A government spokesman said recent raids on a single day in two areas of Bangkok saw police seize more than 3,000 vaping products worth 2 million baht ($60,000). Nationwide, Royal Thai Police said that between February 26 and March 4, they arrested 690 suspects in 666 vape-related cases, seizing items worth over 41 million baht ($1.2 million), according to Tobacco Reporter. Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry has meanwhile blocked and shut down websites selling vapes, and sought to hamper internet searches.

Thailand has long had one of the world’s harshest anti-vaping regimes, having implemented sweeping bans in 2014. Penalties for selling or using these safer alternatives to cigarettes can include hefty fines and imprisonment—with a theoretical sentence of up to 5 years for possession alone. Sales of heated tobacco products, another harm reduction option, are also banned.

The country’s smoking rate is around 19 percent—it’s almost double that among men—and an estimated 66,000 people in Thailand die of smoking-related causes each year.

As Filter previously reported, there were hopes that the country’s 2023 election might result in the vape prohibition being overturned. The run-up saw a degree of political support for legalization or decriminalization.

But the governing Pheu Thai Party is now seeking to clamp down further on illicit vape sales, through preventative efforts and heavier law enforcement.

But recently, Saligupta said, more regular citizens—possessing perhaps just a single vape—have been targeted by law enforcement.

Asa Saligupta, director of the advocacy group ENDS Cigarette Smoking Thailand, described the recent moves as largely more of the same. “Thai prime ministers have repeatedly announced strict crackdowns,” he told Filter.

But recently, he added, more regular citizens—possessing perhaps just a single vape—have been targeted by law enforcement.

The enforcement surge, Saligupta explained, has been sparked by media stories of “zombie cigarettes” adulterated with other drugs, and fears of youth using them.

This led to government advisor and spokesperson Jirayu Huangsap proposing a new “Doraemon Task Force” to combat vape use. Doraemon is a children’s character—a robotic cat—and the suggested name alludes to vapes being produced in toy-like designs to appeal to minors.

Regulation with age restrictions would be the rational way to protect consumers, as Saligupta is well aware.

“Since e-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand, they are sold on the black market without any quality control,” he pointed out. “This creates a risk of tampering, contamination, or the sale of counterfeit products.” However, “The anti-tobacco network continues to use political pressure to push against legalization.”

Saligupta called the latest evidence of police corruption an “unintended consequence” of the Thai government’s vapes stance.

“While there have been cases where individuals suffered health issues due to vaping illicit, poor-quality products, the media coverage has often been exaggerated,” Saligupta also noted.”This kind of emotional reporting has long been a problem in Thailand, where the focus is more on creating fear rather than presenting a balanced view that allows the public to make informed decisions.”

Thailand is far from alone in that.

Huangsap also pointed to a new confidential report on the vape trade and associated police corruption, noting that some vendors have been openly trading. “This has led to suspicions that some law enforcement officers may be complicit in allowing these shops to operate unchecked,” he said.

As Filter previously reported, police extortion around vapes has been a related problem in the kingdom, with both Thais and foreigners having to pay bribes to avoid being arrested for possession.

Saligupta called the latest evidence of police corruption an “unintended consequence” of the Thai government’s vapes stance. “This proves that the ban has been a failed policy,” he said.

Though the ban and the crackdowns continue, tobacco harm reduction advocates do have some reason to be hopeful of a better future for those people in Thailand who vape despite everything—an estimated 81,000 as of 2021—and for the millions who smoke.