Activist laments tobacco industry growth
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Thailand's cigarette market will keep expanding in volume and value in the next five years, said leading anti-tobacco activist Dr Prakit Vatheesatokit.
He referred to a Euromonitor report that cigarette consumption would increase in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand in the next five years, while it would show flat growth in Singapore and Vietnam. In 2015, 49.7 billion cigarettes were sold in Thailand, an increase by 2 per cent from the previous year. This is projected to rise to 52.7 billion in 2020.
Meanwhile, the value would rise from Bt150.4 billion in 2015 to Bt196.57 billion in 2020. Seventy per cent of the market share will remain controlled by Thailand Tobacco Monopoly.
