Thai Parliament Sets Up A Special Committee To Reassess E-cigarette Regulations And Explore The Possibility Of Legalizing New Types Of Tobacco

According to Baophapluat, as early as September 27, 2023, the Thai House of Representatives passed a proposal to establish a special committee to reassess the legal framework and management measures for e-cigarettes and new tobacco. So far, this committee has held 6 meetings to discuss various issues related to this product line, including the usage of young people.
At a meeting, the Thai Special Committee acknowledged that new tobacco is still being sold through smuggling, despite being banned since 2014, the number of e-cigarette users is increasing. This has brought many difficulties to the Thai government in taxation, anti-corruption, cracking down on the black market, addressing product safety or restricting young people's contact.
Jirat Thongsuwan, a member of the Progressive Party (Move Forward), raised a question: why is new tobacco illegal while conventional cigarettes are legal?
More importantly, the consequences of banning new types of cigarettes have created legal loopholes, exacerbating corrupt smuggling, bribery, and corruption among Thai officials. Moreover, not all tourists know that new tobacco is prohibited in Thailand because this product is still publicly sold and widely displayed.
Previously, Mr. Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society of Thailand, stated that a comprehensive ban on new tobacco is not the best solution for the country in the current social context. Chai Wu stated that the legalization of the product will bring taxes to the government and set standards for the tobacco industry.
From the above actions, some predict that Thailand may be the next country to consider legalizing new cigarettes, serving its tobacco reduction strategy according to its national policies.