Travellers heading to Thailand have been warned they risk 10 years in prison for taking an e-cigarette into the country.

Experts say as the ban on vaping introduced in the Land of Smiles in 2014 is little known, holidaymakers unaware might find themselves facing prosecution for having a drag and being fined or sent to jail.

Millions of tourists visit Thailand each year, according to the Foreign Office, and the South-East Asian country is a favourite among backpackers and gap-year students, for its accessibility and affordability.

Advice for tourists on the Foreign Office website states: “You can’t bring vaporisers (like e-cigarettes and e-baraku) or refills into Thailand.

“These items are likely to be confiscated and you could be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.

“The sale or supply of e-cigarettes and similar devices is also banned and you could face a heavy fine or up to five years imprisonment if found guilty. Several Tourists have been arrested for possession of vaporisers and e-cigarettes.”

There is no actual law against vaping or vapor products in Thailand. Instead, vapor products fall under customs law in a category called “goods that have not been taxed”. Here are the applicable laws:

• Customs Act 27 states that avoiding import duty taxation is tax evasion and against the law. Violating Customs Act 27 is punishable by fines, five years in jail or both. The fines are calculated based on the cost of the products that evaded taxation and they can be steep. The five years in jail is obviously the source of reports of going to jail for vaping.
  
  
• Customs Act 20 gives Thai law enforcement arrest powers without a warrant if you are deemed to be breaking the law. Basically, this provides the legal basis for arresting someone in possession of vapor products. Similar to “probable cause” in the United States.

We can debate the merits of the vaping laws in Thailand all day. At the end of the day, we are visitors in someone else’s home. Whether or not you can get away with it shouldn’t be a consideration. It was made clear to me by an official from the Royal Thailand Consulate that electronic cigarettes are against the law and not allowed. As visitors to their beautiful country, we should respect that.

That’s really the final analysis. First, we should not abuse the privilege of visiting Thailand by flaunting their laws. Second, there are potential consequences including arrest. Don’t vape in Thailand. Leave your vape gear and e-liquids at home. They will be there waiting for you when you get back.