Proposed Thai Laws for Vaping in Thailand

What is the update in Bkk ? I do see less vapers to be honest, but I also go out much less. Are they still chasing around, forcing people to hide or the vape hype is simply fading away ?

 

I've been in Phuket for a while now and have had a couple of my Thai employees warning about vaping in public and potential for needing to pay a goodly fine with confiscation if caught by the police. I don't think there's been any increase in checkpoints and in my normal out-and-abouts haven't run across a single one. However, I know they exist, probably nearer ascertainment areas like roads leading in or out of Patong (Where I don't really don't personally visit.). I'm pretty certain they are not exclusively for the purpose of catching ecigs but rather anything and everything possible. Wouldn't doubt though if an ecig is found that a fine is mandatory.

I keep my vaping on the down-low, even when in my car at intersections and more congested traffic areas, otherwise, if I'm on an open stretch with good visibility, I'll let lose with some nice trailing clouds and I vape outside our office when I take breaks without much concern.

I'm basically prepared to pay a fine if it comes to it because I am not going to altogether stop bringing my vapes with me when I go out. It's infuriating the ridiculous ignorance here and elsewhere when it comes to vaping!

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Just to add and repeat what others have said here, don't be an arse and blow giant clouds in close proximity of non-vapers and be safe with batteries, especially when using unregulated mods. Failing these things just makes things worse for everyone. @Tibo: Not directed at you but rather the newcomers or ignorant!

 

I agree with you: not only an illegal e-cig problem
I live in Isaan, at this time police and army at the control look at the eyes and at the comportment, sometime they even don't want to look your license. For sure if big clouds run away from your car it's a jack pot.

 

Never in the past had any problems from BiB in Isaan, but then I never vaped at a checkpoint and always put it away. Once or twice it has been seen and only curiosity was shown.That was a long time ago though.

Now not a problem though as I have basically given up nicotine and so vaping for over a month now.

 

I don't vape big clouds..

You are right @Scratchy , more than ever it seems we should keep a low profile. While I haven't follow the news much regarding vaping in Thailand, somehow I practically stopped vaping in public. I just felt while it does not bother people in Europe, Thai people see it almost as annoying as cigarette. So I apply the same rules I did when I was a smoker, I don't smoke around people unless it is a smoking area.

I vaped in my office though, my staff don't care. I'll be damned if they give me up to the police..

 

Yep.

10th of Feb was my last Vape and last nicotine.

Vaping stopped being a hobby a while ago and turned in to just a way to get the Nic fix (same as smoking did). I probably would have continued but it is getting harder all the time to get gear here and more hazardous to vape out and about. That combined with the new laws recently, that are very open to being interpreted any way the BiB see fit, and I decided enough was enough and to try to quit sooner than later.

MUCH easier than quitting cigarettes too. Still miss it terribly though but not the nic as much as the process of hand to mouth.

Surprisingly though I have noticed a bit of difference in my breathing too. Slight improvement when exercising.

 

Kind of where I am now. But I still "need" my vape, I enjoy it a lot at certain time but not enough to make me buy gears or get curious about juice.

 

Truthfully that was my feeling as well. I NEEDED that vape. The nic hit and flavour. I haven't bought any gear from outside Thailand in a couple of years or so and juice was all sourced locally as well. Then, when I was getting ready to go to Vietnam for a trip, the possible hassle of getting gear back in to LOS, or do I buy there and abandon, take old gear and abandon, I just decided to try no vape and see what happened. I KNEW where I could get some gear within 10 minutes of my hotel so thought "Why not". Much easier than I expected.

 

I just did a 12 day trip to Thailand.
Arrived in BKK for 1 day and night there and then went to Pattaya.

I carried my juice in 30ml bottles in my hand luggage with my toiletries along with a broken down tank. I carried 3 mods in various pockets in my rucksack and a bottle of juice with the label removed. I also removed my tank from my mod and put them in different areas as I went through screening at DBX and BKK airports. I didn't get "pulled" at either airport.

I vaped out and about in Bangkok but not walking in the street. In the bars I just sort of stealth vaped. No one said anything or even noticed. I don't sub ohm so I don't specialise in blowing plooms anyway.

In Pattaya I did pretty much the same. I didn't vape on the main roads and was stealthy down the alleys. In the bars if they were next to a main road I was careful and if they were out of sight I just carried on as normal.
There's an outside bar (used to be a VW camper van) outside Mike's Shopping centre. I went there for a long Island iced tea most nights and stealth vaped. Interestingly there was a traffic cop turned up a couple of nights for a drink. One of the food stall holders there was openly blowing great clouds whilst the cop was there. Neither of them seemed the slightest bit bothered.

I packed my kit the same way for my homeward flight, with no problems at either BKK or DXB.

My previous visit was last November. I was completely unaware of the current situation and vaped openly everywhere all the time. No one batted an eyelid.

So, if you're careful and keep an eye out for the police you'll probably be ok.....from my experience. Unless you get stopped at a road block of course.

I do hope this "blows over" with time...if you'll pardon the pun. It must be so annoying if you live there.

 

Yup, it is

 

Thanks for a great post...

 

Being forced to go out to little "smoking areas", getting the stink-eye from non-smokers, and knowing you could get a 2,000B fine for smoking in non-smoking areas or dropping a butt on the street was annoying.

Having the police dangle a law with a five-year prison sentence over your head and asking for whatever fine they desires is more than annoying, it's outrageous.