The highly controversial ban on e-cigs in Thailand

The ban on the use of electronic cigarettes in Thailand has been in place since 2014 to limit the entry of young people into smoking. Faced with this strict ban, the parallel market is growing and raising questions within the government of the country of smiles.

Thailand to impose strict ban on e-cigarettes

The Thai government introduced a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes and shisha in December 2014. Failure to comply with these bans is punishable by imprisonment and/or fines. This is a penalty that applies to both nationals and foreigners.

Manufacturers and importers face a fine of up to one million baht and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Although the WHO has warned of the harmful effects of electronic cigarettes on health, the authorities are re-examining the possibility of legalizing and taxing electronic cigarettes to limit the parallel market which is becoming a real public health problem.

Towards legalization for better control of electronic cigarettes

Unfortunately, the ban on electronic cigarettes in Thailand does not prevent teenagers from buying them illegally. It has been suggested to the government to legalize electronic cigarettes so that legal provisions can be put in place to better regulate their use and promotion. However, this suggestion does not seem to consider the extreme attractiveness of these new tobacco products and the enormous economic stakes they represent for manufacturers who manage to promote them using the argument of risk reduction. As proof[1] : up to thirty percent of people who smoke e-cigarettes wrongly believed that they had a nice flavor, were safe and modern and were not addictive... »[2].

In 2017, out of 10.7 million smokers in Thailand, 72,565* died from smoking-related diseases. This alarming figure motivates the Thai government to adopt more and more tobacco control laws to reduce tobacco use and save lives. The latest legislative development was the ban on smoking at home in August 2019 to combat second-hand smoke. to combat second-hand smoke.