Thai ban on e-cigarettes could lead to ’10-year jail term’

[Krataiboy]

17 hours ago, Moonmoon said:

10 years for a joint they cant tax and 5 years for rape. Welcome to Thailand 4.0. Progress.... 

Yeah, but. . . 

 

Guess where you can get ten years for watching a pirated soccer match and two less, on average, for rape?

 

That's right, the UK.

[fforest1]

Vape gear is sold freely in Thai markets every where....But if a farang is caught

vaping with the vaping gear he bought in a Thai market he can spend 10 years

in jail....?......

[Surasak]

Does the tag HYPOCRITE sit well on Thai shoulders?

[hotchilli]

500 baht for waving a sword around in public... 
10 years in jail for waving an e-cigarette

makes perfect sense ??

[PremiumLane]

A vague, non-rational rule that is combined with the Keystone Cops and you have a perfect storm for utter stupidity 

[fforest1]

3 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

A vague, non-rational rule that is combined with the Keystone Cops and you have a perfect storm for utter stupidity 

A perfect storm for tea time....

[juice777]

Something to do with no Tax being paid on them? I've been reading about this for over a year now and it's quite pathetic they haven't haven't fixed the red Tape yet. Especially because of the strict laws here on cigarettes no advertising have to hide them in 7/11, the graphic pictures on the boxes. I thought they was trying to discouraged people from smoking. This is a classic example of how badly this country is run.

 

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[juice777]

I'm getting close to blowing the hatch and punching outta here. When I finally blast-off of this rock, I'm never coming back.

Too many stupid laws. Too much corruption. No hope for this country and its people.

Let's face it: they don't want us here. They never did, and they never will.

I fill the same is stopped smoking 6 years ago before those e-cigs things took of. If I didn't mange to quit I would probably be smoking them now. This nonsense would push me over the edge and I would probably go. I really fill for the vapers in this country.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[SunsetT]

21 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Utterly ludicrous. The developed world is encouraging their use and Thailand, showing how far from being developed it is, is now nailing tourists as they arrive for having one, which pretty clearly is for personal use, threatening crazy prison sentences and demanding "fines." You can now cross another substantial group of people off the list of prospective visitors. Well done Thailand, first place in the "shooting ones self in the foot" awards.

Dumbest country in the World!!!

[insertcoins]

I would like to see one of these cases go to court. 

 

A year ago I was picked up for a miniscule DUI (53mg where the limit is 50mg, topic is here on TV) and when I was waiting on the side of the road I took my ecig out. The BIB went nuts and instantly took me to the police station. Once there they demanded 100k THB from me for possessing an ecig. I declined and was put in jail for a few hours until I could go to court. At the court there was NO mention of my ecig and just had to pay the fine for the DUI and was sent on my way again.

[webfact]

Travel agents warn of Thai e-cig import ban

By The Nation 

 

 

British travel agents are being urged to warn customers about a Thai law that prohibits e-cigarettes being brought into the country, the Travelweekly website has reported.

The UK website quoted Pat Waterton, manager at Langley Travel, who said she was unaware of the ban until her nephew, James, paid a £125 (Bt5,400) “fine” after being threatened with jail for having an e-cigarette in Bangkok, Travelweekly said advice on the UK Foreign Office website includes a paragraph stating: “These items are likely to be confiscated and you could be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.”

 

Waterton told the UK website: “I got a message from my sister saying James had been arrested in Thailand because he had an e-cigarette. He managed to pay the policeman, who had told him he could go to jail. Ten years seems a long time to go to prison for smoking an e-cigarette.” 

 

A spokesman for the Tourism Authority of Thailand reiterated the UK government’s advice, warning tourists not to bring e-cigarettes into the country.

 

Waterton told Travelweekly: “If I’m selling [travel to] Thailand, I will definitely mention it now. All agents should. Thailand is very popular so we should make sure we are telling people about things that could ruin a holiday.”

 

Other travel agents also told the UK website that they would advise customers of the Thai law. Aspen Travel sales consultant Yvonne Montgomery said: “The last thing we want is our customers getting locked up.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30323861

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-08-15

[phantomfiddler]

Alas the country is regressing. This is even more ridiculous than the unfortunate girl getting 15 years for 0.1gms of coke. In the past many people came here because there were relatively few rules and regulations, but the situation has completely overturned and is reverting to the stone ages.

[impulse]

5 hours ago, jakow said:

The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly is the reason e-cigarettes are illegal. They have seen in other countries how e-cigarettes are helping people quit smoking, and that will mean less money for them. In 2009 the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly's sales were 50 billion baht (roughly 1.5 billion dollars), with net profits at 5.8 billion baht.

 

Not to take any of the heat off the tobacco monopoly, but if they sold 50 billion baht, they probably contributed quite a bit to the tax coffers.  So I'm not convinced it's just the Tobacco Monopoly that would miss the money.

 

Just out of curiosity, what is the tax on a pack of smokes, and how does that break down as a percentage of that 50 billion in sales (plus the corporate tax on the 5.8 billion in profit, assuming that's a pre-tax number)?

 

[terryofcrete]

Just had my brother and his wife who are esmokers ask me to confirm that this is not a joke ! They are  going to a-wedding in Hong Kong and were thinkng of Visiting Thailand for a holiday before going home to the UK . Guess what ? They’re NOT now !! 

[Tony125]

22 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Can anyone prove a logical explanation as to WHY e-cigarettes are banned in LOS?  Other than the fact the tobacco companies are dead against them for cutting into their profits? 

 

Here are some reasons why

 

http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/e-cigarettes-and-lung-health.html?referrer=https://www.google.co.th/

 

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/vape-debate-electronic-cigarettes#1

[Shaunduhpostman]

If they are going to warn people about the draconian e-cigarette laws, they might also want to mention that the whole legal system and law enforcement culture in Thailand in general is arbitrary and that combined with the zero logic, zero regard for your life or well being mentality of many you would have to deal with in any kind of hassle  makes for a particularly nasty combination such that if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you could be in a heap of trouble for little to nothing. A more important warning to people would be, I would think, that people take precaution and use common sense so as not to run afoul of what can be a rather arbitrary and sporadically enforced bunch of laws. You can literally be in a real mess for saying the wrong thing or standing up for yourself to the wrong person. It is also very easy to be lulled into a false sense of not needing to worry at all, and if you are here on holiday that usually is whole point, to drop your fretting and worrying, and it would seem you've come to the right place and indeed the police are generally less obtrusive and ubiquitous than they are in many cities in the world. But ten years for vaping or 10 years for a deck of playing cards if they decide they really don't like you. And that seems to be what it boils down to here: If we like you you can do anything you want, if we don't there's nothing you can do that isn't wrong or even illegal.

Edited August 15, 2017 by Shaunduhpostman

[nikotin]

24 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

Here are some reasons why

 

http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/e-cigarettes-and-lung-health.html?referrer=https://www.google.co.th/

 

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/vape-debate-electronic-cigarettes#1

He asked for a logical explanation!! E-cigarettes are not healthy,but a lot better than smoking cigarettes and the ONLY reason why they are banned is MONEY.Its either the tabacco industry or the government itsself fearing tax losses and absolutly nothing else!

Edited August 15, 2017 by nikotin

[sawadee1947]

4 hours ago, Salerno said:

Singapore, total ban:

Those guilty of the offence are liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both. Repeat offenders are liable to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

 

What facts?

it's common sense, but read by yourself:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_of_electronic_cigarettes

[ukrules]

6 hours ago, monkfish said:

Countries where e-cigarettes are legal for example the UK FCO should be issuing travel warnings for Thailand about this.

It's mentioned near the bottom of the page here : https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/local-laws-and-customs

 

It should be prominently displayed at the very top of the main Thailand page instead of being buried away on the 'local laws and customs' page where hardly anyone is going to see it. These devices are very common in the normal world these days so everyone should be warned before they book a flight.

 

When you check in to your flight at the airport it would be helpful if there was an advice sheet just for Thailand which explains all the different laws which apply only to Thailand.

[lvr181]

22 hours ago, Moonmoon said:

10 years for a joint they cant tax and 5 years for rape. Welcome to Thailand 4.0. Progress.... 

"Thailand 4.0" is just a figment of someones imagination.

 

And the belief that if you pat yourself on the back you will go forward.

 

TIT

[paul545]

Just asvise them to buy them on Sukhumvit when they arrive. They sell plenty here in Thailand. 

[juice777]

He asked for a logical explanation!! E-cigarettes are not healthy,but a lot better than smoking cigarettes and the ONLY reason why they are banned is MONEY.Its either the tabacco industry or the government itsself fearing tax losses and absolutly nothing else!

I don't think anyone has banned them as such but never said OK to selling them. And they full under non Lincence/ non tax illegal imported goods or something like that.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[nikotin]

1 minute ago, juice777 said:

I don't think anyone has banned them as such but never said OK to selling them. And they full under non Lincence/ non tax illegal imported goods or something like that.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 

Thats what i always thought.But now it seems like the game has changed.I would really like to see the written law.Because if they arrest me i would let them proceed with what ever they wanna do...but now i am just worried shitless!bs after bs here... i already avoid the city and just stay in the country side for i not get fckd for something that i dont even realise doin wrong!555

[thenewgoo]

On 8/14/2017 at 3:59 PM, webfact said:

He managed to pay the policeman, who had told him he could go to jail.

That just sums it up.

[monkfish]

2 hours ago, Tony125 said:

Here are some reasons why

 

http://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/e-cigarettes-and-lung-health.html?referrer=https://www.google.co.th/

 

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/features/vape-debate-electronic-cigarettes#1

This information is a little outdated now based on research done in 2008 since then  a lot of new research has been done in the UK which proves E-cigarettes are't as dangerous as originally claimed.
Based on new research the FDA is backtracking its claims and like the UK now encouraging smokers to change to E-cigarettes.
Nobody is saying E-Cigarettes are 100% safe but they are 95-99% safer than conventional cigarettes.

More information in this BBC documentary.
 

 

[monkfish]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

It's mentioned near the bottom of the page here : https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/local-laws-and-customs

 

It should be prominently displayed at the very top of the main Thailand page instead of being buried away on the 'local laws and customs' page where hardly anyone is going to see it. These devices are very common in the normal world these days so everyone should be warned before they book a flight.

 

When you check in to your flight at the airport it would be helpful if there was an advice sheet just for Thailand which explains all the different laws which apply only to Thailand.

OK thanks I see it now, agree it should be at the top.

[Moonmoon]

7 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Yeah, but. . . 

 

Guess where you can get ten years for watching a pirated soccer match and two less, on average, for rape?

 

That's right, the UK.

Hmmm that means UK is 2 years ahead of Thailand. Well done hahahaha

[Tony125]

57 minutes ago, monkfish said:

This information is a little outdated now based on research done in 2008 since then  a lot of new research has been done in the UK which proves E-cigarettes are't as dangerous as originally claimed.
Based on new research the FDA is backtracking its claims and like the UK now encouraging smokers to change to E-cigarettes.
Nobody is saying E-Cigarettes are 100% safe but they are 95-99% safer than conventional cigarettes.

More information in this BBC documentary.
 

Maybe you should re read the 2 articles I linked to you you said more info had been done since that info came out in 2008---those articles were written in Aug 2016

 

2

 

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, monkfish said:

This information is a little outdated now based on research done in 2008 since then  a lot of new research has been done in the UK which proves E-cigarettes are't as dangerous as originally claimed.
Based on new research the FDA is backtracking its claims and like the UK now encouraging smokers to change to E-cigarettes.
Nobody is saying E-Cigarettes are 100% safe but they are 95-99% safer than conventional cigarettes.

More information in this BBC documentary.
 

 

E-cigs never were that dangerous.

 

They can cause rises in blood pressure.

 

They may irritate the respiratory tract.

 

 

[A1Str8]

As far as I am concerned it's perfectly legal.