Thailand warns vaping could lead to 5 years in prison
Following the Government of Thailand’s recent decisive action on e-cigarettes or vapes, anyone caught with the illegal items could face up to five years in prison and a hefty fine. Residents are also encouraged to report vape users or vendors through an official mobile application.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has now taken a firm stance against vaping, despite having previously supported the legalisation of the product during her election campaign, according to an interview with The Standard.
The government, under her leadership, along with relevant departments, initiated operations against e-cigarettes in response to their increasing use, particularly among Thai teenagers and children. This resulted in a series of recent crackdowns on vape vendors and importers across Thailand.
The issue gained further attention after a Member of Parliament (MP) from the People’s Party, Chorayuth “Tonkla” Chaturapornprasit, was seen vaping inside the Parliament building.
Recently, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Prasert Chantararuangthong, reported the ministry’s successful operations targeting e-cigarettes to the public. He clarified that the ministry closely monitored and blocked more than 9,500 URLs that promoted and sold vapes.
Prasert added that the ministry had utilised a social listening tool to combat the online distribution of e-cigarettes. This led to the removal of 285 posts from sellers and 93 posts from buyers.
Prasert and other official departments highlighted the legal consequences associated with e-cigarettes including:
- A vendor who sells vapes or vape juice violates the Consumer Protection Act, punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to 600,000 baht, or both.
- A person who buys or possesses vapes or vape juice violates the Customs Act, punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine equal to four times the value of the products, or both.
- A person who imports vapes or vape juice violates the Customs Act, punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine equal to five times the value of the products, or both.
- Anyone vaping in public will face a fine of up to 5,000 baht, according to the Tobacco Product Control Act.
Aside from emphasising the punishments, the government has also urged the public to report any vape vendors or users to the authorities via the Tang Rath (ทางรัฐ) application.
The app features a dedicated section to report offenders, their locations, and related images, and users can track the status of their reports through the app.
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