Smoking In The Park

[The Dude]

1000 baht is nothing, just pay the fine and be done with it

[bendix]

I'm struggling to undertand the OP's objections. He's in a park where there are signs saying 2000 baht for smoking, and he's complaining when the police come to enforce that law? He should be jumping up and down for getting away with only half the fine, irrespective of whether it went into the cop's back pocket or the public coffers.

No good blaming someone else for getting fined for breaking a law when, by your own admission, there were signs about it.

[RDN]

Exactly. If I were smoking a pipe there wouldn't be any 'littering' problems. As all that goes in and comes out of my pipe is natural products... Is That illegal in the parks too?

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yes

[Nordlys]

I'm struggling to undertand the OP's objections.  He's in a park where there are signs saying 2000 baht for smoking, and he's complaining when the police come to enforce that law? He should be jumping up and down for getting away with only half the fine, irrespective of whether it went into the cop's back pocket or the public coffers.

No good blaming someone else for getting fined for breaking a law when, by your own admission, there were signs about it.

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Exactly. Couldn't agree more.

[Rinrada]

1000 baht is nothing, just pay the fine and be done with it

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1000 baht a FAG...soon get the idea

[penzman]

If you don't like it, don't come to Thailand.

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Our territorial member award of the day goes to Dirk3 who posted from the Netherlands.

[Totster]

If you don't like it, don't come to Thailand.

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Our territorial member award of the day goes to Dirk3 who posted from the Netherlands.

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he he he... rumbled...

totster

[penzman]

We have a tin can worth about 100 000 baht in the car. There's about 50 cigarette butts in it.

[orish]

I'm struggling to undertand the OP's objections.  He's in a park where there are signs saying 2000 baht for smoking, and he's complaining when the police come to enforce that law? He should be jumping up and down for getting away with only half the fine, irrespective of whether it went into the cop's back pocket or the public coffers.

No good blaming someone else for getting fined for breaking a law when, by your own admission, there were signs about it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the (occasional) useful suggestions. One of the points I made is that the signs were small or obscure. I was back at Chatuchak on the weekend and I made a point of looking for any signs stating that smoking in the park was illegal.

Now that I was looking for them, I did see them. But they were tiny! As you come into the park from the MRT or BTS entrance, there are little circular signs and a tiny statement warning of a 2,000 baht fine. But coming in from the Chatuchak side, the sign was on the gate - which was obscured by a peddlar selling drinks! There is also only one No Smoking sign on the path - and not on the path we were walking on.

My point was that, if something like this is going to be made illegal, then make it obvious - especially when it is unexpected. Prohibiting smoking in the outdoors doesn't make sense. Banning spitting also doesn't make sense. Is it a health hazard, does it make a mess like dogshit, or is it simply an impolite thing to do? And is it true that you get fined for chewing gum in Singapore? I certainly didn't see any signs anywhere that prohibited this last time I was there.

Perhaps if my friend had stood her ground and made a fuss, she might have got off with a warning.

But this type of experience can only tarnish Thailand as a tourist destination. A great pity.

[expatinasia]

"Perhaps if my friend had stood her ground and made a fuss, she might have got off with a warning." Or, perhaps, a ride to jail.

[jef]

1000 baht is nothing, just pay the fine and be done with it

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For you, not for me

[Rinrada]

Prohibiting smoking in the outdoors doesn't make sense. O YES it does

Banning spitting also doesn't make sense. B]O YES it does[/b]

Is it a health hazard, does it make a mess like dogshit, or is it simply an impolite thing to do? Yes ..Twice

And is it true that you get fined for chewing gum in Singapore? and again Y..

and also jaywalking and urinating in Public/in lift cars (they got pee-pee sensors- )

I certainly didn't see any signs anywhere that prohibited this last time I was there.

Perhaps if my friend had stood her ground and made a fuss, she might have got off with a warning.......

But this type of experience can only tarnish Thailand as a tourist destination.

A great pity.

No on the contrary......would be a much nicer and more civilised place to visit.

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[thaibebop]

I'm struggling to undertand the OP's objections.  He's in a park where there are signs saying 2000 baht for smoking, and he's complaining when the police come to enforce that law? He should be jumping up and down for getting away with only half the fine, irrespective of whether it went into the cop's back pocket or the public coffers.

No good blaming someone else for getting fined for breaking a law when, by your own admission, there were signs about it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the (occasional) useful suggestions. One of the points I made is that the signs were small or obscure. I was back at Chatuchak on the weekend and I made a point of looking for any signs stating that smoking in the park was illegal.

Now that I was looking for them, I did see them. But they were tiny! As you come into the park from the MRT or BTS entrance, there are little circular signs and a tiny statement warning of a 2,000 baht fine. But coming in from the Chatuchak side, the sign was on the gate - which was obscured by a peddlar selling drinks! There is also only one No Smoking sign on the path - and not on the path we were walking on.

My point was that, if something like this is going to be made illegal, then make it obvious - especially when it is unexpected. Prohibiting smoking in the outdoors doesn't make sense. Banning spitting also doesn't make sense. Is it a health hazard, does it make a mess like dogshit, or is it simply an impolite thing to do? And is it true that you get fined for chewing gum in Singapore? I certainly didn't see any signs anywhere that prohibited this last time I was there.

Perhaps if my friend had stood her ground and made a fuss, she might have got off with a warning.

But this type of experience can only tarnish Thailand as a tourist destination. A great pity.

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No country ever makes laws clear, but you're still expected to follow 'em.

[thailien8]

A couple weeks ago I was enjoying a glass of red in the Italian restaurant on Sukhumvit toward Soi 12. The gendarmerie has a little sexagonal box on the sidewalk. The loafing cop-in-the-box detained a farang about to enter the Korean shop arcade, walked him over to the scraggly bushes on the otherwise spotless sidewalk, pointed to a ciggie butt, and then walked the guy into the box. In a show of force, he then called in two motorcycle dicks, who assisted in the detention. After about 10 minutes, the farang left, undoubtedly with a lighter wallet. The amusement came when the cop-in-the-box closed up the box a few minutes later, took a last drag on HIS cigarette, and then tossed the butt into the same bushes. I was tempted to make a citizen’s arrest, but realized just in time that I’m not a citizen here. That’s fortunate. It’s street theatre, I guess.

[thaibebop]

A couple weeks ago I was enjoying a glass of red in the Italian restaurant on Sukhumvit toward Soi 12.  The gendarmerie has a little sexagonal box on the sidewalk.  The loafing cop-in-the-box detained a farang about to enter the Korean shop arcade, walked him over to the scraggly bushes on the otherwise spotless sidewalk, pointed to a ciggie butt, and then walked the guy into the box.  In a show of force, he then called in two motorcycle dicks, who assisted in the detention.  After about 10 minutes, the farang left, undoubtedly with a lighter wallet.  The amusement came when the cop-in-the-box closed up the box a few minutes later, took a last drag on HIS cigarette, and then tossed the butt into the same bushes.  I was tempted to make a citizen’s arrest, but realized just in time that I’m not a citizen here.  That’s fortunate.  It’s street theatre, I guess.

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AAHHH! To be young white and free in the world.

[sonnyJ]

A couple weeks ago I was enjoying a glass of red in the Italian restaurant on Sukhumvit toward Soi 12.  The gendarmerie has a little sexagonal box on the sidewalk.  The loafing cop-in-the-box detained a farang about to enter the Korean shop arcade, walked him over to the scraggly bushes on the otherwise spotless sidewalk, pointed to a ciggie butt, and then walked the guy into the box.  In a show of force, he then called in two motorcycle dicks, who assisted in the detention.  After about 10 minutes, the farang left, undoubtedly with a lighter wallet.  The amusement came when the cop-in-the-box closed up the box a few minutes later, took a last drag on HIS cigarette, and then tossed the butt into the same bushes.  I was tempted to make a citizen’s arrest, but realized just in time that I’m not a citizen here.  That’s fortunate.  It’s street theatre, I guess.

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This is just life in Thailand, even a Thai person would've tossed cigarette in the bush. The cop wouldn't had propably botherd to move his ass. Come on that's what everyone does. It's not a law it's business.