Video #6 | October 1, 2017
In this video we’re going to take a look at vaping in Bangkok, and let you know about the vape ban. Vaping is actually illegal in Thailand!
The video is broken into the following sections.
– A friendly warning to any vaper in Bangkok.
– The customs act [section 27].
– Who are the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly?
– The recent case of a Swiss vaper getting caught vaping in public. [And potentially being prosecuted for this act].
– Why you shouldn’t have vape equipment mailed to you in Bangkok.
Click on the following link to check out more Bangkok Laws You Need To Know!.
#VIDEO TRANSCRIPT#
Alrighty then! Welcome to the sixth video of Bangkok Unmasked! In this video I’m not taking you on a virtual tour anywhere. What I am doing is giving a friendly warning to any vaper who’s planning to vape in Bangkok [and Thailand in general]. Bangkok is not a friendly a friendly place for vapers.
What many new visitors to Bangkok, and Thailand, don’t know is that e-cigarettes are illegal. And this has effectively been the case since late 2014. Interestingly, the reason that has been applied by the authorities for the illegality of e-cigarettes, and vaping, are import tax laws under the Customs Act [Section 27]. This act was passed into law in 1926, long before e-cigarettes were invented. Basically, e-cigarettes fall into a category of goods that have not been taxed. This means being caught in possession them is therefore illegal. Crazy, right?! You might think that if you bring in your vaping equipment from outside Thailand you’re not breaking the law as import tax laws don’t apply for a personal use item. Wrong! But more on that in a bit…
So why is vaping an issue in Thailand?
The short answer is an entity called; “The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly“. This organization is a state enterprise which [as you can guess from its name] formerly had a monopoly in Thailand over the manufacturing and distribution of tobacco products. The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly was established in 1939, initially in collaboration with British American Tobacco, but since 1949 it has operated solely under the control of the Ministry of Finance. As you might imagine, they’re not at all happy with the competition from vaping, and have made moves to try and stamp it out where possible. It’s also a good bet that the Ministry of Finance is less then enthusiastic at the loss of tax revenues from smokers moving to vaping from their whatever used to be their favorite tobacco product.
Over the past few months, it seems that vaping has become actively targeted by the authorities. Just two months ago – July 2017 – a Swiss man was arrested for “importation” of e-cigarettes. I only know what I have read on the case online, which all originates from a Facebook post on Team StattQualm who appear to be an e-cigarette manufacturer, but it appears that his crime was simply “vaping in public”. The Facebook post on the case mentions that the unfortunate man was told that he could receive any punishment between “immediate deportation to up to 5 years imprisonment.” Clearly this is a worrying development for all vapers in Thailand.
Please note; while this is not in any way advice, the odds are that if you’re in the middle of nowhere in Thailand, you’ll likely have no problems vaping wherever you want. In major tourist centers, especially Bangkok, this is absolutely NOT the case. The last thing you want to do is be walking down Sukhumvit road [especially anywhere near the Thonglor area] blowing huge clouds. The likelihood of you getting stopped – and into the Thai criminal justice system – is significant.
One last comment before I sign off. Don’t try to have vape equipment, or especially ejuice, sent to you in Bangkok by post from overseas. It almost certainly won’t get through. If there’s a mention on the package of anything vape-related [which is highly likely for any US/UK online purchase] the package will be impounded by Thai customs, and probably destroyed. Irrespective, you’ll never receive the package. [But you man get mailed a polite invitation to go down the the customs office and discuss the case].
Anyway…That’s it for this video. Expect a new video shortly. It should be posted in about a week, or so.
For all you techies out there, this video was shot on a Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, and edited using HitFilm Express.
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