy toxin and chemical ridden un-biodegradable filter to casually flick into the sand or sea.

But what about the smoke that the moaners are going on about. ?

I do take the point that the filters are a problem if disposed of irresponsibly.

On 2/4/2026 at 2:29 PM, johng said:

It's ridiculous to bust 'tourists’ for smoking on the beach a wide open well ventilated space...while the huge air pollution from burning the forests and fields continues unabated as well as the dumping of black water straight into the sea often right at the designated roped off swimming areas for the very same tourist....just ridiculous.

I don't smoke and have not for a very long time. Smoking in a bar bothers me, but it's a bar. Seems fair play.

Smoking in this open air especially with no one around seems especially ridiculous. What other policing went undone while they fined the foreigners for smoking nowhere near others.

This sort of thing surely drives tourists away by the scores. Not only do you get hassled and fined, but have this on your record here which I'm certain given Thailand these days may cause headaches applying for visa, entry etc.

So, cops got the fine for the smoking. Thailand lost minimum a dozen tourists revenue, taxes, etc

Late stage tourism

43 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

If you need to ask.

But you did, sio here we go, no filthy toxin and chemical ridden un-biodegradable filter to casually flick into the sand or sea.

Agreed. The beach is not an ash tray and smokers are usually pretty inconsiderate lot. Nevertheless, the picture is absolutely ridiculous. Cops should be embarrassed. There's no one within 50 meters of them ffs

8 minutes ago, johng said:

But what about the smoke that the moaners are going on about. ?

I do take the point that the filters are a problem if disposed of irresponsibly.

To clarify, I am a second-hand smoke agnostic when it comes to the wide, open spaces. It's a stupid idea but as an alternative to a stop breathing directive, I guess it's all they've got.

There's no "if" regarding the irresponsible disposal of cigarette butts.