E-cigarettes in Thailand

Thailand: Following investigations into online advertisements, police seized more than 20,000 e-cigarettes, 80,000 refills and other accessories, worth a total of about THB80m ($2.3m), from two warehouses in Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom, central Thailand, press reports. The importing and selling of vaping products are illegal in Thailand.

Thailand: Deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday ordered police and customs to strictly enforce the law and block e-cigarettes from entering the country. The Health Promotion Fund Committee was tasked with carrying out campaigns to raise awareness about the harms of e-cigarettes and to prevent young people from vaping. In January, customs officers uncovered 45 cases of illegal imports of e-cigarettes worth around THB4.15m ($120,000).

Thailand: A meeting of the Consumer Protection Committee yesterday concluded that the ban on e-cigarette sales should be maintained.

Thailand: Education minister Treenuch Thienthong has called on all educational establishments to get tougher on vaping. “It is time for us to be strict, strict, and prevent the spread of e-cigarettes among children and young people,” she said.

Thailand: The Department of Disease Control has issued a warning against vaping, especially by young people. It said most products on the market made misleading claims about the health impacts of vaping, which attracts people to e-cigarettes, even though they are banned in Thailand. “The use of electronic cigarettes may result in disease and health hazards, especially severe pneumonia,” the announcement states.

Thailand: Cannabis-based e-liquids will not be exempt from the ban on the import and sale of vaping products. The National Tobacco Products Control Committee has made clear that both e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes with cannabis are banned, press reports.

Thailand: Digital economy and society minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn has submitted a petition to the National Tobacco Products Control Committee calling on it to legalise e-cigarettes, press reports. Chaiwut said e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to traditional tobacco and should be regulated as cigarettes. He also highlighted that legalising them would bring in added tax revenue.

Thailand: Health minister and deputy prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul has told the Thai Health Promotion Foundation that he will not support the legalisation of e-cigarettes, press reports. The minister has established a tobacco control panel under the Department of Disease Control to review the current regulations, in the belief that e-cigs have become popular with young people in Thailand.