Health officials call for smoking to be banned in residential buildings in Thailand
Thai health officials are calling for a ban on smoking in residential buildings, such as condominiums, hotels, and dormitories. Those campaigning for a change in the law say it’s needed to protect the health of residents, and children in particular. Paisan Limsathit, from the Health Laws and Ethics Centre at Thamassat University, says residential buildings should be smoke-free in order to protect residents from second-hand smoke. He was speaking at a seminar on the protection of non-smoking condo residents.
The seminar was organised by the National Health Foundation and examined the results of a September – October study from Thammasat University that looked at smoking in condominium buildings.
According to the findings, out of over 1,200 people surveyed, 15% say they are smokers. Nearly half of those say they usually smoke on the balcony of their condo. 89% of respondents are in support of a total ban on smoking in condo buildings.
Meanwhile, Nipapan Kangsakulniti from the Faculty of Public Health at Mahidol University, says non-smokers are susceptible to second-hand smoke in shared buildings, adding that, according to a US study, banning smoking in residential buildings could cut maintenance costs by nearly 5 billion baht, as well as protecting the health of residents and reducing the risk of fires.
While the law in Thailand outlaws smoking in government and office buildings, as well as shopping malls and other public spaces like lobbies and corridors, there is no outright ban on smoking in residential buildings. Charan Kesorn from the Property Management Association of Thailand and the Thai Real Estate Association, says a compromise would be to reserve dedicated smoking areas away from non-smoking residents.
The fine for breaching Thailand’s ban on smoking in public places starts at 2,000 baht, rising to a potential 100,000 baht and/or a year in prison for smokers caught puffing on the beach.
SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times
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21 Comments
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So I buy a condo and live there alone, I am not allowed to smoke there? Goody bye Thailand, good morning Vietnam!
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Have a nice trip!
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Fag-End Farang
Don’t call us, we will call you, bye, bye.
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someone had a seminar and some of you have concluded the sky is falling.
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When do they allow electronic cigarettes?
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Good. Actually, Thailand is already pretty good about smoking etiquette and they obviously make significant efforts to discourage smoking and promote health.
But god help you if you ever come to Malaysia. Half the males smoke here, they have no smoking etiquette whatsoever. Non-smoking signs are just suggestions. The whole of Malaysia stinks of tobacco.
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” they obviously make significant efforts to discourage smoking and promote health”
Could you be more precise?
Patches, e-cig…are not allowed!!!-
Point taken, it was very dumb of Thais to ban e-cigs.
I find cigarette smoke to be unbearable. Ecig vapor hardly bothers me.
Interestingly, I enjoy the smell of ganja 😉
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” 100,000 baht and/or a year in prison for smokers caught puffing on the beach.”
Wow!!!
I don’t have a problem with that at all, but I hope the Chinese know!
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Yes, that’s written but never been in practice. So many things like this coming out from incompetents brains, showing that they are present but nothing else.
How many fees per day for drivers without their helmets?
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So, your economy is in a mess so you place yet another barrier in front of recovery. This kind of issue is exactly why your country will flounder imminently…you cannot run a society based upon random laws made up haphazardly and without any form of consultation or timescale.
I will NEVER buy a condo here as you seemingly make the rules up as you go along. -
Crazy! Chinese are smoking massively but echo needs Chinese investors right?
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All smokers close their balcony glass doors when they smoke on their balconies.Even they don’t want that gross smell in their own room. I see no reasonable argument in favor of gross, poisonous smells.
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Good luck trying to get Chinese not to smoke exactly when and where they want to. Here in Hong Kong smoking is a cult. In China it’s even worse. It’s even considered rude to turn down a cigarette when offered one – even if you don’t smoke! It’s retarded.
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It’s ironic that they target smoking as hazardous to the health of children and yet for about 4-5 months of the year vast areas of Thailand are permanently burning. Fields and forests are ablaze to clear land for farming, a practice that had continued unabated for decades and still nothing has been done to protect everyone from an unhealthy and outdated practices
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It’s ironic that they target smoking as hazardous to the health of children and yet for about 4-5 months of the year vast areas of Thailand are permanently burning. Fields and forests are ablaze to clear land for farming, a practice that had continued unabated for decades and still nothing has been done to protect everyone from an unhealthy and outdated practices
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Stop smoking, save the money, and then perhaps the smokers would be able to afford a better living standard than living in a poxy tiny condo.
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Yet another crazy idea from the rulers of “The Land of Lost Liberty” …only a couple of days ago the idiots in charge had the idea of granting special immigration privileges to those foreigners buying B10M worth of condos. This draconian proposal will alienate about
15% of prospective purchasers for property that is already overpriced. Even nonsmokers such as myself would worry that when I sold up, there would be fewer buyers. I fully agree with a ban in hallways/lifts but a complete ban is unworkable. What next? a ban on smoking in your own house and garden.
If the regime is so concerned with peoples health, what about a road safety campaign, and making people take a proper driving test. -
Drinking, on the other hand, will be encouraged. Because as we all know, smokers frequently get intoxicated and cause death and all sorts of mayhem behind the wheel, not to mention that they become verbally and physically abusive after a few puffs etc etc.
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There is nothing worse for a non-smoker than to have a neighbor who puffs on the next balcony – or worse the balcony below. A disgusting habit. If you want to smoke – find a garden and a friendly tree to harass.
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Great dea, but ironic since the air quality is extremely bad in Thailand, as a direct result of not enforcing euro 6 standards for cars and fuel. Instead, extremely polluting engines are the norm, as well as dirty substandard fuel. Add to that the burning of garbage and rice and sugar cane fields being a national hobby.
Leave a Reply
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So I buy a condo and live there alone, I am not allowed to smoke there? Goody bye Thailand, good morning Vietnam!
Have a nice trip!
Fag-End Farang
Don’t call us, we will call you, bye, bye.
someone had a seminar and some of you have concluded the sky is falling.
When do they allow electronic cigarettes?
Good. Actually, Thailand is already pretty good about smoking etiquette and they obviously make significant efforts to discourage smoking and promote health.
But god help you if you ever come to Malaysia. Half the males smoke here, they have no smoking etiquette whatsoever. Non-smoking signs are just suggestions. The whole of Malaysia stinks of tobacco.
” they obviously make significant efforts to discourage smoking and promote health”
Could you be more precise?
Patches, e-cig…are not allowed!!!
Point taken, it was very dumb of Thais to ban e-cigs.
I find cigarette smoke to be unbearable. Ecig vapor hardly bothers me.
Interestingly, I enjoy the smell of ganja 😉
” 100,000 baht and/or a year in prison for smokers caught puffing on the beach.”
Wow!!!
I don’t have a problem with that at all, but I hope the Chinese know!
Yes, that’s written but never been in practice. So many things like this coming out from incompetents brains, showing that they are present but nothing else.
How many fees per day for drivers without their helmets?
So, your economy is in a mess so you place yet another barrier in front of recovery. This kind of issue is exactly why your country will flounder imminently…you cannot run a society based upon random laws made up haphazardly and without any form of consultation or timescale.
I will NEVER buy a condo here as you seemingly make the rules up as you go along.
Crazy! Chinese are smoking massively but echo needs Chinese investors right?
All smokers close their balcony glass doors when they smoke on their balconies.Even they don’t want that gross smell in their own room. I see no reasonable argument in favor of gross, poisonous smells.
Good luck trying to get Chinese not to smoke exactly when and where they want to. Here in Hong Kong smoking is a cult. In China it’s even worse. It’s even considered rude to turn down a cigarette when offered one – even if you don’t smoke! It’s retarded.
It’s ironic that they target smoking as hazardous to the health of children and yet for about 4-5 months of the year vast areas of Thailand are permanently burning. Fields and forests are ablaze to clear land for farming, a practice that had continued unabated for decades and still nothing has been done to protect everyone from an unhealthy and outdated practices
It’s ironic that they target smoking as hazardous to the health of children and yet for about 4-5 months of the year vast areas of Thailand are permanently burning. Fields and forests are ablaze to clear land for farming, a practice that had continued unabated for decades and still nothing has been done to protect everyone from an unhealthy and outdated practices
Stop smoking, save the money, and then perhaps the smokers would be able to afford a better living standard than living in a poxy tiny condo.
Yet another crazy idea from the rulers of “The Land of Lost Liberty” …only a couple of days ago the idiots in charge had the idea of granting special immigration privileges to those foreigners buying B10M worth of condos. This draconian proposal will alienate about
15% of prospective purchasers for property that is already overpriced. Even nonsmokers such as myself would worry that when I sold up, there would be fewer buyers. I fully agree with a ban in hallways/lifts but a complete ban is unworkable. What next? a ban on smoking in your own house and garden.
If the regime is so concerned with peoples health, what about a road safety campaign, and making people take a proper driving test.
Drinking, on the other hand, will be encouraged. Because as we all know, smokers frequently get intoxicated and cause death and all sorts of mayhem behind the wheel, not to mention that they become verbally and physically abusive after a few puffs etc etc.
There is nothing worse for a non-smoker than to have a neighbor who puffs on the next balcony – or worse the balcony below. A disgusting habit. If you want to smoke – find a garden and a friendly tree to harass.
Great dea, but ironic since the air quality is extremely bad in Thailand, as a direct result of not enforcing euro 6 standards for cars and fuel. Instead, extremely polluting engines are the norm, as well as dirty substandard fuel. Add to that the burning of garbage and rice and sugar cane fields being a national hobby.