On January 7, the cabinet of Thailand approved a proposal from the Ministry of Education that prohibits students from possessing electronic cigarettes and electronic baraku. Those items join cigarettes and narcotics on the nation’s list of prohibited items under the Child Protection Act.
E-cigarettes and baraku (also known as water pipes or hookahs) are already illegal in Thailand, but are still widely available. E-baraku is a fairly new item that allows users to imitate smoking a cigarette.
Deputy government spokesman Karom Ponpornklang said there would be four levels of punishment for students, climbing from warning to probation to deduction of behavioral points to behavioral modification activities. Education minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob said the ministry did not have the right to confiscate banned items, so other parties would have to be responsible for preventing their spread.