Shisha cafes must stop selling shisha, Thai officials warn of crackdown

[spidermike007]

Beautiful. Anything that can be done to prevent, reduce, or eliminate second hand smoke, is a step forward. Few things are more annoying that dealing with that, while you are trying to eat. Personally second hand smoke makes me feel ill, and nauseous. It is heinous. I cannot expect any smokers to sympathize, as they have acclimated their bodies to that horrendously toxic poison. But, innocent bystanders? Why subject them to a terrible habit? Smoke all you want in the bars, in the streets, or in your home. But, please leave those cancer sticks inside your pocket when you are inside restaurants. Is there no discipline whatsoever, on any level, when it comes to smoking? Do the tobacco companies own you ass to the point where you have no choice to light up, no matter where you are? Has the habit deprived you of common decency? Is there no consideration for non-smokers? Ever? Anywhere? Or is the lack of law enforcement here so refreshing, that it is simply presumed you can light up anywhere, anytime, around anybody?

And what is up with parents smoking around their little babies? How much sense does that make? How little self discipline is involved, for someone to subject their little baby to second hand smoke?

Sorry if I seem a bit heavy handed on this one. I despise tobacco, and hate the smell of tobacco smoke.

[gigman]

The reason they want to clamp down on that and the electronic cigarettes is they are missing out on collecting the tax

Always same...bs.

Concerned about public health ...??

What about breathing in all those fumes from cars and trucks.

What about cities full of pollution, allergies and new diseases, mutated killer flues ,dis-formed new born babies or (babies born with COPD where mothers and father never smoked before).......

and list can go on... .

any radical solution?

[DP25]

The Thai government itself produces and sells tobacco.

The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly is a state owned enterprise that manufactures about 80% of all the tobacco products sold in Thailand. Not only is Shisha avoiding taxes, but it a product directly competing with the government's own product.

The government is the one selling the vast majority of tobacco products in Thailand. Cigarettes are the product responsible for almost all lung cancer deaths in Thailand, not shisha, and the government is the one selling most of it.

[utkb]

Shisha has always been an item of interest to customs when coming into BKK.

A few years back (~2009) a friend had visited me in the UAE and decided he wanted to take some shisha back to Bangkok with him. He went a little overboard, buying apple flavored, banana flavored etc. and put the boxes in his check luggage.

I flew with him back to Bangkok and we literally hadn't stepped 3 feet out of the gate when a customs officer approached him and asked if he was carrying Shisha on him. He said he had bought a pipe head and showed it to the officer who let us continue. At that point we thought it was a random question given that we were coming from the UAE.

After picking up the baggage and going through customs, they were waiting for him outside and pulled him aside. Needless to say he ended up paying a hefty fine and forfeiting the shisha, but it always amazed me how efficiently they put his face to the shisha in his luggage in the UAE and forwarded the information to Bangkok.

[alocacoc]

To the Sisha smokers...don't worry. Also this crackdown will not last long. We almost read daily about a new crackdown. I doubt the authority have enough resources to keep all this crackdown sustainable. So, on the long term, it will probably not change a lot.

I just read in the news, a women got shot in her back by a drunken guy on his motorcycle. There are much more dangerous things out there to "crackdown". It seems, there is a lack to set priorities. A lot shots from the hip.

IMHO, they fight to many battle at the same time at different frontiers.

On the flip side; Most of us, if tourists or expats, appreciate Thailand because of the perceived freedom. When they start to regulate and control everything, probably Thailand become more and more unattractive. If i must be afraid, every step i do could end in a fine or some trouble, better to stay home.

This is not meant as critic to the current Thai government. It's only a opinion. I follow the events and draw my own conclusions. That's all.

[JimSiam]

Shisha leads to increased risk in TB, I know of two bars in Pattaya that had TB cases from Shisha

[lust]

This shit is getting out of hand...

[atyclb]

Shisha is much less harmful way of smoking tobacco. If you've ever tried it before, you would understand what I'm talking about.

since i once wrote a researched article on shisha can say that is not true. theres lots of data especially from middle eastern countries (muslim). data from medical researchers there etc etc. if i recall correctly a session of shisha can be equivalent to smoking 7 packs of cigarettes or more. u better do some research to see exactly what % of bad stuff gets filtered by simply passing through water. it is a huge health problem now among young people that see it as trendy.

[EmptyHead]

How about ## year-olds out of the locals' brothels?

Shisha first, well ok. Foreign interest.

Edited August 18, 2014 by EmptyHead

[Fullstop]

I believe that it s ridiculous to put so much effort for so little thing...

It's a ridiculous country.

[FangFerang]

Shisha is an enjoyable, mild way to smoke tobacco. After a good meal,it's quite pleasant. If people don't loike [places that sell shisha, then eat somewhere else.

Banning this is another red herring to distract everyone from the problems they refuse to address.

[Lupatria]

The reason they want to clamp down on that and the electronic cigarettes is they are missing out on collecting the tax

That may indeed be true but in the case of shisha targeting student areas in mentioned, indicating a concern about health, and keep in mind shisha smoking is extremely carcinogenic.

But you are aware of the fact that the same well protected students have almost no limited access to cigarettes and alcohol and all kinds of untaxed drugs. Same same but different again?

[a99az]

Good, now close the Mosques and become the hub for ousting the Muslim scourge

[quandow]

Just one more reason I'm packing my bags, shutting down my bank accounts, and gettin' the HELL outa this hole!

[EmptyHead]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Just one more reason I'm packing my bags, shutting down my bank accounts, and gettin' the HELL outa this hole!

Where you going?

[sgtsabai]

Oh oh, first they came for.... I've said over and over again be careful what you wish for, it will come back and bite you in the ass. On a personal level RIGHT ON! for this ban. Stinking crap, I got up and walked out of a bar making it very plain why when they brought one of those things in there and never went back. Thankfully that stinking crap hasn't showed up here in Issan. When I first came back to SE Asia/Thailand there were signs in bars saying Arab don't sit this bar. Now.... money talks and bullshit walks. I learned why the Thais use those nose inhalers when my wife and I walked by those stinking "cafes" on soi 15/16? to get baht bus back to Jomtien in Pattaya back some years ago. If they are using one of those inhalers around you it is because you or something stinks. All in all, a very, very slippery slope all these bans. What's next?

[pizzachang]

Well it is good to encourage "healthy habits" But is there not much more pressing issues to address?

I also can't see where "shisha" is any different than legally imported or even Thai grown tobacco.

[h90]

The reason they want to clamp down on that and the electronic cigarettes is they are missing out on collecting the tax

Rubbish: Both E-Cigarettes AND the Shisha Tobacco are extremely hazardous to one's health ! ! ! End of argument.

surely not extremely hazardous as there are smoker that reach 90-100 years of age.

It is not good for health but not extremely hazardous.

[h90]

I hope they succeed in the crackdown. I never liked that shisha smell and their arab customers.

I was hoping they would crack down on trolling haters that don't like freedom, and are narrow minded.

best would be we ban just everything and make a list of the few things that are excepted (paying tax for example)

[h90]

I had some dealings with the Bureau of Tobacco Control about a year ago and they told me those days that a law draft to ban Shishas and electronic cigarettes was in the making. Has nothing to do with our present government, this was under preparation for a while.

The reasoning was that there is no control whatsoever about the substances in those devices and this again triggers health concerns.

Well they can draft what they want if the government doesn't approve it, it won't be law.

[gigman]

The reason they want to clamp down on that and the electronic cigarettes is they are missing out on collecting the tax

Rubbish: Both E-Cigarettes AND the Shisha Tobacco are extremely hazardous to one's health ! ! ! End of argument.

Rubbish ;

HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS ????

Show me one independent search result on electronic devices....(there is not even one!)

From media ???

If you so sure and have knowledge ( the true knowledge...not from media)...

I just wander seeing your face expression knowing what you intake eating veggies ( if you so concerned about unknown problem then probably you would never touch veggies if you will do some searches what kind of chemicals we pack into them to have them grow)

Do you know that modified corn is just one molecule away from this corn is used to process and produce and plastic bottles????

At least once you could sacrificed some time and read something about it .

Link;

http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-is-plastic-from-corn

How you feel breathing BKK air or any city air in the world ???

I know only this ...; this world does not care about you or me.

But at least I am aware of this and do not watch TV for long years and that's why I can not get to hysteria point as media want me...

I know what I eat and think and it is my choice. (to lazy to grow my own food but definitely NOT lazy to think )

Thanks to electronic device (this is not cigarette ... this is inhaler!) I have stopped coughing as many others friends too.

Even not smoking for 3 years did not helped me with my cough...

Don't you think some' smart ' people should take interest into this discovery??

I DO NOT THINK SO !!!! because they do not care about me or others .

Yes ' they' care very much about taxes !

At least I have choice when I am thinking and having sober thoughts about this days world not to be corrupted by media and those who support it for own use .

Unfortunately there is more people in this world who like you have at least one TV at home .......

Did anybody told you in the media that spending to much at TV is NOT healthy for the human ???

Have a healthy day in this days world Sir!

[peterb17]

They must have starter reaching the bottom of the to do list, if this is a big issue.

Or if its alphabetical.

Shisha

Shinawatra.....

Well if your alphabetical order is correct, then we can't be heading to Z, as Shinawatra has been covered and so have Zoos and Tarit (although xenophobia was missed out, and thus Shisha was missed out too). I wish they'd take it randomly, and maybe start with Chaler....

When leaders start issuing edicts like this, you know the power is starting to go to their head.

Ban shisha, ban this, ban that. An essentially victimless crime while a thousand crimes a second are committed in his own government.

Corruption is the key. Smash that and u can stay in charge for a decade.

Absolutely agree- major corruption involving staggering amounts of money is what the General should be looking at.

Whilst I agree with the clean up of transport issues, the total clean up of beaches is perhaps a bit over the top.

Nobody worries about the shisha bars and provides an income for many, maybe he looked at the UK where a packet of cigarettes costs 500 baht and everything is tax upon tax- 20% VAT

He says he want to clean up the seedy image of Thailand abroad- so watch out for all the bars in tourist areas to be closed down next.

After a good start - seems to be going pear shaped.

[mok199]

i notice the goal of the ''smoker''is to get as big a draw as possible...when they exhale its unbelieveable...gotta be bad for the usert

[12DrinkMore]

Shisha is much less harmful way of smoking tobacco. If you've ever tried it before, you would understand what I'm talking about.

That is rubbish.

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/tobacco_industry/hookahs/

"Although many users think it is less harmful, hookah smoking has many of the same health risks as cigarette smoking"

"The amount of smoke inhaled during a typical hookah session is about 90,000 milliliters (ml), compared with 500–600 ml inhaled when smoking a cigarette"

[Shaunduhpostman]

The issue is that shishas are kinda quirky and strange and so they just annoy someone, they are the nails that stick out so they are going to get hammered. The issue is not health and I seriously doubt they are losing that much tax revenue over it.

If there was some huge concern to improve people's health due to smoke inhalation, they might want to start with attempting to manage the amount of exhaust emissions people are exposed to. Or why not educate people to stop burning plastic waste upcountry, my entire village is sick from burning plastic because there is no refuse collection provided by the government to our area and the highly concerned public health officials are probably too busy researching the effects of shisha smoking on college students to notice that half of Isaan is getting cancer sitting in clouds of burning plastic day after day year after year.

Last I checked, getting in a car or train derailment accident wasn't so good for your health either, but taking action on those issues can wait till we get the real priority problems solved.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Shaunduhpostman

[thairastawoman]

Do the people in charge really think that they will change the world ?

Let's see when they will show their assets if they are as clean as they would like Thailand to be...

[sz1a]

When are they going after the prostitutes? That's illegal too. Seems like they are just trying to switch which pocket the bribes land in. BiB will be upset about this.

[3NUMBAS]

the air around the pipes is more polluted than what they inhale so no difference

[chinostar]

What the hell is shisha?? A drug?

[peterb17]

The reason they want to clamp down on that and the electronic cigarettes is they are missing out on collecting the tax

Rubbish: Both E-Cigarettes AND the Shisha Tobacco are extremely hazardous to one's health ! ! ! End of argument.

Rubbish ;

HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS ????

Show me one independent search result on electronic devices....(there is not even one!)

From media ???

If you so sure and have knowledge ( the true knowledge...not from media)...

I just wander seeing your face expression knowing what you intake eating veggies ( if you so concerned about unknown problem then probably you would never touch veggies if you will do some searches what kind of chemicals we pack into them to have them grow)

Do you know that modified corn is just one molecule away from this corn is used to process and produce and plastic bottles????

At least once you could sacrificed some time and read something about it .

Link;

http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/how-is-plastic-from-corn

How you feel breathing BKK air or any city air in the world ???

I know only this ...; this world does not care about you or me.

But at least I am aware of this and do not watch TV for long years and that's why I can not get to hysteria point as media want me...

I know what I eat and think and it is my choice. (to lazy to grow my own food but definitely NOT lazy to think )

Thanks to electronic device (this is not cigarette ... this is inhaler!) I have stopped coughing as many others friends too.

Even not smoking for 3 years did not helped me with my cough...

Don't you think some' smart ' people should take interest into this discovery??

I DO NOT THINK SO !!!! because they do not care about me or others .

Yes ' they' care very much about taxes !

At least I have choice when I am thinking and having sober thoughts about this days world not to be corrupted by media and those who support it for own use .

Unfortunately there is more people in this world who like you have at least one TV at home .......

Did anybody told you in the media that spending to much at TV is NOT healthy for the human ???

Have a healthy day in this days world Sir!

And to give a truly classic TV quote - don't forget that tin foil ( better lead really ) hat. Those cosmic particles can cause havoc with your cells and DNA- lighten up a bit. I'm afraid death comes to us all ( totally avoidable along with taxation )

Enjoy life, and if you fancy a ciggy with your after dinner Cognac - why not?