Authorities check the smoking ban along Patong Beach
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Director General, Chatuporn Burutpat, along with his team, visited Patong Beach to follow up on the cigarette prohibition now in force on the famous tourist beach. 26 smoking spots were set up along the 3 kilometre stretch of beach by Patong Municipality last week.
The Director General and Patong Mayor, Chalermluck Kebsup, visited the area and talked with beach goers as well as business operators nearby yesterday (November 13) to check on the progress on the 90-day pilot project before the official law enforcement comes into full force on February 1, next year.
The punishment for breaking the law is 1 year of prison or/and a maximum fine of 100,000 Baht.
“From the survey today, we could see that Patong Municipality has effectively implemented the policy and we didn’t find any cigarette butts or people smoking on the beach. The law will be enforced across 24 beaches around Thailand. I think, in the near future, the Department of Disease Control will draft a law to prohibit smoking in any public space, which could possibly include all beaches,” said the Director General of DMCR.
“We’re also cooperating with True and AIS to give a notifications explaining what to do when entering the beaches in both Thai and English and to provide information about smoking areas nearby.”
