Cigarettes

  • HealthCigarette addiction in Thailand 2024

    Cigarette addiction in Thailand 2024

    Cigarette addiction in Thailand 2024 has seen a steady decline over the past few decades, with the smoking rate among adults decreasing from 23% in 2005 to 17.4% in 2021. However, this progress is still insufficient to meet the target of reducing smoking by 30% by 2025, as set by public health authorities. As of 2024, about 21% of adults…

  • Thailand NewsCigarette rites spark fiery debate among netizens in Thailand

    Cigarette rites spark fiery debate among netizens in Thailand

    A Thai man’s online query about the unusual practice of lighting cigarettes instead of incense sticks at funerals ignited a spirited discussion among netizens. On Monday, September 16, an anonymous user on the Facebook page Knowledge Around posed the question: “What does lighting cigarettes instead of incense at a funeral signify?” The post quickly went viral, attracting a flurry of…

  • Phuket NewsBusted: ‘Smoke and mirrors’ shop nabbed for untaxed cigs, vapes

    Busted: ‘Smoke and mirrors’ shop nabbed for untaxed cigs, vapes

    Two women have been apprehended for selling untaxed cigarettes and illegal vaping paraphernalia at a shop in Soi Pha-niang, Moo 5, Ratsada. The illicit operation netted them more than half a million baht over the past three months. The 23 year old Sarinya Phonkaew, from Satun, and the 25 year old Chonlada Chuewong, registered as living in Chalong, were detained…

  • HealthVaping in Thailand – everything you need to know

    Vaping in Thailand – everything you need to know

    Vaping has gained immense popularity worldwide as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. However, the legal landscape and cultural attitudes towards vaping can vary significantly from one country to another. Thailand is one such country where vaping is a topic of significant interest and controversy. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about vaping in Thailand, including…

  • Thailand NewsIllegal contraband network worth 75 million baht exposed in Prachinburi

    Illegal contraband network worth 75 million baht exposed in Prachinburi

    A nationwide web of illegal contraband, including foreign tobacco and wine liquor, valued at over 75 million baht (US$2,138,580) was exposed by excise officers in Prachinburi on November 25. The illicit products were discovered during a raid operation at a postal centre in Kabinburi, led by Prachinburi excise officer, Nitipat Songnetichawalit. The operation was initiated based on suspicions of the…

  • Northern Thailand News6 elderly Thais killed in collision with soldier’s pickup truck filled with illegal cigarettes

    6 elderly Thais killed in collision with soldier’s pickup truck filled with illegal cigarettes

    Six elderly Thais were killed in a collision with a soldier’s pickup truck in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, this morning. The soldier – the only person to survive the crash – was carrying 257 sleeves of illegal cigarettes which he attempted to hide in the woods nearby. Six elderly Thais dressed in traditional outfits were on their way to set…

  • Thailand NewsStop giving monkeys cigarettes, beg locals in Lop Buri, Thailand

    Stop giving monkeys cigarettes, beg locals in Lop Buri, Thailand

    Locals in Lop Buri province in central Thailand – famous for its out-of-control monkey population – are begging tourists to stop giving monkeys cigarettes. Monkey lovers in Lop Buri were saddened to see a clip circulating on social media in which a visitor to the city flicked a lit cigarette to a monkey. In the clip, the innocent monkey picked…

  • Cannabis NewsFun while it lasted: New resolution to ban cannabis cigarettes

    Fun while it lasted: New resolution to ban cannabis cigarettes

    Thailand decriminalised the growing, sale, possession, and use of cannabis last month with very few rules or regulations in place to manage the newly legalised drug. Politicians soon announced that they had thought the legalisation would be used mainly for medical purposes, and never intended for it to be a legal recreational drug. Now government officials are taking steps to…

  • Crime NewsFour suspects allegedly smuggled fake tobacco in Chanthaburi

    Four suspects allegedly smuggled fake tobacco in Chanthaburi

    Officials seized 83,154 packs of fake tobacco worth more than 10 million baht from four suspects in Chanthaburi yesterday. A police investigation found they smuggled the tobacco via the Ban Laem Immigration Checkpoint in Pong Nam Ron district, and sold the tobacco online. Two of the suspects were charged with allegedly selling fake tobacco, while the other two were charged…

  • Thailand NewsThai Cabinet “okays” 5 year plan to lower tobacco consumption

    Thai Cabinet “okays” 5 year plan to lower tobacco consumption

    Thailand is going a step further than the graphic (and disturbing) photos on packs of cigarettes to discourage the public from smoking. The Thai Cabinet has approved a five-year road map focusing on lowering tobacco consumption to help improve overall public health. The plan, with a 498 million baht budget, will start this year and end in 2027. The plan to…

  • Pattaya NewsMan neglects cigarette, burns down home, is beaten by neighbours

    Man neglects cigarette, burns down home, is beaten by neighbours

    Even more expensive than the new cigarette tax, a burning cigarette left unattended caused a man’s home in Si Racha to burn down and his relatives and neighbours to physically attack him after learning he caused the fire. The cigarette was reported to have been left burning which resulted in a fire that quickly spread and destroyed the entire home.…

  • Thailand NewsIllegal cigarette shipment busted, valued at 30 million baht

    Illegal cigarette shipment busted, valued at 30 million baht

    Naval officials and other police agencies have seized illegal cigarettes valued at 30 million baht. The officials seized a boat that had been used to transport the goods. 1,900 boxes with 475,000 packs of cigarettes were discovered. Allegedly, the smugglers were trying to move their shipment without paying tax. Thai media reports that government agencies had received information from a…

  • Thailand NewsAnti-alternative tobacco report slammed by experts

    Anti-alternative tobacco report slammed by experts

    A recent report titled “Today’s Teens, Tomorrow’s Customers” published by Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance is being slammed by the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates and global health experts, who have dismissed it as “​naïve” and “harmful.” Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA’s executive director, described the report as a product of perception by a group that is funded by…

  • Crime NewsTwo women in Rayong fined 15 million baht each for ciggie smuggling

    Two women in Rayong fined 15 million baht each for ciggie smuggling

    A Thai ‘auntie’ and her daughter from Rayong have been fined 15 million baht for smuggling 37 crates of cigarettes, valued around 200,000 baht, from Cambodia. 53 year old Pisamai and 34 years old Somradee tried to smuggle nearly 19,000 packets of cigarettes over the border. Investigators raided their apartment in Muang Rayong. They were caught red handed loading the cases…

  • HealthThailand by numbers

    Thailand by numbers

    The National Economics and Social Development Council have prepared some snapshot infographics which provide a window into Thai society at the moment. The stats have been prepared from information relating to Q2 this year. Key facts are… • Thai people reading more than they were four years ago • People are moving away from the agricultural sector and into blue…

  • HealthTobacco giant lobbies Thai government to reverse vaping laws

    Tobacco giant lobbies Thai government to reverse vaping laws

    PHOTO: Sampan.org Leading Thai cigarette importer Philip Morris Trading wants the new government and policymakers to start talking with the tobacco industry to find constructive solutions to reducing harm caused by smoking. The tobacco giant is hoping the new government will consider innovative “smoke-free products” (vaping) for smokers, who would otherwise continue smoking. Cut to the chase – Philip Morris,…

  • South Thailand NewsPattani smuggler arrested with over 10,000 packets of illegal cigarettes

    Pattani smuggler arrested with over 10,000 packets of illegal cigarettes

    A man has been arrested in Pattani’s Mayo district after trying to smuggle 10,802 packets of foreign cigarettes. Police and Excise Department chief Itthipol Liabyainak announced the arrest of Yaman Pohleng, the owner of a grocery store in Tambon Sakhor Bon. Itthipol says the joint operation by Excise officials and border patrol police was carried out following tips-off that Yaman had…

  • Thailand NewsTobacco giant survey says Thais want smoke-free alternatives

    Tobacco giant survey says Thais want smoke-free alternatives

    Thai people prefer less harmful products to cigarettes, due mainly to health concerns. These are some the results from a new survey on the tobacco industry and providing smoke-free alternatives. The study, by Philip Morris (Thailand) part of the largest transnational tobacco company in the world, found that 64 per cent of 1,200 smokers and non-smokers nationwide said they would…

  • Thai LifePlain packaging for cigarettes being introduced to discourage smoking

    Plain packaging for cigarettes being introduced to discourage smoking

    PHOTO: Example of the changes to cigarette packaging now being implemented in Thailand In the moves to modify polices relating to smokers in Thailand, some of the new legislation is directed towards manufacturer packaging Cigarette packets will soon be plain and much less attractive under the new regulations approved by the National Tobacco Products Control Committee. Public Health Minister Piyasakol…