Thailand ‘Flooded’ by Untaxed Cigarettes

Thailand’s tobacco trade has seen an increase in internet sales of illegal cigarettes, flooding the market with illegal, untaxed cigarettes, according to The Nation Thailand.

Illegal tobacco products have gone viral online thanks to low operation costs and the ability to avoid police or customs inspections, according to Thanyasarun Sangthong, director of the Thai Tobacco Trade Association (TTTA).

“Meanwhile, illegal tobacco sellers can access as many different groups of customers [online] as they want,” she said.

A TTTA survey showed that online trade of illicit tobacco products increased 97 percent from July to September of last year. Twitter saw the bulk of illegal trades at 91 percent, followed by Facebook at 9 percent.

“There are three reasons why illegal tobacco is popular among netizens: the cheap price compared to legal products, the taste and convenient trade channels,” Sangthong said.