Thai Parliament Considers Strict Regulations on E-Cigarettes Legislation

According to Bangkokbiz News on December 26th, Thailand's Palang Pracharath Party MP and Chairman of the special committee on e-cigarette legislation and regulation, Niyom Wiwattanaditkul, along with committee members, presented the research and deliberation results on e-cigarette laws and regulations.

The lawmaker pointed out that the committee began its work on September 27, 2023, and after thorough deliberation, finally completed its report on December 26. Due to the large amount of data and information involved, the deliberation process took a long time. In order to ensure a comprehensive review, the committee specifically established several subcommittees to study ways to improve and enhance e-cigarette regulation laws, and put forward three major recommendations.

E-cigarettes and all heated tobacco products should be considered illegal goods. It is recommended to amend the 2017 Customs Act to explicitly prohibit the import of e-cigarettes into Thailand and stipulate that possessing e-cigarettes is illegal. Furthermore, it is suggested to amend the 2014 Ministry of Commerce announcement to ban the import of e-cigarettes, hookahs, and electronic hookahs, and ensure clarity in the law by defining tariffs. E-cigarette products should be brought under current legal regulations. Amending the 2017 Customs Act and the 2014 Ministry of Commerce announcement will ensure strict control over e-cigarettes and related products. It is also recommended to prohibit the production, sale, and use of e-cigarettes and their liquid supplements in accordance with the Product Safety Commission Order 24/2567 of 2017. A comprehensive law banning e-cigarettes completely should be proposed. A new law should be enacted to illegalize e-cigarettes, covering all aspects of production, import, sale, advertising, marketing, possession, and use.

The committee also recommended utilizing the 2017 Tobacco Control Act to regulate the importation, advertising, and use of e-cigarettes, while also incorporating the Industrial Product Standards Act to control the quality of e-cigarette devices and non-nicotine components.

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