Brits holidaying in Thailand are warned to leave their e-cigarettes at home or face PRISON
The Foreign Office warns that any e-cigarettes found by Thai officials are likely to be confiscated, with the owner fined or sent to prison for up to ten years
BRITS travelling to Thailand are being warned to leave their e-cigarettes behind or risk ending up in prison.
Vaping was banned in the country in 2014, but many tourists are unaware of the new law.
According to the Foreign Office, any e-cigarettes found by Thai officials are likely to be confiscated, with the owner fined or sent to prison for up to ten years.
Pat Waterton who works at the travel agency Langley Travel revealed that she was unaware of the rules until a family member was fined for possession of an e-cigarette.
Pat’s nephew James was forced to pay a £125 fine and even threatened with prison.
She told Travel Weekly: “I got a message from my sister saying James had been arrested in Thailand because he had an e-cigarette.
“He managed to pay the policeman, who had told him he could go to jail. Ten years seems a long time to go to prison for smoking an e-cigarette.”
She added: “If I’m selling Thailand I will definitely mention it now. All agents should.
“Thailand is very popular so we should make sure we are telling people about things that could ruin a holiday.”
There was initially some confusion after the ban in 2014, with vapers suggesting that the laws simply affected anyone trying to import or sell e-cigarettes and that anyone simply using them to vape.
But a police officer on a popular Thai police Facebook page has since revealed that anyone found in possession could still face jail time.
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Policewoman Sirirat Piankaew explained on the "Muat Ka" page that even though there is no specific law that forbids possession of e-cigarettes, because are untaxed good they are also illegal.
The penalty for possession ranges from a fine worth four times the value of the goods to a lengthy stint in prison.
The country isn’t alone in the ban - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam have all outlawed the import and sale of e-cigarettes.
