Thailand Cracks Down on E-Cigarettes: Severe Penalties Announced

Thailand e-cigarette crackdown

Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has declared a resolute stance against electronic cigarettes, vowing to pursue a relentless crackdown on the prohibited products. In a Facebook post on March 19, 2025, the Prime Minister highlighted recent police raids on an e-cigarette warehouse and the arrest of a major operator, urging the Customs Department and Ministry of Finance to expand their efforts to apprehend other key players, including shipping companies that violate the law.

Shinawatra emphasized the government’s commitment to enforcing existing legal measures, including the strict sealing of border areas. She called for cooperation from security agencies, military, police, DSI, and OCPB officials in gathering intelligence and preventing new imports of e-cigarettes. The Prime Minister stated, “All these are proactive measures that the government will continue to pursue relentlessly.”

Concurrently, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has disclosed the severe penalties for electronic cigarettes, underlining the relevant legal punishments:

  1. Ministry of Commerce Announcement B.E. 2557 (2014):
    Prohibits the import of e-cigarettes into the Kingdom, with violators facing imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine equal to 5 times the value of the goods, or both.
  2. Order of the Committee on Product and Service Safety No. 24/2567 (2024):
    Prohibits the sale or service provision of e-cigarettes, with offenders subject to imprisonment not exceeding 3 years or a fine not exceeding 600,000 baht, or both.
  3. Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017):
    – Prohibits the purchase or possession of e-cigarettes, with violators facing imprisonment not exceeding 5 years, a fine equal to 4 times the value of the goods, or both.
    – The act also prohibits importing goods without customs clearance, with offenders subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, a fine equal to 4 times the value of the goods, or both, along with confiscation of the goods.
Thailand penalties for e-cigarettes
Matthew Ma
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