Cost Of Smoking In Bangkok

[PREM-R]

Last week I was in Bangkok with a friend who was visiting from UK. As we walked from the Emporium down Sukhumvit towards soi 22 my friend discarded a cigarette butt on the pavement outside Benjasiri park. We continued on and as we passed the Pizza Co. a brown suit on a mountain bike cut across out path. My friend was hauled back to the park and forms bearing the Garuda symbol were produced, a sheet of "offences" (including thowing cigarette butts on the floor) writen in both English and Thai was shown and my friend asked to pay 2,000 baht. As usual, after negotiation the forms were disgarded and a "reduced fine" of 200 baht was paid by my friend and we went on our way.

Anyone else fallen foul of this on Sukhumvit or elsewhere in BKK?

[Prudent_rabbit]

About 18 months ago, there was a lot of this, very effective around the bottom of BTS stations, seemed to have quietened down a bit, but coming back...never can keep a good scam down

[Rinrada]

We are having the vote today in the Big House to ban "fume"completely,but believe that there will be an area reserved at the end of the main runway at Heathrow Airport for any leftover addicts..time moves on......

[daleyboy]

Yep, got had same place, same mountain bike, same price

Dont care now though as i have given up smoking

[Pattayatony]

They are always around Pratunam clothing market trying to catch the odd crim. I had one follow me one day but I put the butt into an empty water bottle then when he came running up with book in hand I showed him the bottle and we both had a good laugh. If they see a farlang smoking in the street they will follow hoping for some tea money. TIT

[Joey Boy]

There ususally on the prowl in the Pratunam/WTC area aswell

[Maestro]

…discarded a cigarette...a brown suit...produced a sheet of "offences" (including thowing cigarette butts on the floor) writen in both English and Thai...asked to pay 2,000 baht...

I wonder if that list of fines is official. I can understand that there should be a fine for littering (although I believe it is hardly ever enforced) but whatever fine is on the book would obviously apply equally to all and 2,000 Baht seems rather stiff for a labourer on a daily minimum wage of 233 Baht or whatever it is now.

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Maestro

[zzap]

It's only enforced in certain tourist areas.

2000bth is not something you could make any local cough up.

Come to think of it, not even the 200...

[daleyboy]

You see signs everywhere saying maximum fine 2000baht. I paid up when caught, i was littering and thats fair enough, everytime after that i made sure i stubbed it out on top of the bin then threw it in the bin.

Which is all very well until te day someone doesnt quite fully extinguish their smoke and woumph(not a real word) up goes the bin

[Maestro]

You see signs everywhere saying maximum fine 2000baht.

It would seem official, then. Lots of laws do not specify a fixed amount for a fine, but a maximum. The perpetrator can then be fined based on his perceived ability to pay, and if you insist on a receipt the case may have to go to court for a judge to determine the amount applicable in your particular case. Or does the police have that authority, I wonder?

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Maestro

[Rj 81]

Yep, me and my mate got done near the Queens Park near Emporium, we didn't fill out the forms just payed 1000 baht each

[Mighty Mouse]

The fines for stomping out your cigarette on the pavement have been in force for years in Bangkok, and so they should be.

If you smokers could see the damage these butts cause to the environment when they wash into the gutter system and then into the water ways, you may be more careful where you dispose your rubbish.

In Australia, many local councils have now banned smoking on their beaches because of the millions of butts that litter the sand.

Obviously, I'm a non-smoker. Kiss the difference.

[retirednavyman]

The fines for stomping out your cigarette on the pavement have been in force for years in Bangkok, and so they should be.

If you smokers could see the damage these butts cause to the environment when they wash into the gutter system and then into the water ways, you may be more careful where you dispose your rubbish.

In Australia, many local councils have now banned smoking on their beaches because of the millions of butts that litter the sand.

Obviously, I'm a non-smoker. Kiss the difference.

Point well taken. In Singapore the local police will fine people on the spot for tossing cigarette butts, chewing gum, etc. No reason why it shouldn't be enforced in Bangkok as well

[lomatopo]

Many civilized countries have rules, laws or ordinances, and associated fines, prohibiting littering. Hard to figure why people, especially visitors, feel like it's OK to throw their trash anywhere they like?

[daveb1]

Good point but my partner got clobered with a fine near the wtc i noticed that they had removed all the bins and ashtrays from around the stairs! very cleaver little money earner!!!!

[Rinrada]

Now that the UK has gone smoke free in all pubs restaurants etc.... owners will be fined £2,500.00..(175,000 bt) if anyone is reported "on the weed" in the joint and we are now looking at restrictions in ALL public spaces so think yerself lucky in Bangers if you only get done a measly 2k Bt.for dropping your fag butt.

Now government is looking at football matches,train stations ,bus stops etc and theres even a proposal to ban it in private cars (if carrying passengers....£200 fine..on the spot..(Bt 15K)

Families with young children might also be forbidden to "fume"in their own home if reported and considered harmfull to the welfare of their kids..... makes sense really .....protect the innocent... yeah..

[opothai]

Now that the UK has gone smoke free in all pubs restaurants etc.... owners will be fined £2,500.00..(175,000 bt) if anyone is reported "on the weed" in the joint and we are now looking at restrictions in ALL public spaces so think yerself lucky in Bangers if you only get done a measly 2k Bt.for dropping your fag butt.

Now government is looking at football matches,train stations ,bus stops etc and theres even a proposal to ban it in private cars (if carrying passengers....£200 fine..on the spot..(Bt 15K)

Families with young children might also be forbidden to "fume"in their own home if reported and considered harmfull to the welfare of their kids..... makes sense really .....protect the innocent... yeah..

does prohibition work

new buisiness opportunity 'joe's smoke easy'

fined going into chatachuk market 1000bht or pick up 200 butts

when we came back out the bib were all drinking singha behind a glass wall

[raro]

if you think that 2000 Baht for littering is harsh, than try that in Singapore...

IMHO littering deserves being punished as it is not too much asking throwing your garbage in an official garbage can.

The most remarkable littering I ever saw was a Singaporian bible thumper who held jesus-loves-you speeches in the airport bus while sucking on a coke in a plastic bag. When the bus stopped at the Highway entrance and the ticket controller girl stepped into the bus, he threw the plastic bag out of the door, just missing the girl's head. I was left speechless...

[penzman]

To the boys in brown, a farang smoking a cigarette sure beats the odds on a lottery ticket.

[Maestro]

Now that the UK has gone smoke free in all pubs restaurants etc.... owners will be fined £2,500.00..(175,000 bt) if anyone is reported "on the weed" in the joint

So every landlord is now a law enforcement agent, but I guess he won’t have the right to shoot a recalcitrant guest who refuses to extinguish his cigarette when invited to do so, but instead he will have to call the cops.

I see a lot of additional work for the police.

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Maestro

[OldAsiaHand]

In Thailand, some folks would call this a business opportunity....

[gburns57au]

An old friends wife about 10 years ago was done for dropping her ciggie in the gutter at Saphan Khwai.....she was in her sixties too....2000 baht fine....paid at the police station and a receipt issued.

I usually flick the tip off and hang onto the butt till I can find a bin.....if not I put it in a pocket and discard it in a bin later. This is useful as you still have the evidence in your possession.

[Rinrada]

Now that the UK has gone smoke free in all pubs restaurants etc.... owners will be fined £2,500.00..(175,000 bt) if anyone is reported "on the weed" in the joint

So every landlord is now a law enforcement agent, but I guess he won’t have the right to shoot a recalcitrant guest who refuses to extinguish his cigarette when invited to do so, but instead he will have to call the cops.

I see a lot of additional work for the police.

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Maestro

No dont think so .....it will be the law of the land and of course over here everyone obeys it...

[Lars]

One way to solve the problem of littering would seem to be putting out more ashtrays and garbage bins, but then again, it would decrease MIB's salaries...

[leisurely]

I got done outside the park a coupleof weeks ago. Showed my Thai driving licence and paid 1000 baht and got a receipt. Bizarrely the officer made me read a sheet of stats that suggested that cigarette ends were responsible (soley) for the flooding on Sukhumwit road! I also had to promise him I would not do it again. I won't either

[~G~]

Last week I was in Bangkok with a friend who was visiting from UK. As we walked from the Emporium down Sukhumvit towards soi 22 my friend discarded a cigarette butt on the pavement outside Benjasiri park. We continued on and as we passed the Pizza Co. a brown suit on a mountain bike cut across out path. My friend was hauled back to the park and forms bearing the Garuda symbol were produced, a sheet of "offences" (including thowing cigarette butts on the floor) writen in both English and Thai was shown and my friend asked to pay 2,000 baht. As usual, after negotiation the forms were disgarded and a "reduced fine" of 200 baht was paid by my friend and we went on our way.

Anyone else fallen foul of this on Sukhumvit or elsewhere in BKK?

Good to see that they're doing something right, except reducing the fine, which is wrong. I would have fined you 20,000 baht and have you do 200 hours of public service cleaning the streets.

[jdinasia]

brilliant response ~G~ (NOT)

[frond]

Cops around Siam Square are notorious for this as well. They've also removed all waste cans and ashtrays in order to make nabbing people easier. The scam is just as bad as tuk tuks taking tourists to gem shops and tailors. 2000 baht is waaayyy to much money, but at least it's negotiable.

[PREM-R]

Last week I was in Bangkok with a friend who was visiting from UK. As we walked from the Emporium down Sukhumvit towards soi 22 my friend discarded a cigarette butt on the pavement outside Benjasiri park. We continued on and as we passed the Pizza Co. a brown suit on a mountain bike cut across out path. My friend was hauled back to the park and forms bearing the Garuda symbol were produced, a sheet of "offences" (including thowing cigarette butts on the floor) writen in both English and Thai was shown and my friend asked to pay 2,000 baht. As usual, after negotiation the forms were disgarded and a "reduced fine" of 200 baht was paid by my friend and we went on our way.

Anyone else fallen foul of this on Sukhumvit or elsewhere in BKK?

Good to see that they're doing something right, except reducing the fine, which is wrong. I would have fined you 20,000 baht and have you do 200 hours of public service cleaning the streets.

For your information I do not smoke, it was the visitor from UK who discarded the cig butt.

I notice from your 'stats' that 55% of your posts are in the "Jobs, economy, banking, business, investment in Thailand" section. If I were a 'cockney' I might suggest that you are a "Merchant Banker"

Edited February 24, 2006 by PREM-R

[polecat]

I got done a couple of years back on the National Stadium-Siam Center walkway. Caught completely unawares, it took me a while to work out what I had done wrong. When it got to the money part (and raggedy, laminated list of offences) I-rather cleverly-feigned poverty. I pulled out the collection of coins in my pocket and said that was all I had. I handed over a load of 1b & 5b coins (30-oddb in total I think) and said I needed 30b for my BTS fare. The buggers kept all the change and sent me on my way. At the bottom of the stairs, I checked my back pocket to make sure 7,000b in notes had not been nicked and grinned.

I too am an adherent of the shaking off the bud and keeping the butt when downtown, although elsewhere I chuck that butt on the ground. It gives a wonderful sense of liberty to smoke a cig and hurl the butt - even more fun if you flick it like tossing a coin - I'd rather plough through a pavement of fag butts than a pavement of dog poo.

Flicking the butt is part of the pleasure of smoking.