Thailand might legitimize e-cigarettes

Authorities in Thailand might soon regulate and levy taxes on shisha tobacco and electronic cigarettes, according to a Phuket News story quoting officials at the Ministry of Finance.

Neither product is currently registered under any Thai laws; so both are illicit before the law.

However, shisha, known in Thailand as baragu, is increasingly popular among Thais and widely sold in nightclubs and restaurants; while electronic cigarettes have recently entered the Thai market.

Thai officials believe that amending the Tobacco Act of 1996 to include shisha and electronic cigarettes would allow the state to legitimize, regulate, and tax these products.