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25
THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Saturday 3 May 2025
Experts Urge Thailand to Scrap Tiered Cigarette Tax File photo for reference only A storm is brewing over Thailand's tiered tax system on cigarettes, with sharp criticism from influential academics who want a shift to a single tax rate. Full story: https://aseannow.com/topic/1359617-experts-urge-thailand-to-scrap-tiered-cigarette-tax/ -
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Report Koh Phangan Cracks Down on Beach Nudity, Warns Tourists of Visa Revocation
Me thinks that nudity is the smaller problem on the list of activities on said island .... just saying -
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Economy Experts Urge Thailand to Scrap Tiered Cigarette Tax
File photo for reference only A storm is brewing over Thailand's tiered tax system on cigarettes, with sharp criticism from influential academics who want a shift to a single tax rate. The current system, they argue, hasn't stopped illegal cigarette trade, boosted government income, or curbed smoking rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already recommended moving to a uniform tax structure, but the government has been slow to act. The present system applies a two-tier approach to taxation: a 25% tax for cigarette packs costing up to 72 baht and 42% for those priced above. All packs are also subjected to a further charge of 1.25 baht per cigarette, slapping an extra 25 baht tax on each pack of 20. Yet, Dr Roengrudee Patanavanich from Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine highlights a worrying trend. Revenue from cigarette taxes dropped from 64.2 billion baht in 2021 to just 51.24 billion baht last year, hitting a 15-year low. Before the tiered system was enacted in 2017, a single tax rate saw revenue climbing significantly from 13.6 billion baht in 1990 to a remarkable 68.6 billion in 2017. During this period, smoking rates in the country plunged from 31% to 19.1%. With the introduction of the two-tiered system, not only have smoking rates barely budged, but the Finance Ministry's target of collecting 60 billion baht annually from cigarette taxes has remained out of reach. Backing the shift to a single tax rate, the WHO has presented evidence suggesting a uniform 40% tax rate and a 1.25 baht levy per cigarette. This advice aims to sidestep the tiered rates' perceived failings, which some believe inadvertently favour foreign tobacco giants over local players. Dr Roengrudee concurs, stating that lower prices from tiered taxes merely tempt consumers towards cheaper options. Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, leader of the Action on Smoking and Health Foundation, strongly opposes the Tobacco Authority of Thailand’s (TAOT) proposal to introduce a three-tiered tax system. Calling it a backward move, Dr Prakit argues it could mirror prices of untaxed, illicit products, inviting cheaper imports that compete directly with domestic brands. He stresses that to tackle tax evasion effectively, bolstering control over illegal cigarettes is essential rather than slicing taxes or expanding the tier system. In his view, more affordable cigarettes only serve to incentivise smoking—a consequence neither the government nor the health sector can afford. The debate on cigarette taxes remains a hot potato. As the nation grapples with balancing public health and fiscal gains, the future of Thailand's tax framework hangs in the balance. Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-05-03 -
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Report Pattaya Officials Crack Down on Sidewalk Encroachments
Announce that as of Monday, 12 May 2025 anything standing around on public pavements will be removed and destroyed. Trust me, works wonders; they managed on Nakluea road and maybe it is time to boot the backsides of the officials in charge of "cracking down". There might be a conflict of interest though as the same crackers in charge of ensuring that everybody adheres to the laws and rules ...... went/go around for some contributions to unknown destinations. Quite simple, all those laws and regulations serve the sole purpose of lining pockets of those in charge of enforcement. Never came across another nation where literally any instruction is carefully read for the (always existing) possibility to bend it .... or ignore it completely. When caught with the fingers in the cookie jar, a "sorry, I did not know" followed by a little tip usually fixes (almost) all problems. The higher up the culprit or the mistake; the better the tipping gets 😉 -
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Reform wins by-election by just six votes, Conservative council vote collapses
Reform now have some work to do, no longer simply on the side-lines throwing stones, they have 10 councils to run, budgets to manage, resource allocations to juggle, voters to keep happy. Let's see how they do. -
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Thailand is done.
foreigners complaining about too many foreigners here, and want to stop the influx or send them back ... Guess this is the one instance in which they are both 'the problem & the solution'. Just leave, as you don't like anything about TH anyway ...
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