Thai Government Bans Cigarette Smoking in all Meter Taxis

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BANGKOK -Thailand’s Land Transport Department chief Sanit Promwong has reported that as of September 1st, taxi drivers in Thailand will be banned from smoking in their taxis whether there are passengers or not.

Cabbies and the owners of taxis who fail to follow the ban will be liable to fines ranging from 1,000-2,000 baht.

 Land Transport Department chief Sanit Promwong said all taxis will be regarded as a smoking-free zone which means taxi drivers are banned from smoking in taxis with or without passengers, to protect the health of non-smokers.

The Land Transport Department, in cooperation with the Diseases Control Department and the Foundation to Campaign against Smoking will distribute 100,000 “no smoking” stickers to taxi drivers through the transport offices of the City Administration so that they can be attached to the front consoles of their cars which are easily visible.

Mr Sanit warned that owners of taxis which do not have the stickers will be liable to a fine of 2,000 baht whereas cabbies who smoke in their cars will face a fine of not exceeding 1,000 baht and, an addition of 2,000 baht in fine for defying the law to protect the health of non-smokers.

In November, he said officials from the Land Transport Department will conduct random inspection of taxis to assess the result of anti-smoking campaign in Bangkok after which the smoking ban may be expanded to cover other modes of public transport.