Thai Health officials to call for higher tobacco tax

[webfact]

Department of Disease Control to hold campaign 'Raise taxes on tobacco'



BANGKOK, 29 May 2014 (NNT) – The Department of Disease is set to launch a campaign “Raise Taxes on Tobacco” to mark World No Tobacco Day on May 31, to urge relevant agencies to review the tax imposition on tobacco.

The campaign aims to disseminate knowledge on tobacco through variety entertainment, as well as offer consultations for anyone who wishes to quit smoking, said the Department director Sopon Mekthon.

According to international research, increasing tax rates is the most effective measure to reduce smoking, as an increase of 10% in tax can lower the number of smokers by 4% in developed countries, while going as high as 8% in developing countries.

The campaign event, taking place from 11:00 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. at Future Park Rangsit Shopping Mall, will be presided by Her Royal Highness Princess Soamsawali.

Those who are interested in quitting smoking but who cannot attend the event, may contact 1600, the National Quit Smoking Service Center or over 200 quit smoking centers in hospitals nationwide, operating under the Ministry of Public Health.


-- NNT 2014-05-29

[neverdie]

Great Idea, they must have finally read my letters.

What a great way to raise revenue. It would be good if they could use the extra funds raised by a tax increase to support Thai people with disabilities. Turning something bad into something good.

I wonder how many smokers will follow the suggestion on the green sign held by the guy ???

I'll take cover now while the filthy smokers enter the room and throw rocks at me.

[gemini81]

Frickin h*ll its already something ludicrous like 74 percent, not counting customs duties! Make everyone pay personal income tax like most places, instead of merely 8 million of the population.

[transam]

Great Idea, they must have finally read my letters.

What a great way to raise revenue. It would be good if they could use the extra funds raised by a tax increase to support Thai people with disabilities. Turning something bad into something good.

I'll take cover now while the filthy smokers enter the room and throw rocks at me.

I never smoke in a room...........Only in the garden, thats where I keep the rocks anthoooooooooooo............

[neverdie]

Frickin h*ll its already something ludicrous like 74 percent, not counting customs duties! Make everyone pay personal income tax like most places, instead of merely 8 million of the population.

Personal income tax in Thailand is already quite high, THANKYOU very much. Obviously, you don't pay any, or little amounts. You may be thinking about the tax free threshold of 150,000 baht, which is quite low compared to some developed countries.

By taxing smokers heavily you are raising revenue and also helping to motivate people to give it away. It's a win/win situation. Don't want to pay the extra tax? Kick the filthy anti social habit. Easy really

[transam]

Frickin h*ll its already something ludicrous like 74 percent, not counting customs duties! Make everyone pay personal income tax like most places, instead of merely 8 million of the population.

Personal income tax in Thailand is already quite high, THANKYOU very much. Obviously, you don't pay any, or little amounts. You may be thinking about the tax free threshold of 150,000 baht, which is quite low compared to some developed countries.

By taxing smokers heavily you are raising revenue and also helping to motivate people to give it away. It's a win/win situation. Don't want to pay the extra tax? Kick the filthy anti social habit. Easy really

There is nooooooooooo way I am going to give up my truck even though the stuff it chucks out the back is anti social...

[neverdie]

Great Idea, they must have finally read my letters.

What a great way to raise revenue. It would be good if they could use the extra funds raised by a tax increase to support Thai people with disabilities. Turning something bad into something good.

I'll take cover now while the filthy smokers enter the room and throw rocks at me.

I never smoke in a room...........Only in the garden, thats where I keep the rocks anthoooooooooooo............

See you out there. Can I bring my gun

[neverdie]

Frickin h*ll its already something ludicrous like 74 percent, not counting customs duties! Make everyone pay personal income tax like most places, instead of merely 8 million of the population.

Personal income tax in Thailand is already quite high, THANKYOU very much. Obviously, you don't pay any, or little amounts. You may be thinking about the tax free threshold of 150,000 baht, which is quite low compared to some developed countries.

By taxing smokers heavily you are raising revenue and also helping to motivate people to give it away. It's a win/win situation. Don't want to pay the extra tax? Kick the filthy anti social habit. Easy really

There is nooooooooooo way I am going to give up my truck even though the stuff it chucks out the back is anti social...

No different tax Tranny. We will raise the price of juice to get you out of that rattly old piece of junk

[daveAustin]

Forget about taxes on tobacco, that won't do squat but remove more baht from the poor man's pocket. What everyone with any sort of power in this country should be doing is figuring out a way to prevent some of the 24000 people killed on Thai roads every year, getting killed. TEACH PEOPLE TO DRIVE!

[sean in udon]

There is nooooooooooo way I am going to give up my truck even though the stuff it chucks out the back is anti social...

There is a difference between the antisocial stuff coming out of your truck and the antisocial stuff coming from your cigarettes.

Your truck serves a purpose. It's a tool, that has an unfortunate waste product.

I presume you don't wake up in the morning gasping to jump into your truck and rev the engine?

I've been to many restaurants in my time, but never had some ignorant a**hole start up his truck at the next table and have the fumes blown all over my food.

Imo it's a filthy antisocial habit, but if you want to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home (or garden) I'm happy to live and let live.

Unfortunately for you, governments the world over see smokers as an easy target, so don't be too surprised when the tax goes up & up. Hidden of course, very subtlely behind the subterfuge of 'we're concerned about your health and well being'.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Pib]

Tax...spend...socialism...the beat goes on.

[sean in udon]

Forget about taxes on tobacco, that won't do squat but remove more baht from the poor man's pocket. What everyone with any sort of power in this country should be doing is figuring out a way to prevent some of the 24000 people killed on Thai roads every year, getting killed. TEACH PEOPLE TO DRIVE!

There might be a couple of smoking related deaths if certain posters on this thread have the mishap of finding themselves in either transam's or neverdie's garden

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[bigbamboo]

Of course you can always make something so expensive that people might give it up..... I sometimes wonder if that is Thailand's policy on imported wine. And there is talk in some countries of doing this with cigarettes. I wonder where those people who can't afford their habit are going to go looking for the cash as I just can't see them saying 'Oh dear, smoking is so expensive now I think I'll just give up straight away and maybe become a monk'.

Smoking is risky for you but so is alcoholic overindulgence, fast food and buying a ticket for a Thai bus. So why not make those prohibitively expensive as well.

[transam]

There is nooooooooooo way I am going to give up my truck even though the stuff it chucks out the back is anti social...

There is a difference between the antisocial stuff coming out of your truck and the antisocial stuff coming from your cigarettes.

Your truck serves a purpose. It's a tool, that has an unfortunate waste product.

I presume you don't wake up in the morning gasping to jump into your truck and rev the engine?

I've been to many restaurants in my time, but never had some ignorant a**hole start up his truck at the next table and have the fumes blown all over my food.

Imo it's a filthy antisocial habit, but if you want to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home (or garden) I'm happy to live and let live.

Unfortunately for you, governments the world over see smokers as an easy target, so don't be too surprised when the tax goes up & up. Hidden of course, very subtlely behind the subterfuge of 'we're concerned about your health and well being'.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

There is nooooooooooo difference between my fag and my truck. The west has put heavy taxes on fuel to deter folk from driving cos of the by-product. In London I was on a lung puffer for years until l came to LOS and I never smoked.

Within a few months of moving to LOS I was off the puffer and now enjoy a ciggy......Why is that...?

PS. I would not dream of smoking in a bar etc unless it was allowed and FOLK knew it was allowed in that venue....

[citizen33]

At the moment a small percentage of tobacco and alcohol taxes is treated as a ring-fenced 'sin tax' that supports the Thai Health Promotion Fund..

[Benmart]

Great Idea, they must have finally read my letters.

What a great way to raise revenue. It would be good if they could use the extra funds raised by a tax increase to support Thai people with disabilities. Turning something bad into something good.

I wonder how many smokers will follow the suggestion on the green sign held by the guy ???

I'll take cover now while the filthy smokers enter the room and throw rocks at me.

I like your post. I would have left out the "filthy" part.

I'll only throw flowers at this point. LOL.

[Benmart]

There is nooooooooooo way I am going to give up my truck even though the stuff it chucks out the back is anti social...

There is a difference between the antisocial stuff coming out of your truck and the antisocial stuff coming from your cigarettes.

Your truck serves a purpose. It's a tool, that has an unfortunate waste product.

I presume you don't wake up in the morning gasping to jump into your truck and rev the engine?

I've been to many restaurants in my time, but never had some ignorant a**hole start up his truck at the next table and have the fumes blown all over my food.

Imo it's a filthy antisocial habit, but if you want to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home (or garden) I'm happy to live and let live.

Unfortunately for you, governments the world over see smokers as an easy target, so don't be too surprised when the tax goes up & up. Hidden of course, very subtlely behind the subterfuge of 'we're concerned about your health and well being'.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Nice post. I would have left out the "filthy" and "a**hole" bits.

I've learned that there plenty of alternative words that express a point without generating ill feelings. Some alternatives are as follows. Some are for speech, so one could omit using them.

arrogant

mean-spirited

hateful

rude

self-centered/self-absorbed

condescending

inconsiderate

intolerant

self-promoting (especially at the expense of others)

stingy

greedy

argumentative

hurtful

abrupt, forward, or tactless in speech

Easy Does It

[newermonkey]

I beleive heroin is very expensive but that wont stop the adicts, the only outcome will be an increase in crime when the tobacco junkies cant earn enough money for the adiction they will simply turn to crime to support the cravings.

Simplest way is to ban tobacco completely dont produce it dont import it dont allow it. also show tobacco junkies in ads on tv to put people off.

[neverdie]

Great Idea, they must have finally read my letters.

What a great way to raise revenue. It would be good if they could use the extra funds raised by a tax increase to support Thai people with disabilities. Turning something bad into something good.

I wonder how many smokers will follow the suggestion on the green sign held by the guy ???

I'll take cover now while the filthy smokers enter the room and throw rocks at me.

I like your post. I would have left out the "filthy" part.

I'll only throw flowers at this point. LOL.

You are very pleasant. Bit soft around the edges. I'll get a bit of mongrel into ya

[chainarong]

Looks like they are taking a leaf out of One Term Tony's book in Australia , Tax the bar!!ds till it hurts, then try thumb screws and don't forget the liquor tax, may as well hit the whole shebang.

[Benmart]

Great Idea, they must have finally read my letters.

What a great way to raise revenue. It would be good if they could use the extra funds raised by a tax increase to support Thai people with disabilities. Turning something bad into something good.

I wonder how many smokers will follow the suggestion on the green sign held by the guy ???

I'll take cover now while the filthy smokers enter the room and throw rocks at me.

I like your post. I would have left out the "filthy" part.

I'll only throw flowers at this point. LOL.

You are very pleasant. Bit soft around the edges. I'll get a bit of mongrel into ya

LOL. I was a mongrel after 20 years in the Army and a stint as a cop. The older I have gotten, the more tolerant I've become.

I prefer the softer, gentler approach these days. If I feel the need to bite someone, I turn my backside to them. I've not been bitten yet. LOL.

[Don Aleman]

Great idea as no way to tax the obese for their even higher health care costs !

[rodknock]

a pack of marlboro in n.y. city is $10.80u.s.

[notmyself]

The most effective way would be to ban smoking or put the price up to 2000 Baht a pack but they will not do that because it generates too much revenue. Any increase has NOTHING to do with their desire to reduce smoking at all.

[chotthee]

If it is no good, why not just ban them like prostitution, gambling, opium, etc.

[Chill1]

If they were really serious about health, why make e-cigs illegal, why put MSG in everything, why not have better drivers licence testing, why let people burn rubbish 24/7, etc etc.

just another group taking the easy road of "moral high ground". With that type of thinking they should suggest Taxing the bejesus out of petrol, cars and buses so we can reduce road accidents?

[stevenrossvanduyn]

Cigarettes are far to cheap here so putting higher taxes only increases revenue which can be used for the sick idiots in hosiptal who are sick due to there fag habbit. If you look at New Zealand they are heavly taxed on cigarettes which has decreased smoking in the population and there are far fewer people in hospital due to smoking related illness.

The person who compared herion to cigarettes saying price doesnt matter is nonsense .

if cigareetes were 200 baht a packet im sure half the smoking population would stop very quickly

[bigbamboo]

Cigarettes are far to cheap here so putting higher taxes only increases revenue which can be used for the sick idiots in hosiptal who are sick due to there fag habbit. If you look at New Zealand they are heavly taxed on cigarettes which has decreased smoking in the population and there are far fewer people in hospital due to smoking related illness.

The person who compared herion to cigarettes saying price doesnt matter is nonsense .

if cigareetes were 200 baht a packet im sure half the smoking population would stop very quickly

Cheap for foreigners but not for locals.

And don't forget the exorbitant amount of tax paid by smokers in 'developed countries' more than covers their share of tobacco related hospital costs. I guess an alternative would be to have smokers only hospitals which could be funded from the extra taxes some want to levy?

[sean in udon]

Nice post. I would have left out the "filthy" and "a**hole" bits.

I've learned that there plenty of alternative words that express a point without generating ill feelings. Some alternatives are as follows. Some are for speech, so one could omit using them.

arrogant

mean-spirited

hateful

rude

self-centered/self-absorbed

condescending

inconsiderate

intolerant

self-promoting (especially at the expense of others)

stingy

greedy

argumentative

hurtful

abrupt, forward, or tactless in speech

Easy Does It

My future posts will, hopefully, make use of your less antagonistic alternatives for a**hole. Sometimes my thoughts come out unfiltered.

My choice of word was not directed at any particular member here as I am unaware of their social graces. I'm sure we've all experienced inconsiderate smoking, driving, parking and many other ...ings.

Having renovated a house where the little old lady died of a smoking related illness I can attest to the 'filthy'.

The living room walls were yellow. I've no idea how many years worth of smoke was in there, but an attempt at cleaning only brought more yellow filth out of the walls and ceiling. The carpet and curtains went to the tip. They reeked.

The options for the walls were strip off the plaster, re plaster and paint or buy a special paint which would seal the smell and the yellow filth inside. I was told the yellow would leech through normal paint and would do nothing to hide the smell.

Went for the special paint and it worked.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Luk Mhee]

The more difficult something is to get, the more youngsters want it. I Phone, Designer clothing, narcotics, alcohol, cigarettes, ganja, I pads, and so on. It’s an ego problem that stems from wanting to be one of the top dogs in the team.