Smoking ban on Hua Hin and Thai beaches, jail time for offenders

[bsdk1960]

If I wasn't married to a Thai I would serius consider find a new new place to use my salery,it seems they come up whit more stupid ideas than all other contries together .
I'm don't smoke anymore

[HHTel]

I'm a smoker. I have never understood why smokers don't put out their butt and dispose of it properly. Mine go in my pocket until I find a recepticle.

Me too. It's no big deal.

But this country and it's laws get sillier and sillier. No wonder the world laughs.

[caller]

I'm a non-smoker, but as a stand alone exercise it's a waste of space, energy and time. When you consider all the food vendors that wander up and down selling prawns or whatever on plastic trays that end up as rubbish and I have seen whole families sitting on a mat on the beach get up and leave all their rubbish - drinks cartons, plastic bags, packs of this and that and no-one blinks an eyelid. Discarding rubbish without any consideration for the environment or other people is endemic in this Country and who Polices it? No-one! Education plus visible enforcement Is the only way to change things and that will never happen here. And I agree that by and large Hua Hin's beaches are pretty filthy.

[m_right]

About time. Some smokers are real arrogant pigs.

So are some non-smokers.

[HHTel]

About time. Some smokers are real arrogant pigs.

So are some non-smokers.

Someone had to say it. Well done!

[PeteC]

I'm a smoker. I have never understood why smokers don't put out their butt and dispose of it properly. Mine go in my pocket until I find a recepticle.

That''s your military background. I used to do the same thing. Hold it with your thumb and index finger, flick off the lit end with the fingernail on your middle finger, left over tobacco follows it out unto the ground, put the remainder in your pocket. That may actually be in a manual somewhere. Pete

[Takiap]

About time. Some smokers are real arrogant pigs.

Yep, I think it must be the tobacco or one of the additives found in the tobacco because to be honest, I have never in my life come across an arrogant non-smoker.

Other than smokers, the only other times I've experienced arrogance is among vehicle owners who insist on burning copious amounts of highly toxic fuel in public spaces.

[Takiap]

I'm a smoker. I have never understood why smokers don't put out their butt and dispose of it properly. Mine go in my pocket until I find a recepticle.

That''s your military background. I used to do the same thing. Hold it with your thumb and index finger, flick off the lit end with the fingernail on your middle finger, left over tobacco follows it out unto the ground, put the remainder in your pocket. That may actually be in a manual somewhere. Pete

I though that was just a South African Defense Force" procedure hahaha. If we had been caught flicking a cigarette butt onto the ground all hell would have broken loose, and not only for the offender either, but also for the rest of the squad.


It's amazing how some traits/habits which are enforced in the military never leave you, even after decades. I can think of so many other examples as well. In fact, I think the world would be a far better place if every person had to spend at least some in the military.


I know of one soi here in Hua-Hin which is occupied almost entirely by retired military personnel, and it must be the cleanest soi in this country, absolutely spotless, with everyone in the road doing their share to keep it that way. Occasionally I'll sit and have a beer at the only shop in the soi, and it really is like a breath of fresh air. Everything arranged neatly, no rubbish to be seen anywhere, a spotless toilet, and wonderful owners as well. I've often wondered how they feel about the filth and chaos they encounter the minute they leave their soi.


Anyway, to get back to the beach smoking ban....................



I seriously doubt that there has ever been a single person who decided not to spend their holiday in Thailand simply because people were allowed to smoke on the beaches here. On the other hand, if I were still young, free and single, and I heard you were not allowed to smoke on the beaches in Thailand, I probably would never have come here. Naturally, I would have thought that if you cannot even have a cigarette on the beach, what other draconian are there.

While this new law may not have a big impact on tourism, I firmly believe that it will deter some people from visiting, and for Thailand's sake, let's hope all the Chinese smokers don't decide to go elsewhere because of this.


Seriously, they might as well put signs up on the beaches that say this new law only applies to tourists and expats because let's face it, how many Thais would ever be able to pay a 100K fine.

Oh, and have the authorities forgotten that when two tourists were hacked to death on a beach on Koh Tao, a discarded cigarette but was a crucial piece of evidence that allowed the case to be "solved" so quickly and efficiently?

[laphanphon]

About time. Some smokers are real arrogant pigs.

So are some non-smokers.

No doubt.............and not in denial of

........68 k - 138 k butts.......no doubt.....confirmed over and over. Just rude

[Bluesky]

Not sure how the jet ski and horse jockeys will cope with this.

[RCer]

That''s your military background. I used to do the same thing. Hold it with your thumb and index finger, flick off the lit end with the fingernail on your middle finger, left over tobacco follows it out unto the ground, put the remainder in your pocket. That may actually be in a manual somewhere. Pete

Yup, they even have a name for it, Field Stripping. Lol

[hhinner]

Pity vaping is illegal. No butts.

[buksida]

A representative of the Hua Hin authority has indicated that he thinks a 2,000 baht fine would be reasonable for smokers caught puffing on the resorts beaches next month.

The statement - reported by Thai Rath - came after alarm was caused Tuesday when environmental agencies announced a 20 beach ban that could lead to a year in jail and a 100,000 baht fine.

But - perhaps worryingly for smokers - Hua Hin also announced that "tetsakit", tourist police and what was termed "beach police" would be patrolling to enforce the ban.

The local TAT has also thrown their support behind the ban saying they want to make tourists happy.

Jirawat Phramanee of the Hua Hin local authority said regarding the fines that they were "looking into what is reasonable". He mentioned 2,000 baht.

The ban would apply to a 12 kilometer stretch of beach from the Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villa to Koh Tao beach.

Personally he said that he agrees with the ban as it is a public place and he wants to see cigarettes banned for sale in the area too.

Signs would be erected in three languages - Thai, English and Chinese. And there would be a designated smoking area on each beach.

He said that municipal officers (tetsakit), tourist police and what he termed "beach police" would be around to enforce the law.

Though he said he expected warnings would be issued first.

The ban is expected to come in on November 1st.

Meanwhile Orasa Awutkhom of the Prajuap tourist authority said she also agreed with the ban.

"Second hand smoke is annoying," she said, "and we want the tourists coming here to be happy. The ban will help to keep our beaches cleaner".

While Seksan Janthorn, a consumer advocate said that the authorities should announce what beaches have been given awards for cleanliness citing three south of Hua Hin that have achieved "five star" status.

These are Laem Sala, Sam Roi Yort in the national park and Ao Manao, he said.

https://www.thairath.co.th/content/1095175

[Big Boy]

Ah, that's not so bad then. The smokers can still bathe in front of the Hilton, which is probably the most popular area anyway.

[crazy88]

Well I think a fine for putting any rubbish anywhere where it should not be is fair enough; There are plenty of public bins around and you get paid for recyclables . I am a smoker and if in an open air restaurant walk away or make sure the fan is positioned to prevent smoke blowing towards other people .I do think 2k is fair enough if you are ignorant enough to flick your butts onto a beach, or anywhere in fact; 100k and a complete ban on smoking is a bit steep to say the least. I wonder if it counts if you are in a bar or restaurant

Crazy 88