The special operations team from the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), the Royal Thai Police, and other relevant agencies launched a significant raid targeting e-cigarette retailers near educational facilities in the capital’s core, affecting five stores.
During the operation, authorities confiscated over ten thousand e-cigarette devices and refills in areas close to a well-known university in Ratchadapisek, as well as the Chatuchak and Wangthonglang districts, Bangkok.
The devices, some of which are disguised as toys, are raising concerns due to their increasing popularity among students without their parents’ knowledge.
Puangpet Chunlaead, Minister attached to the Office of the Prime Minister, highlighted the particular danger e-cigarettes pose to children and teenagers. In response, the government plans to intensify crackdowns and will establish a special task force dedicated to this issue. This decision follows previous enforcement actions that saw minimal arrests, attributed to information leaks. There are plans to consult with the legal department to toughen penalties.
The OCPB underscores the illegal status of e-cigarettes, including their import, sale, or distribution. The prohibition extends to hookahs, electric hookahs, e-cigarettes, and related substances or e-liquid refills. Violators risk facing up to three years in jail, fines up to 600,000 baht, or both. (NNT)
