Smokers should know!
“Thailand Nationwide Ban on Smoking in pub, clubs takes effect”
BANGKOK, Feb 11 – A national ban on smoking in pubs, restaurants and discos, as well as public areas including Thailand's famed Jatujak weekend market, means big changes for smokers, as people who ignore the regulations can be fined as much as 2,000 baht (US$65)
Chalermpan Kiewpradit, director of Jatujak Market (also called JJ Market), said shoppers and international visitors alike are now not permitted to smoke within its 27.2 acre area, following the putting into effect of a smoking ban in public space by the Ministry of Public Health.
The regulation took effect Monday, prohibiting 10,000 shop vendors and 200,000 visitors from lighting their cigarettes in the area.
Vendors can be fined as much as 20,000 baht if they violate the ban on their premises.
Jatujak Market authorities said they will distribute smoking ban brochures and post signs in at least five languages, including Thai, English, Korean, Chinese and Japanese, to inform tourists of the new regulation.
However, smokers are permitted to smoke in designated areas.
Jatujak Market, a must-see Bangkok location for international visitors, has brightened weekends of Bangkokians and tourists alike for several decades, with its variety of goods and bargaining cultures. (Source: MCOT News)