We love Thailand for its beaches, shopping, food, and so much more, but it seems like we foreigners have crossed the line when it comes down to smoking and leaving cigarette butts everywhere; so much so that the government is now banning smoking at up to 20 beaches around the country.
From November 2017 onwards, smoking will be banned at many major beaches around Thailand, including crowd-favourite destinations such as Phuket and Krabi. Instead, there will be “designated areas” for smokers to take a puff further inland, as not to disrupt the beaches.
Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) had revealed that they collected 138,000 cigarette butts along the 2.5-kilometre stretch of Phuket’s iconic Patong Beach. If the ban is successful, Thailand’s government may implement it throughout the whole of Thailand.
Those who are caught violating the ban may face up to a year in jail or a fine of up to 100,000 baht (approx. RM12,724).
[Source]
