The Action on Smoking and Health Foundation is urging the new government to continue the e-cigarette ban while reducing the number of cigarette packs people can bring into the country tax-free.
Dr Prakit Vathesatogkit, executive secretary of the foundation, on Saturday said he has submitted an open letter for the incoming government, calling on officials to consider implementing 12 proposals on cigarette and tobacco control.
They include ratifying a protocol to combat illegal trade in tobacco products, which costs the government 10 billion baht a year in tax revenue, he said.
The foundation also proposes the government change the tax ratio of cigarettes and tobacco from the existing dual tax rate to a single tax rate as well as increasing the tax rate for handmade cigarettes, which is currently about 10–12 baht per pack, about six to seven times cheaper than normal cigarettes.
The foundation also calls on the government to enforce a ban on smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes in public places.
Dr Prakit said the government should provide more human resources and money to public health and tobacco control agencies, such as the Department of Disease Control, so rules can be properly enforced.
The government should also reconsider the amount of cigarettes travellers can bring into Thailand, he said, adding a person should only be able to carry one pack as opposed to the current 10. The country will gain a significant amount of tax revenue if the number of cigarettes brought in is lowered, he said.
Most importantly, the e-cigarette ban should still be imposed, he said. Regarding smoking in public places, he said: "Even though Thailand has enforced tobacco controls for over three decades, the administrative sector has not realised that control [requires] collaboration, not just the public health ministry."