Ten Years In Jail For Smoking E-Cig

Do you own an e-cig? You know those devices which are designed to help people stop smoking?

Well if the answer is yes to this, and you are caught in possession of one in Thailand, you could face up to ten years in prison and a whopping great fine too.

It is illegal to bring the devices into Thailand it seems.

One report from the manager of Langley Travel, Pat Waterton, said she was unaware of the law until her nephew James was forced to pay a £125 when caught using one in Bangkok. He was threatened with the prospect of going to jail before he coughed up.

The Foreign Office website for the UK has a paragraph stating “These items are likely to be confiscated and you could be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.”

Pat Waterton added “I got a message from my sister saying James had been arrested in Thailand because he had an e-cigarette. He managed to pay the policeman, who had told him he could go to jail. Ten years seems a long time to go to prison for smoking an e-cigarette.”

Premier Holidays managing director Susan Papworth said “Thailand is a big destination for us and since the law has come into force about e-cigarettes, we are incorporating the country’s customs and immigration information into all our customers’ itineraries.

Often the laws in Thailand can be baffling. When you consider the paltry 2000 baht (under £40) fine imposed on the man caught masturbating in front of a female passenger, whilst driving his taxi, to the sentence and fine in this case, it makes no sense at all.

However, it is the law and visitors and expats alike should pay heed before you are caught.

Always check the laws of a country before visiting or you could end up being fined or jailed for something that you consider to be normal.

Source: Travel Weekly Content: TPVS