Guide to Traveling to Thailand: Notes on Vaping
If you are a vaper planning to visit the “Land of Smiles,” Thailand, make sure to read this guide on vaping in Thailand.
You may be wondering whether you should bring your vape device, risk purchasing it there, or worse, switch to smoking cigarettes during your trip. Although this is not my first international adventure, my time in Thailand was the first time I truly felt out of my comfort zone as a vaper. Therefore, I want to share some things you need to know before your trip. Some of these things I knew before going there, but some were shocking surprises.
What you need to know before traveling to Thailand as a vaper:
- Vaping is completely banned in Thailand
Yes, vaping has been banned in Thailand since 2014. Mods, juices, and disposable vapes are explicitly prohibited. There is no excuse. Even if you can prove that the vape is for personal use, the authorities will not accept it. If caught, you’re in trouble. - You could go to jail for vaping or possessing a vape
There are various penalties. Being caught vaping or even just possessing a vape could result in a fine of 30,000 Baht (about 910 USD) or/and a jail sentence of up to 5 years. Fortunately, there have been no known cases of someone being sentenced to five years in prison for vaping; when people are caught, they are usually forced to bribe the police or spend a few days in jail and pay an actual fine. - Tourists also get caught
This is not common knowledge among travelers. Many people think that this law does not apply to tourists, but this is not the case. Although Thai people are usually the victims of the ban, there have been many news reports of tourists being caught vaping and heavily fined. The most recent case was in January 2023 when a Taiwanese actress was caught with a vape and extorted for 27,000 Baht (about 800 USD) by Thai police while she was stopped and searched at a checkpoint in a taxi with her friends during a night out in Bangkok. - You can still buy disposable devices
This is where it gets tricky. The black market for vapes is thriving in Thailand, and you can buy disposable vapes on every street corner in big cities or small islands. No matter where you go, you’ll find colorful devices in various flavors in the street markets; you can even order online and have it delivered to your door. That’s why tourists assume it’s safe to vape in public places, which is sometimes true but not always.
The price of disposable vapes ranges from 300-600 Baht (about 9-18 USD). Despite the ban, Thailand’s illegal vape market has grown dramatically in recent years. In 2019, its total value was estimated at between 3 to 6 Billion Baht (about 100 – 200 million USD), which is still only about 5% of Thailand’s entire nicotine industry.
However, if you decide to buy these disposable products, be careful because they are either locally made or illegally imported from China. No one can tell you what’s inside them or how safe they are to use.
- It’s relatively safe to vape privately
If you take the risk of bringing your vape from home (which most tourists do) or buying a questionable disposable device (which many tourists also do), be careful where you use it. Generally speaking, if you vape in public places in big cities like Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket, you could get into trouble. Most likely, no one will care if you vape on smaller islands like Koh Phi Phi or Koh Pha Ngan, but I still wouldn’t recommend it.
If you can’t stay away from vaping or are at risk of returning to smoking, at least vape privately. Usually, restaurants and bars will allow you to vape without caring, but remember the risks you’re taking if a local police officer notices you.
If you still feel brave enough to vape in tourist spots, in front of security or police officers, they might not disturb you, but if they do, remember that you broke the law. Stay calm and don’t argue; all you can do is try to negotiate a discount on any fine issued.
Of course, we certainly do not encourage people to practice harm reduction in private!