Electronic cigarettes have been banned in Thailand since 2014 but enforcement of the ban has been sporadic. However, a report in the Chiang Rai Times says Thai authorities are now cracking down hard, with thousands of e-cigarettes confiscated in the last 3 weeks.

At a press briefing this week, the police, working with a consumer protection agency, confirmed they had launched a crackdown and had arrested 10 people for being in possession of nearly 600 electronic cigarettes and 500 bottles of vaping liquid.

It’s understood that many shops and other vendors illegally selling e-cigarettes have been raided since late September.

The Chiang Rai Times says e-cigarettes are a hotly debated topic in Thailand, with many arguing to have them legalised, while opponents claim vaping can lead young people into other addictions, possibly even cigarette smoking.

Thailand’s latest crackdown comes amid a spate of vaping-related lung injuries and deaths in the U.S., although the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a new study says dangerous fumes from the use of THC may be to blame.

SOURCE: Chiang Rai Times

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand is warning the public that cannabis plants cannot be grown at home without official permission, adding that the law is clear the plants can only be grown for medical use and research purposes.

It’s understood that since use of the drug for medicinal purposes was legalised earlier this year, over 7,500 illegally-grown marijuana plants have been confiscated in 11 provinces across Thailand.

Niyom Termsrisuk from the ONCB is anxious to correct the apparent misunderstanding that the legalisation of cannabis means carte blanche for anyone wishing to grow the plant at home.

He says cannabis remains illegal for all uses other than research and medicinal purposes and that individuals or organisations who wish to grow it must apply for permission to do so.

The Food and Drug Association (FDA) has currently permitted 11 organisations to grow marijuana plants, with 26 hospitals in Thailand authorised to provide it as treatment.

SOURCE: The Pattaya New

A foreigner, previously covered in the media last week after driving his Ferrari into the rear of a female’s car, and then attacking her, is back in the headlines with another case, again in Khon Kaen, north-east Thailand.

According to Sanook, ‘Wesly’ held a knife to his own throat for over 7 hours, but police officers finally persuaded him to put down the knife after he became tired.

Previously, on September 23, the foreigner drove into the back of a car in Khon Kaen. Police reported that he “seemed drunk or under the influence of something” when he got out of the car. He started beating the woman driver while telling her that he is the richest person in Khon Kaen.

The woman got out of the car out and posted on her personal Facebook page…

“This is to warn others of the dangerous man named Wesly. I parked my car and was chatting to my friend about some problems. This man parked behind my car, at first I didn’t think anything of it as he was playing loud music.”

“Then when I was about to leave he drove straight into my car from behind. He got out of his car and started yelling at us, then he started attacking us. Thankfully employees of a restaurant nearby came running to help us.”

“While waiting almost an hour for the police the man kept on yelling and trying to beat us again. I tried to take a long video, but he threw my phone on the ground. He drives an orange Ferrari registered in Khon Kaen.”

After police intervened, the man’s family ended up paying 18,000 baht to the woman.

In the latest case the Ban Ped Police were notified of a foreign man holding a knife to his own throat in front of Kum Hai Church of Christ in Ban Ped Sub-district, Muang Khon Kaen. When police arrived, the people in the area reported that he had been holding the knife for at least 3 hours.

The police and a local rescue team were on site patiently trying to calm him down. Finally, four hours later, the man started to feel tired. Officers took the opportunity to run in and take the knife away from him. The rescue team escorted him to Sikarin Hospital for further medical care and assessment.

SOURCE: Thai Residents

OPINION: Pruth Kulprasit

Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese, it’s a riveting annual festival. But some locals fear that it has changed too much to cater for the cameras and tourists.

Pruth Kulprasit told The Thaiger that the real meaning of the the festival is being lost amongst the smoke of the parades…

Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese, it’s a riveting annual festival. But some locals fear that it has changed too much to cater for the cameras and tourists.

Pruth Kulprasit told The Thaiger that the real meaning of the the festival is being lost amongst the smoke of the parades…

I wonder how many people, including tourists and locals, actually know the history and meaning of the Vegetarian Festival, because it is nothing like it was in the past.

If people were to judge the festival solely by what they see and hear now, then their reaction will most likely be one of fear, dismay or misunderstanding.

A lot of people avoid viewing the ancient traditions because of the crowds, traffic, excessive and dangerous use of firecrackers, and teenagers riding their motorbikes around like gangsters.

However, just riding from my house in Thalang to Phuket Town during a time of day when there are no processions, I can still experience all of those annoyances.
The younger crowd wear the traditional white outfits, symbolizing that they are following the rules of the Vegetarian Festival. However, though they are eating vegetarian food, they are still smoking, drinking and behaving badly, ripping down the streets at high speed.

Another difference between the traditional festival and what we have now is the way in which firecrackers are used. Traditionally, firecrackers are thrown at the ma song to scare evil spirits away. However, people now throw them at oncoming motorbikes, pedestrians and automobiles with potentially dangerous results.

On top of all of this, most places celebrating will play a Da Bei Zhou (a Buddhist chant) to help people feel at peace, but now we hear the chant remixed and polluted by the annoying cliche of drum and bass.

The main point of the Vegetarian Festival is to slow down, pray to the Chinese Gods at the shrines, and to be kind to yourself and other people. However, the Vegetarian Festival has turned into an intrusive and so-called ‘trendy’ event where people think it’s good enough to wear white and eat vegetarian food for 10 days. They have forgotten that the event is not just about cleansing one’s body; it’s about cleansing your mind and spirit as well.

The Thaiger  https://thethaiger.com/

Police and rescue services were called to the area outside Foodland Supermarket in Central Pattaya on Friday after a collision between two motorcycles left a Canadian man dead and a Thai in a serious condition in hospital.

Lying in a pool of blood next to a Honda CBR 650F with its front smashed in was 25 year old Samart. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries. 

Nearby was a severely damaged smaller bike, a Honda Click. Its rider was a 51 year old Canadian tourist called Michael who was unconscious. 

Despite CPR the tourist was declared dead in hospital. 

Witnesses said that the Thai had been showing off doing a wheelie coming from the intersection and had collided with the tourist who was turning, reported Daily News. 

Police are studying CCTV as part of their investigation.

Source: Daily News