Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police dismantled a large-scale illegal e-cigarette production and storage operation in Pattaya, arresting a 36-year-old Chinese national and seizing vaping products and equipment valued at more than 10 million baht ($320,000). Authorities recovered thousands of ready-to-use pods, empty cartridges, coils, devices, large quantities of e-liquid, and manufacturing equipment from a rented house used as the operation’s base. Police said the crackdown aligns with national efforts to curb the illegal trade of prohibited vaping products, particularly those distributed through online platforms and tourist areas.
Tag: Thailand
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Thailand Finding Rise of Narcotic-Laced Vapes
Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences (DMS) warned that e-cigarettes are increasingly being laced with etomidate, a short-acting anesthetic that poses serious risks to the brain, respiratory system, and other vital organs. Tests conducted between October 2024 and June 2025 found etomidate in 56 of 83 e-cigarette and equipment samples. The Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified etomidate as a Special Controlled Drug before elevating it to a Schedule 2 Psychotropic Substance on July 27, to enforce stricter importation and usage rules. Despite this, the anesthetic has been detected in e-cigarettes produced in Asia and in smuggled e-liquids entering Thailand.
Reports indicate that etomidate is being mixed with or substituted for nicotine in modified e-cigarettes known as “Zombie Cigarettes” or “Pot K.” The DMS has developed a testing method to detect the substance, which will aid police in drug suppression efforts. Authorities have also found e-cigarettes laced with narcotics such as cocaine and fentanyl, raising concerns about increased fatality risks among users.
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Thai Association Wants Meta to Crack Down on $16B Illegal Sales Market
Thailand’s Tobacco Trade Association (TTTA) called on the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to pressure Meta to crack down on the widespread sale of illegal cigarettes on Facebook, arguing that the platform has become the primary marketplace for contraband tobacco. TTTA executive director Thanyasarun Saengthong said sellers routinely evade detection by using abbreviations and product images, allowing them to bypass Facebook’s keyword filters. The association urged Meta to use its advanced AI tools to scan Groups, Marketplace listings, page names, and images for tobacco content, and warned that paid ads are being used to promote illegal products without age checks.
The TTTA cited internal Meta documents reported by Reuters, suggesting that up to 10% of Meta’s 2024 revenue—approximately $16 billion—may have come from deceptive ads and illicit goods, evidence, they say, of a serious enforcement failure. Under Thailand’s Tobacco Product Control Act, all online sale, display, and marketing of tobacco products is strictly prohibited. The TTTA argues Facebook’s inaction undermines Thai law and the government’s ongoing efforts to combat the contraband trade.
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ASEAN Could Lose $11B to Illicit Tobacco Trade by 2028
A policy brief by the Center for Market Education (CME) warns that Southeast Asian governments may lose more than $11 billion to illicit tobacco trade by 2028, averaging $3.7 billion annually.
Key national losses include:
- Malaysia: $770 million/year, nearly matching projected petrol subsidy savings.
- Philippines: $440 million/year, exceeding its $370 million disaster preparedness fund.
- Thailand: $560 million/year, with illicit products making up 28% of the market.
- Indonesia: $5 billion lost across three years, with illicit trade above 10% of the market.
CME notes these figures are conservative due to underreporting and uneven enforcement. CEO Dr. Carmelo Ferlito called for stronger cross-border collaboration, policy alignment, and transparency to reclaim lost revenue. Hayley van Loon, CEO of Crime Stoppers International, highlighted the link between illicit tobacco and organized crime, including narcotics, human trafficking, and counterfeit goods.
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Thailand’s Fast-Tracked Vape Ban Sparks Concerns
Thailand’s Cabinet approved amendments to the Tobacco Products Control Act, targeting e-cigarettes, on October 28, four days after Queen Sirikit’s passing, raising concerns over rushed policymaking during the national mourning period. Anti-vaping groups proposed a total ban to the House of Senators, which accepted it with minimal scrutiny before forwarding it to the Cabinet, which then tasked the Ministry of Public Health with leading a sub-committee to develop solutions within one month.
“Rushing through a total ban during national mourning demonstrates either disorganization or deliberate predatory timing,” said Asa Saligupta, president of Ends Cigarette Smoking Thailand. “Entrusting the process to those with clear biases risks outcomes that sideline evidence.”
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) warned that the ban ignores evidence-based approaches, risks driving adults to unregulated products, and overlooks safer alternatives like refillable devices and heat-not-burn options. Vaping users in Thailand have grown from 78,000 in 2021 to over 400,000 in 2024.
CAPHRA urged policymakers to focus on regulated harm-reduction strategies, environmental considerations, and using taxes on legal vaping products to protect youth, rather than prioritizing strict FCTC compliance at the expense of adult public health.
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Thailand Looks to Overhaul Tobacco Law Against E-Cigarette Surge
Thailand’s Cabinet ordered an urgent amendment to the Tobacco Products Control Act B.E. 2560 (2017) to address “the rapid spread of e-cigarette use, particularly among young people.” Official data show the number of Thai e-cigarette users aged 15 and above has surged from 78,000 in 2021 to more than 400,000 in 2024.
Deputy government spokesperson Airin Phanrit said the Cabinet endorsed recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission, assigning the Ministry of Public Health to lead the drafting process. The overhaul aims to regulate the production, import, sale, advertising, and use of e-cigarettes and other emerging nicotine products—both online and offline.
Authorities plan a public awareness campaign on vaping risks, stricter controls to prevent youth marketing, and stronger implementation of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 to limit tobacco industry influence. A full report on the proposed reforms is expected within 30 days.
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Thailand Police Seize $2.8M in Illegal E-Cigarettes
Police and excise officials seized more than 559,000 illegal e-cigarettes and related parts during a raid in Wiharn Daeng district, Saraburi, Thailand. The announcement came at a press conference today (September 10), led by Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiewphan, one day after the operation.
Trairong said cybercrime officers tracked a suspected pickup truck from Bangkok to a warehouse in Moo 4 village, Tambon Bang Lam. Upon inspection, authorities discovered 138,680 disposable INFY vapes, 40,800 disposable Escobar vapes, 374,000 pod heads for INFY devices, and 6,350 INFY vapes. The haul is valued at an estimated 90 million baht ($2.8 million).
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Thai Survey Finds Youth Vaping on the Rise
A nationwide survey by Thailand’s Department of Health Service Support that e-cigarette use among young people is growing, with the youngest reported new user just 6 years old. Conducted online earlier this year with more than 40,000 participants, the survey found the average age of initiation was 13.
A previous survey found a sharp rise in e-cigarette use among Thai youth, increasing from 3.3% in 2022 to 17.6% in 2025. Of those users, 37.6% are aged 19–25, followed by 16–18-year-olds at 29.3%, and 13–15-year-olds at 22.4%. Peer pressure emerged as the leading factor driving uptake, with 45.6% of respondents saying they tried vaping because of friends. Social media was also cited as a major influence, with Facebook (27.9%) and TikTok (27.6%) named as the main platforms exposing youth to e-cigarette advertising.
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Thailand Already Seized $18M in Illicit E-Cigs in 2025 Crackdowns
Authorities in Thailand have seized more than 4 million e-cigarettes and related products valued at 580 million baht ($18 million) in nationwide crackdowns this year, government spokesman Anukool Pruksanusak said yesterday (August 24). Since February, more than 3,200 arrests have been made targeting illegal e-cigarette sales. Officials said many sellers have shifted to online platforms and social media, prompting the Digital Economy and Society Ministry to block over 11,000 URLs linked to vaping sales.
Penalties for violations have increased, with traffickers facing up to 10 years in prison and fines five times the product value, while retailers risk prison terms of up to three years under consumer laws, plus additional penalties under customs laws. Even possession of e-cigarettes carries potential jail time of up to five years or fines of up to four times the product’s value.
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Thai Police Raid Illicit Vape Facility
Thai police raided a large-scale illegal e-cigarette manufacturing facility this past weekend in the Khu Khot subdistrict, seizing more than 21,000 e-cigarette devices and arresting 29 suspects. Officers stormed a three-story commercial building in Lam Luk Ka district, Pathum Thani Province, which had been transformed into a covert production hub. Behind the main office and worker accommodation, police discovered a sprawling three to four rai (4,800 to 6,400 square meters) factory producing disposable and refillable e-cigarettes.
Police confiscated 6.1 million baht ($189,000) of illegal products, along with assembly tools, sealing machines, and e-liquid filling equipment. Authorities said the factory began illegal production in early 2025, and had recently begun transitioning from disposable to refillable models, and was in the process of installing a conveyor-belt system to boost output.