New Law today!No smoking in public!!!

[BKKSTAN]

The Nation


Smokers forbidden to light up in public areas

From now on, smokers will find it harder than ever to find a place to light up because every public area will be a smoke-free zone following the latest ministerial order from the Public Health Minister.

According to the order, which takes effect today, offenders will face a Bt2,000 fine, while owners who allow smoking on their premises or fail to place a no-smoking notice will be charged up to Bt20,000.

The ban forbids smoking on public transport, at bus stops, in elevators, public phone booths, libraries, theatres, children's playgrounds, drugstores, meeting rooms, massage parlours and spas.

Smoking in indoor stadiums is also banned - excluding snooker rooms. The ban on smoking also includes schools and educational institutes.

Air-conditioned areas in art exhibition halls, galleries, museums, shopping malls, barbershops, Internet cafes and karaoke booths are also no-smoking zones.

The ban includes the lobbies of hotels, resorts, condominiums, apartments and restaurants, excluding entertainment areas.

Smokers are still allowed to smoke in their personal offices, individual rooms or rooms provided as smoking areas.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla yesterday held a press conference to launch the 17th ministerial order and place no-smoking labels at Hua Lampong Railway Station.

He said 52,000 Thais died a year from smoking-related diseases, especially lung cancer and heart disease. It cost the country more than Bt50 billion in healthcare services for patients with lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema.

A no-smoking law has already been enforced in covered areas of restaurants and public places that were air-conditioned.

"This ministerial order has added more no-smoking places. The ban is to protect the health of non-smoking people from 4,000 kinds of toxin in tobacco smoke," the minister said.

Mongkol encouraged anyone witnessing an offence to call 02-590-3342.

Mongkol has also tried every means to reduce alcohol consumption. Even though the Council of State's ruling invalidated his ministry's Food and Drug Administration-initiated move to comprehensively ban alcohol advertising, the ministry is exploring other legal channels

[BKKSTAN]

This should really cause an uproar Imagine what would happen if they apply a reward system to informants Or split the fines with the police as they do with traffic citations
Lets see,''I will be back home early today dear because I will make 10,000 baht from the falang bar''

[macduff]

Well this law could not come soon enough for me. i've detested smoking from the outset and i'll be glad i can go home without smelling of cigarettes. Case closed

[Doc]

No doubt this will be another law that is only selectively enforced. That is good news for us smokers.

[skipvice]

Iam not a smoker,quit years ago,but this law will be a nightmare to inforce, most thais will just keep on smoking were ever they want and not pay any attention to the law.

[rickfarang]

I applaud the intention, but it seems a little heavy-handed.

If this was proceeded by public debate and some education (brainwashing), it would probably be successful.

If I didn't know better, one would think that they just want to get these laws on the books before democracy is restored.

Just at thought.

[Paul]

The Nation


Smokers forbidden to light up in public areas


A no-smoking law has already been enforced in covered areas of restaurants and public places that were air-conditioned.

OH Really ?????

Enforced ????????

When did this happen ?

Nothing can be more annoying than an inconsiderate smoker blowing smoke my way in an air conditioned restaurant when I want to simply enjoy my food

In my own personal opinion - there are very few smokers who have any sort of respect for others when disgarding their 'second hand - once round their lungs' exhaled smoke.

I assume smokers cannot smell the smoke in quite the same way as a non-smoker. To me its just as bad and repulsive as an extra smelly fart blown deliberately in my direction.

Other 'vices' such as drinking or even picking your nose do not affect others in the slightest - whereas smoke gets everyehere - especially as the song goes "in your eyes" LOL

[Mainer]

The Nation


Smokers forbidden to light up in public areas

Stan, what is the date on that newspaper article? I notice they gave an old telephone number ( no #8 ).

I have noticed for some time there is a "No Smoking" sign in a hotel restaurant where I frequent. When I am bothered by smoke, I ask the girls in the reatauarant about it. They shug their shoulders.

If that is in today's newspaper, I will get a copy to present to the hotel owner.

Good news...

[laphanphon]

on the online version of nation and post today

[BKKSTAN]

Like many laws here,selectively enforced,like littering,jaywalking,speeding..............etc.etc.The problem is when they are selectively enforced,the falang is usually the recipient!Why waste time on Thais that can't afford the fines!
In Bangkok they have the litter and jaywalking signs are in English!
The big deal on this one,as I see it,is the 20,000 baht fine to the owner of a business!
I quit smoking 33 years and like most non-smokers,I hate the smell left in my clothes and I especially hate smoke in the air while I am eating.I selectively ask people to not smoke or ,most often,I move!
I hope the law helps smokers be more considerate and responsible,but I also hope the law is not used to scalp the falangs!
If they do get serious about enforcement,I can see some nasty altercations between folks and possibly more deaths than second hand smoke may cause!

[Doc]

Damn. Some of you guys sound worse than Fundamental Christians (Bible Thumpers) when it comes to smoking.

I agree that some courtesy must be shown to the non-smokers. I try to be courteous when I smoke. However, I don't have too much tolerance for the non-smokers who are fanatical in their zeal for non-smoking environments.

What needs to be remembered is that here in Thailand business owners are going to cater to the biggest spenders who patronize their establishments. The non-smoker who shows up for a meal once a month doesn't really have much "right" to demand compliance with the law when it is the smokers and those who do not mind the smoke who are there three times a week. Economics demand that a business owner cater to those who are putting butter on his bread on a regular basis.

If you are a non-smoker and sitting in the smoking section of a bar or restaurant and want to complain about my smoking I fear that I will tell you to get over it. Go to the non-smoking section.

[BKKSTAN]

I agree Doc,but what do think the owner is going to do when the boys in brown come for their 20,000 baht

[FrazeeDK]

How many folks driving down the roads here have licenses?
valid insurance?
valid registrations?
Driving Drunk??
Driving an unsafe vehicle?
speeding?
driving recklessly? (Oh those speeding busses!)
Bar closing times?
Prositution of all stripes?
Violation of alcohol laws (near schools/Wats/etc)
Selling alcohol at certain hours
See the drug dogs checking all the vehicles coming over from Lao for Yah Bah??

on and on and on!

So, add yet another law.. ramp up an enforcement campaign and
fine the malefactors.. 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, slack off when the Gov't ministers find another pet moral project..

Hey, we've got New Year's coming up.. thousands of down country Isaan have made the trek home.. Drunks will be roaring about in packs. Police checkpoints are going up with the village volunteer police manning the sit down drunk tanks at each checkpoint.. I'll bet you'll see folks stopped, folks sat down, but do they put these guys in the can or are the numbers so great they can't do that? Do Bikes/cars/trucks get impounded or seized?? Do they really get big fines?? Can you squeeze blood from a rock??

My point?? There's plenty of laws needing some serous aggressive enforcement.. I don't smoke and utterly detest being around a smoky environment, but then again, I avoid smoky environments.. Seems to me, this law is silly and practically unenforceable and basically comes from an elitist upper cruster who should focus on truly serious problems....

[arjay]

If we are voting on smoking, I must add my voice to the I hate cigarette smoke lobby.

In addition to making my clothes (including things like underwear, socks, handkerchief!!), hair and skin smell, it also brings tears to my eyes (literally), makes me sneeze and my my nose run. And if bar or restaurant owners wonder why I sometimes don't linger in their bars, or why I walk back out shortly after having walked in, it's nothing personal, it's because of the amount of cigarette smoke in the air, or the number of smokers.

What does frustrate me is when I enter a restaurant, I take time to note where the smokers are and are not, and seat myself accordingly, away from them, or as recently - in the no smoking area - only to then have someone move right next to me and light up.

So I vote with my feet.

I had understood that all AC establishments such as schools, offices, shops and restaurants were required by law already to be non-smoking areas. The more laws they enact and enforce limiting the places people can smoke, the better, as far as I am concerned!

It also seems a shame to me, that unfortunately all too often, those that smoke seem oblivious to the those that prefer not to, and indeed to the affect of their smoke on those that prefer not to!!.

That's my 10 cents worth.

[Bump]

My 10 cents worth for yuo non smokers dream on not going to happen, didn't work the first time won't work this time either.

I won't fart in your direction and I do go outside to smoke at a resturant. I don't smoke in others homes or cars, but I do in mine.

To be honest reasonable restrictions don't bother me that much. But the bible belt folks on this subject really tick me off.

That might have been two setang but enough said from my side of the street.

[Paul]

Its not hard to see who are the smokers and the non smokers on this forum - LOL

I dont care what anyone does if it makes them happy, whether it be smoking, getting a soapy, getting stoned out of their mind every saturday night and throwing up the next morning - whatever.

There are not many of the above where a supplemetary person is made to suffer; uninvited the effects and actions of someone partaking in any of the above. And worse still their involuntary participation in a smokers 'enjoyment' can kill them or cut years off their life.

Smoking :- Must be one of the few 'vices' which gives so much pleasure to one and so much uncomfort to many more.

And as is seen by the above postings - most smokers don't give a hoot about others (I said most)

Smokers have no idea how their smoke affects others as they are not as sensitive to cigarette smoke as a non-smoker is.

[redbeard]

wouldnt need a ban if smokers were conciderate of nonsmokers

[Mainer]

Seems to me, this law is silly and practically unenforceable and basically comes from an elitist upper cruster who should focus on truly serious problems....

In case you missed his name, it is Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla. I personally think he is trying to make things better for the Thai people. I say this only from things I have read in the newspapers.

I agree with Arjay..... "So I vote with my feet."

[BKKSTAN]

Some people are considerate of others and some are not.It works both ways!
A non-smoker should not put himself in the position to deny the smoker his pleasure,if it is a smoking area or a venue where most people are smoking!
I think that a good ''rule'' to live by is first come ,first serve!
A smoker should be just as considerate about the non-smokers about them and apply the same ''rule''!
I commend Ray for his consideration of others as he always steps outside to smoke!

[Bump]

Ok it