Smoking ban to take affect on Feb 17th. Bollocks.

[Stan Smith]

Bangkok - Thailand took a step Friday to cement its reputation as Asia's "gold standard" for anti-smoking regulations by announcing a ban on lighting-up in pubs and clubs starting February 17. The new rule issued by the Public Health Ministry tightens earlier restrictions that prohibited smoking in restaurants. Open-air markets, where many Thais eat, are also to become no smoking zones.

 

Violators face fines of 2,000 baht (68 dollars).

 

Thailand moved to the forefront of the campaign against smoking in May 2005 by mandating that cigarette packaging must carry gruesome pictures of possible health consequences from smoking and forcing the removal of all cigarette advertising in retail stores.

 

Although Thailand's campaign to reduce smoking, which has met stiff resistance from tobacco companies, is admired in much of Asia, many Thai smokers are likely to deplore the latest restrictions, admitted Hatai Chitanond, a doctor at the Public Health Ministry's Health Promotion Institute.

 

"They won't like it," Hatai said. "They'll say we have gone too far. Our view is that smoking is so pernicious and damaging that we have a duty to protect our citizens."

 

The fight is being carried out in a region with some of the highest rates of growth in tobacco consumption.

 

Nearly 73 per cent of the men in Vietnam smoke while 70 per cent of Cambodian men do so and 68 per cent of Indonesians. In Thailand, estimated 12 million people smoke out of a population of 64 million people. Nearly 1.2 million of those smokers are teenagers.

 

The World Health Organization reckoned there are 1.3 billion smokers worldwide, of which about 650 million would die prematurely because of the habit.

 

It also predicted that the number of people dying annually from tobacco-related causes would rise from 5 million to 10 million by 2020 without firm preventative measures.

 

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/172185.html

 

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Well, for us smokers, lets hope that this ban is enforced as harshly as the prostitution ban has been enforced over the years....

 

 

[Flashermac]

My university has signs all over the police banning smoking and stating a 2000 baht fine for violators. Students stand right next to the signs and smoke.

 

 

 

[Neo]

This is the 3rd smoking ban I have seen in Thailand. As a non-smoker, the first two had absolutely 0 detectable impact anywhere I go. Is there any reason to expect this one will be any different?

 

[wonderlust]

It would be good if it did but who enforces the law in gogo bars?

[samak]

i do not agree! most of the indoor restaurants with aircondition are now smoke free. that's quite a change to a couple of years ago and in comparison to countries like china, korea or japan!

[Neo]

The wording of an earlier ban said it bans everywhere that serves food indoors with AC, but it never worked out that way. Places like Hard Rock, Tawan Daeng, and all others I may choose to dine at are full of smoke. That's interesting to hear it did come into play in restaurants on your list.

 

That is why I am skeptical this one bans "pubs and clubs". Does anyone really think this will extend to gogo's and such?

 

[Stan Smith]

Umm. I wonder if this law is applicable when i next visit Lolitas on Soi 8 and they ask me if 'i want smoking'.

[samak]

The wording of an earlier ban said it bans everywhere that serves food indoors with AC, but it never worked out that way. Places like Hard Rock, Tawan Daeng, and all others I may choose to dine at are full of smoke.

 

there was a exception on venues with music or bars serving food. but in normal indoor restaurants with AC it is pretty much implemented.

for example in Opera, you can't smoke in the main restaurant and in the Pizzeria, but in the Winetheque/Bar you can. same in Log Cabin: smoking possible in the main area with the live band, no smoking in the japanese or steak restaurant

 

[Old Hippie]

I hate cigarette smoke, sort of glad they want to ban it in places I might go. But then going to a night club and or bar, you sort of accept that people smoke, thus it goes with the territory. Tough call.

[Robbie9god]

Not sure how it will work out in LOS but here in Ireland they banned smoking from all indoor work places including pubs and clubs.I'm a smoker and was totally against it,but wouldn't change it back now.I smoke far less and having to stand outside the door smoking is a great way to meet female smokers.If only it was as warm here as Bangkok!!