Smoke Free Regulations in effect

[MyTHaiMyKe]

The Department of Disease Control (DDC) has launched the Public Health Ministry’s regulations on smoke-free areas which came into effect from February 3, 2019. 

The ban includes people smoking outside cafes and restaurants. There will be a five meter perimeter exclusion zone from the entrances or exits of all public buildings.

This includes condos, rental buildings, pubs, hotels, religious buildings, karaoke establishments, restaurants, laundries, salons, cinemas, parking areas, spas, areas for Thai massage, clinics, hospitals, schools, swimming pools, fitness parks, clinics and ‘other places’. The regulations also specify precisely where internal smoking areas in buildings may be located.

Those flouting the new regulations can be subject to a fine of 5,000 baht.

The exclusion zone means that smoking on virtually every major street in the city will be against the law and tourists and locals caught smoking risk a 5000 baht Thai fine. 

                                                       

[champers]

Enforcement is the key. There is none that I can see. Others may know differently.

[Kinnock]

Will the smokers who currently commandeer all the outside tables around bars and restaurants now have to move 5m away?  

 

That would be good, but I won't hold my breath.

[AlexCanada]

I think we can all safely predict there will be zero or close to zero enforcement for this new law.  

 

5,000 baht fine for a business is nothing.  Should be a much stiffer fine for them to even care.

[utalkin2me]

Enforced or not this is a great step. 

[Emdog]

Selective enforcement is not a great thing. Surely enough of you have seen or experienced that sort of "farang shakedown",

[glamont002]

The tesikit between Asoke and Nana are extremely happy. Before they could only extort 2,000, now 5,000 from unsuspecting tourists. Happy days and many new cars to be bought.

[user4654364]

Spoke to a mate who owns a fairly big bar in Pattaya yesterday and he said it's business as usual.

[4MyEgo]

 A lot of businesses that I used to frequent upon my travels/holidays, e.g. hotels, taxi's, restaurants have lost my return business because I do not like smoke, in particular, in a taxi, a hotel swimming pool area, while eating, that said, I am now very selective where I stay, hire a car and drive it myself, swim in the pool when no one around and only eat in shopping centres which guarantees me that I won't be bothered with the smell of cigarette smoke. I do however frequent a couple of bars, but the smoke doesn't bother me that much as the fans are going and or I turn them on higher or move to another area if the smoke does bother me.

 

The biggest problem I now face is do I relocate from the provinces to a sea change to get away from all of the burning they are doing here, just seems to get worse, and at 10.40am as I type, we still cannot open our house up due to the smoke filled air.

 

I love Thailand.....less the more I stay here ????

 

 

[AhFarangJa]

I am a non smoker, so I always try to steer away from places that are confined but allow it inside. However, a couple of weeks ago we were in Bangkok on business and stayed at a small hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 13. There was no smoking inside, but they had a bench and ash trays directly outside the door. Next door was a 7 / 11. On the other side a restaurant. The road was only three metres from the entrance. My question is where would someone go for a ciggy under these new regs.? Same for the bars on Soi 4 such as Hillary's, big dog's etc. Will there be no smoking at these bars along on the front now?

What do they mean by "Other Places", or is that placed there for the Tessakit to interprate as they see fit.

I am in no way slamming the new rules, personally I think it is a good move, but hard if you are a smoker. I just question the enforcement of them.

[Mac98]

The trouble is that non-smokers want everything 100% their way. Some businesses will ignore the law to get smokers' business, but non-smokers can get ambushed by wandering in. If government determined that 20% of the population smokes, why not sell licenses to 20% of the restaurants and 20% of the bars or hotels that wish to host smokers. These would be marked as smoking establishments and you don't have to go in if you don't wish to. The money raised for licenses could go to anti-smoking education. Trying to stamp out anything is difficult, especially something that is legal. 

[giddyup]

19 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

Enforced or not this is a great step. 

Toothless tiger.

[utalkin2me]

8 minutes ago, Mac98 said:

The trouble is that non-smokers want everything 100% their way. Some businesses will ignore the law to get smokers' business, but non-smokers can get ambushed by wandering in. If government determined that 20% of the population smokes, why not sell licenses to 20% of the restaurants and 20% of the bars or hotels that wish to host smokers. These would be marked as smoking establishments and you don't have to go in if you don't wish to. The money raised for licenses could go to anti-smoking education. Trying to stamp out anything is difficult, especially something that is legal. 

That is one of the best ideas I have heard. I think it would be great if smokers had their own restaurants and shopping malls. Everything. They could even be put out on an island so as to be almost perfectly effective. Bravo to you. The irony is, I bet if we did have smoking restaurants etc, the smokers would start refusing to go into them because it would be too filled with the smoke that they love. I have no idea how that works, but i am betting anything that is what would happen. What does that tell us? Nobody wants to sh-t where they eat.

[morrobay]

5 hours ago, Kim J said:

. Totally ignorant behaviour and inconsiderate to others.

 Smokers now being a small minority of society 

Unfortunately these ignorant, obnoxious lowlife smokers are at least 50 % of the Pattaya population. All the way from lowlife locals, all these oblivious Asian male tourists , the typical lowlife white males everywhere and these sorry couples all ages walking around smoking with nothing better to do. Impossible to enforce short of army patrolling all over Pattaya. 

 

[giddyup]

4 minutes ago, morrobay said:

Unfortunately these ignorant, obnoxious lowlife smokers are at least 50 % of the Pattaya population. All the way from lowlife locals, all these oblivious Asian male tourists , the typical lowlife white males everywhere and these sorry couples all ages walking around smoking with nothing better to do. Impossible to enforce short of army patrolling all over Pattaya. 

 

Perhaps better to move to a smoke free island than wait for everybody to adhere to what you want. Perhaps Singapore?

[smotherb]

10 hours ago, Kim J said:

I sincerely hope this is enforced fully and across the board. Yesterday myself and Mrs Kim were sat at a restaurant eating breakfast, half way through our meal two ignorant people sat right next to us and immediately lit up cigarettes. Totally ignorant behaviour and inconsiderate to others.

The breakfast was really quite nice, but shall not be returning. Smokers now being a small minority of society need to book up their ideas, and businesses alike. How many other customers is this restaurant losing by allowing smoking at their tables?

Why didn't you say something to these smokers? I imagine some smoking offenders are simply unaware that their habit bothers others or is illegal there; while other smokers simply do not care. In either event, I would say something. I have voiced my objections before and most of the time the smokers were accommodating and simply put-out their smokes or moved to another area. 

[apknug]

Will the smokers who currently commandeer all the outside tables around bars and restaurants now have to move 5m away?  
 
That would be good, but I won't hold my breath.

You will have to hold your breath, unless you want to continue inhaling the smoke......

Hehe.

Skickat från min VTR-L29 via Tapatalk

[smotherb]

26 minutes ago, Kim J said:

Utter crap. The people concerned were European. They would not get away with being so inconsiderate and ignorant in their own country. Smoking in public buildings within the EU has been banned and enforced for years. Why do they think their ignorance is acceptable in Thailand, other than a total lack of brains and manners.

It is up to proprietors of restaurants and the authorities to tackle those breaking the law on their premises. Not their decent law abiding and considerate customers.

Well, gee whiz, golly gee. Utter crap you speak? 

 

Did you not read where I said most smokers simply comply with my request? Perhaps they are aware of the home-country laws of which you speak and realize they are offending non-smokers as well as violating the law.

 

I see more crap in your plan to leave it up to owners and police to enforce.  Owners may not necessarily share your feelings about smoking and may not want to get smoking customers angry; especially when they know the police may not strictly enforce unpopular laws.

 

However, my suggestion, when successful, offers immediate remedy, does not ruin my meal, and may make the smokers more aware of their offending habit. Your suggestion offers a pig in a poke which only makes bacon if the owners/police do something right now. Something tomorrow leaves you a timid victim with a ruined meal. 

[Kalasin Jo]

On 2/8/2019 at 5:14 PM, Mac98 said:

The trouble is that non-smokers want everything 100% their way. Some businesses will ignore the law to get smokers' business, but non-smokers can get ambushed by wandering in. If government determined that 20% of the population smokes, why not sell licenses to 20% of the restaurants and 20% of the bars or hotels that wish to host smokers. These would be marked as smoking establishments and you don't have to go in if you don't wish to. The money raised for licenses could go to anti-smoking education. Trying to stamp out anything is difficult, especially something that is legal. 

I've said this all along. What is wrong with for example on the beaches having deckchair/ umbrella concessions that are non smoking and others that are for smokers, the concession providing ashtrays and making it clear cigarettes are not to be ground in to the sand. And smoking / non smoking areas in bars and restaurants, signified by one having ashtrays the other not? I am a smoker but I hate seeing butts tossed in the sand and all over pavements and streets. I carry my own tin to put them in. I was in Pattaya last week. Apart from the beach I noticed no changes on this. Open air bars and restaurants putting out ashtrays or providing them on request, not so inside...and that's fair enough. If I want to sit inside with aircon I don't smoke.

[Kalasin Jo]

On 2/8/2019 at 11:04 PM, Kim J said:

Utter crap. The people concerned were European. They would not get away with being so inconsiderate and ignorant in their own country. Smoking in public buildings within the EU has been banned and enforced for years. Why do they think their ignorance is acceptable in Thailand, other than a total lack of brains and manners.

It is up to proprietors of restaurants and the authorities to tackle those breaking the law on their premises. Not their decent law abiding and considerate customers.

In Europe smoking outside is acceptable and lawful not inside. France's street terraces are always full of smokers. Any bar and restaurant is of course free to declare their terraces smoke free and invite smokers to go elsewhere. The bigger deterrent now is the price of a pack there. Vaping is also extremely popular, has virtually zero smell, usually pleasant, and the vapour although impressive from some of the big vaping kits dissipates very quickly. I still don't understand why if cigarette and cigars are banned so are vaping devices, at least the small ones.

[spidermike007]

This will never, ever apply to Koh Samui. Smoking laws have never been enforced there. When I used to walk into a restaurant there, I would ask where is the non smoking section? They would say, oh no problem sir, you can smoke anywhere. 

[Kalasin Jo]

And what of vaping? Still illegal to import or sell here though I haven't noticed it enforced, not I think illegal to use.

 

Vaping is very popular now in Europe, virtually odour free and what there is is usually pleasant. I use a liquid, to which nicotine can be added or not as you wish, flavoured with apple or berry fruits. The vapour from the big kits is impressive but soon completely dissipates,  smaller ones the size of a cigarette for discrete use in public are not I think a nuisance. Why is vaping always included in bans on smoking in public places? Not the same thing at all which unfortunately is why I still can't kick the cigarette habit!

 

Regarding this new law, what are the tobacco producers going to make of this? Soon the only place you will be legally able to smoke will be inside your own home, unless your outdoor area is far enough away from neighbours.

 

I  never smoke inside my own home and in other people's only if invited to do so, because even as a smoker I hate the lingering stale cigarette smoke odour that clings to and over time discolours everything. Not so vaping.

[morrobay]

9 hours ago, Kim J said:

Those that wish to partake should be forced to do so in their own homes where they will not offend / harm others.

No that doesn't work either. Especially in high density condos with decks/balconies. So they should be forced not to smoke unless completely isolated. That would not be on decks and balconies in condos, hotels, apts. By the way it's not the odour, there are a lot worse in Pattaya. The problem is the coughing, irritation after inhaling second hand smoke. 

[johng]

After they get rid of all the smokers...it will be those not exercising enough,then those not eating healthy enough and those drinking to much alcohol,too much Facebook etc etc etc

[morrobay]

14 minutes ago, johng said:

After they get rid of all the smokers...it will be those not exercising enough,then those not eating healthy enough and those drinking to much alcohol,too much Facebook etc etc etc

Most likely the same people.

[johng]

Most likely the same people.

Yep the "deviants" who wear the wrong clothes,listen to the wrong music,vote for the wrong party etc etc

[cookieqw]

On 2/8/2019 at 10:46 AM, morrobay said:

Unfortunately these ignorant, obnoxious lowlife smokers are at least 50 % of the Pattaya population. All the way from lowlife locals, all these oblivious Asian male tourists , the typical lowlife white males everywhere and these sorry couples all ages walking around smoking with nothing better to do. Impossible to enforce short of army patrolling all over Pattaya. 

 

make all cigarettes stronger,  that'll solve the problem in a couple of decades

[cookieqw]

On 2/11/2019 at 3:19 AM, Kalasin Jo said:

I've said this all along. What is wrong with for example on the beaches having deckchair/ umbrella concessions that are non smoking and others that are for smokers, the concession providing ashtrays and making it clear cigarettes are not to be ground in to the sand. And smoking / non smoking areas in bars and restaurants, signified by one having ashtrays the other not? I am a smoker but I hate seeing butts tossed in the sand and all over pavements and streets. I carry my own tin to put them in. I was in Pattaya last week. Apart from the beach I noticed no changes on this. Open air bars and restaurants putting out ashtrays or providing them on request, not so inside...and that's fair enough. If I want to sit inside with aircon I don't smoke.

probably still smell of it tho

[cookieqw]

On 2/12/2019 at 2:20 AM, morrobay said:

No that doesn't work either. Especially in high density condos with decks/balconies. So they should be forced not to smoke unless completely isolated. That would not be on decks and balconies in condos, hotels, apts. By the way it's not the odour, there are a lot worse in Pattaya. The problem is the coughing, irritation after inhaling second hand smoke. 

they all sit in pub gardens now   very irritating

[cookieqw]

1 minute ago, cookieqw said:

they all sit in pub gardens now   very irritating

and dont get me started on vest's in eating areas,   mainly brits