Phuket – Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Director-General Jatuporn Buruspat says that no tourists have been found smoking on Patong Beach following the issuance of the new smoking ban.
Jatuporn visited Patong Beach, one of the 24 beaches in Phuket where the ban has been enforced, and found that tourists are complying with the new rule and are smoking only in designated areas.
26 locations have been designated for smoking to keep the beach clean. It has also been found that the number of smokers in the vicinity of the beach has declined.
Jatuporn added that the Ministry of Public Health is currently drafting a law to prohibit smoking in public places.
