Thailand Electronic Cigarette Committee Releases Legislative Report: Proposing a Complete Ban on Electronic Cigarettes

Thailand Electronic Cigarette Committee Releases Legislative Report: Proposing a Complete Ban on Electronic Cigarettes

The chairman of the Special Committee on E-cigarette Legislation and Regulation in Thailand suggested that e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products be considered illegal, and proposed legislative measures to completely ban e-cigarettes. The relevant report will be submitted to the National Assembly to promote the implementation of the law.

According to Bangkokbiz News on December 26, Niyom Wiwattanaditkul, a member of the Pheu Thai Party in Phrae and chairman of the Special Committee on E-cigarette Legislation and Regulation, reported the results of the research and review of e-cigarette laws and regulatory measures with the members of the committee.

The member pointed out that the committee started working on September 27, 2023, and after in-depth review, it finally completed the relevant report on December 26. Due to the large amount of data and information involved, the review process took a long time. To ensure comprehensive review, the committee set up several subcommittees to study the improvement and enhancement of e-cigarette management laws, and put forward three major suggestions:

E-cigarettes and all heated tobacco products are considered illegal. It is recommended to revise the 2017 Customs Act to explicitly prohibit the import of e-cigarettes into Thailand and stipulate that the possession of e-cigarettes is an illegal act. At the same time, it is recommended to revise the 2014 Ministry of Commerce Notice to ban the import of e-cigarettes, hookahs and e-hookahs, and ensure legal clarity by clarifying the definition of tariffs.
Bring e-cigarette products under the scope of existing legal supervision. Revise the 2017 Customs Law and the 2014 Ministry of Commerce Notice to ensure that e-cigarettes and related products are strictly controlled. It is also recommended to ban the production, sale and use of e-cigarettes and their refills in accordance with the 2017 Product Safety Committee Order No. 24/2567.
Completely ban e-cigarettes through comprehensive legislation. It is proposed to enact a new law to make e-cigarettes illegal, covering their production, importation, sale, advertising, marketing, possession and use.

The committee also recommends using the 2017 Tobacco Products Control Act to regulate the import, advertising and use of e-cigarettes, while combining the Industrial Product Standards Act to control the quality of e-cigarette devices and non-nicotine ingredients.

Nyom concluded that the committee's report is ready to be submitted to Congress, but Congress will only vote on the committee's recommendations and will not directly vote on the content of the report. These recommendations will be submitted to the Cabinet for further implementation.