Bangkok's Chatuchak Market Becomes Non Smoking Zone

[webfact]

Non smoking policy to be effective in Chatuchak market from Oct 1

BANGKOK (NNT) -- Strict non smoking policy will be effective in Chatuchak Weekend Market from 1 October, along with the policy to ban alcoholic beverage sales in the market.

According to Chatuchak Market Director Arun Sricharoon, smoking will be restricted in Chatuchak Market from 1 October 2010 onward, in line with the Protection of Non-Smokers’ Health Act, B.E. 2553 (2010). Offenders will have to pay a maximum fine of 2,000 THB. Meanwhile, state authorities and municipal officials will help detect illegal sale of alcoholic beverage in the market.

Chatuchak Market officials were tasked to promote non-smoking campaign to visitors and stall operators throughout September by handing out flyers, posting campaign posters around the market as well as making public service announcement.

Chatuchak Weekend Market, known by locals as JJ Market, is one of the world’s largest outdoor markets, featuring up to 15,000 stalls, with more than 200,000 visitor arrivals each day.

-- NNT 2010-09-21

[hayden5650]

Oh hel_l no.

Drop the attempts at political correctness Thailand. It doesn't suit you.

I'll respect this smoking ban about as much as I respect any smoking ban.

[tomyummer]

'Smoking' as in the grilled pork, salted catfish and northern sausages food stalls, obviously. What a bummer.

[Thai at Heart]

Smoking aside, since when is it illegal to sell a beer in a market?

If anyone thinks it is a smart thing to smoke a cigarette whilst under plastic tarpaulin, surrounded by 1000 mt of counterfeit football shirts, with a maze as your escape route you need your head read.

Of course, whilst they are busy "detecting" the dastardly smokers, I wonder if they will bother to notice the plethora of counterfeit clothing for sale in the place. I wish the BIB a happy and prosperous donation collection over the next few weeks.

[rubl]

I haven't been in Chatuchak market for at least seven years I think. Remember the place as too crowded, too hot. Certainly not a place where you can easily light-up and enjoy your fag (I don't smoke anyway). A smoking ban sound like some people have nothing else to do.

The place looked like a deathtrap at times. Cooking gas cylinders everywhere. Any charcoal fire accident would have killed hundreds I think. To put some regulation on that seems much more worthwhile. Achievable ? No hot food in a market in Thailand ? Keep dreaming ?

[Hawkup2000]

Before any one say anything; I pressed the green thingy by mistake.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Hawkup2000

[givenall]

I guess this is one more way to make money from unsuspecting Frangs who smoke. The Thai will not pay the fine since they really don’t have the money anyways

[Renbe]

Another step in the right direction. Smoking should be banned from all public places, it is a filthy and disgusting habbit

[HerbalEd]

Smoking aside, since when is it illegal to sell a beer in a market?

As of Oct. 1, 2010.

[asiawatcher]

Here we go again...

"Offenders will have to pay a maximum fine of 2,000 THB."

If that is the maxiumum, what is the minimum?

Same crap that happened in Sukhumvit - and the Police herded Farang in by the hundreds and not a single Thai was charged. And you can bet yo ass boy, the 2,000 baht at Sukhumvit never hit consolidated revenue banks!

There are a lot less smokers around these days but anywhere Farang can be, and become a target, gets some stupid rule levied against them simply for money making ventures. Why not Prathunam? There are hundreds of Thai's there smoking intermingled with Farang - so go collect boys!

[Thai at Heart]

Smoking aside, since when is it illegal to sell a beer in a market?

As of Oct. 1, 2010.

So for example are you telling me that Anusorn market in Chiangmai which contains dozens of restaurants and bars won't be allowed to serve beer? Every wet market with a fish restaurant attached to it in Bangkok won't be allowed to serve beer in the restaurant?

Is selling alcohol illegal in a market in Thailand as of Oct 1st? I don't remember reading this one anywhere. I presume they mean unlicensed sale.

[sirchai]

Oh hel_l no.

Drop the attempts at political correctness Thailand. It doesn't suit you.

I'll respect this smoking ban about as much as I respect any smoking ban.

Offenders will have to pay a maximum fine of 2,000 THB.

Huaah Huuah.Guess farlang will have to pay song pann, khon thai soon or nit noi......song baht?

[nisakiman]

The march of the zealots continues.....

[Renbe]

The march of the zealots continues.....

Zealots my cute little hiney, it is about time that this filthy habit is banned from public space. If you want to poison the place, do it in your own house...

Any farang that is so stupid to smoke, deserves to be fined the max amount

[nisakiman]

The march of the zealots continues.....

Zealots my cute little hiney, it is about time that this filthy habit is banned from public space. If you want to poison the place, do it in your own house...

Any farang that is so stupid to smoke, deserves to be fined the max amount

I rest my case.

[Soi Sauce]

The march of the zealots continues.....

Zealots my cute little hiney, it is about time that this filthy habit is banned from public space. If you want to poison the place, do it in your own house...

Any farang that is so stupid to smoke, deserves to be fined the max amount

And I bet you drive a car. Haven't you noticed they stink and maybe you ain't heard they kill millions every year.

Rumor has it they also contribute to global warming, but the self-righteous drivers feel free to slag off smokers. Why?

Pots, kettles, and black springs to mind.

[crusader79]

About time, that place is a deathtrap, even with the smoking ban it has all the makings of Santika II.

[Frenchtouch]

Smoking aside, since when is it illegal to sell a beer in a market?

If anyone thinks it is a smart thing to smoke a cigarette whilst under plastic tarpaulin, surrounded by 1000 mt of counterfeit football shirts, with a maze as your escape route you need your head read.

Of course, whilst they are busy "detecting" the dastardly smokers, I wonder if they will bother to notice the plethora of counterfeit clothing for sale in the place. I wish the BIB a happy and prosperous donation collection over the next few weeks.

What about the hundreds of animals classified as endangered species (turtles, birds, monkeys, mammals) smuggled and sold at WE market every weekend? I have never seen any police control in that part of the market as if everything was legal there!

[whybother]

Smoking aside, since when is it illegal to sell a beer in a market?

As of Oct. 1, 2010.

The smoking law is from about June (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/381191-public-spots-in-thailand-go-smoke-free/).

I don't where they got the alcohol ban from, but it is only talking about Chatuchuk market, not all markets.

[canopy]

What is the purpose of banning alcohol there? I would think it would make for more business not just in alcohol sales but loosening wallets. Consider Las Vegas goes to the extent of giving out alcohol for free.

[shaunoro]

Ah the nicotine NAZIS are alive.

[bkkjames]

Yep, after wandering around the swealtering mess that is JJ, it's always nice to sit down somewhere for a cold beer and contemplate where your wallet went.

[blanco]

Ah the nicotine NAZIS are alive.

What an idiotic comment.

[edgarfriendly]

FOREIGN 'offenders' will be charged 2000 baht.

LOCAL smokers wont notice this 'ban'

smokers stink, but the greed is pretty stinkin too.

ef

[chmiroau]

Oh hel_l no.

Drop the attempts at political correctness Thailand. It doesn't suit you.

I'll respect this smoking ban about as much as I respect any smoking ban.

You selfish bastard. I remember the time when one of your kind was in the crowded, hot market that is JJ, and when my wife walked past she happened to brush past one of your stinking smoker friends, burning not just a hole in her dress, but also her leg. The perp that did this, well all he could do was walk away.

Its not just the extra added unpleasant smell that smoking adds to the mix, it is the danger of someone getting burned, or their clothes being damaged. Please dont let the fact that there are children there too, and guess what, their eyes are somewhat in the line of fire too (pun intended), to receive a cigarette to the eyes or face.

So if any one of you smokers is so callous to believe that you have a right to smoke in such a confined area as JJ, and that you have the right to wave a smoldering pseudo weapon around in such a place, then you had better not run into me!!!!!!!

The smoking ban in JJ should be reinforced with more than a 2000b fine, but for the damages that a smoker causes to another when contact is made with the cigarette itself.

[PEP]

Ban Smoking! HA-De--HA-HA! What a laugh. :lol:

[chmiroau]

The march of the zealots continues.....

Zealots my cute little hiney, it is about time that this filthy habit is banned from public space. If you want to poison the place, do it in your own house...

Any farang that is so stupid to smoke, deserves to be fined the max amount

And I bet you drive a car. Haven't you noticed they stink and maybe you ain't heard they kill millions every year.

Rumor has it they also contribute to global warming, but the self-righteous drivers feel free to slag off smokers. Why?

Pots, kettles, and black springs to mind.

Where the hel_l do you smokers get off. What you are doing is well proven to be against the best interests of your health, and yet you seem to have this belief that if you are doing it to yourselves, you have the right to do it to those that dont want to smoke.

You want respect huh?????? Well how about this,,,,,,. The people that dont want your second hand smoke will always respect that you want to smoke, and will often leave you alone to do it.

How about as smokers you start respecting the fact that this is unpleasant to many people, and so long as you continue to disrespect them, they will disrespect you, argument continues,,,,,,,.

Start respecting the fact that not all people want to smoke, and that when you smoke, all the people around you have to breath your second hand smoke. Move away from them and the problem ends, no more argument, period.

This is what they are trying to do at JJ, I am hoping that they are doing the right thing and providing areas where you can smoke in peace and enjoyment as you so rightly deserve, but please dont force your smoke on those that don't want to smoke.

[GarryP]

As a former smoker, I do not see what the problem is. I always respected no smoking zones and would not consider smoking in a market. I would walk out of the market area to a place where there are fewer people before lighting up. That is, unless I had had a few beers, in which case common sense went out of the window, but they've got a fix for that too.

[asiawatcher]

There is no doubt smoking is an anti social habit. It pollutes, smells on the skin of all who undertake it and it causes a huge drain on finances in medical markets for those on social security and health insurances. The public at large pas for the billions a year in medical losses trying to treat these people when it is time for them to check out. Smokers are generally unaware of their environment, the discomfort of others and neither care nor wish to alter the situation.

The sooner cancer kicks in, the pain the suffering that goes with cancer, and the final journey up the Thai chimney to join their friends, the better. Ban them? - who cares. Sooner they all die the better we are off. The only things that pisses me off is the tobacco companies and the addictive substances added to pure tobacco. And yes I was a smoker (heavy) so have been there done that - but the journey up the chimney will have to wait now.

[jbrewer]

The more non-smoking areas the better!