The UK website quoted Pat Waterton, manager at Langley Travel, who said she was unaware of the ban until her nephew, James, paid a £125 (Bt5,400) “fine” after being threatened with jail for having an e-cigarette in Bangkok,
Travelweekly said advice on the UK Foreign Office website includes a paragraph stating: “These items are likely to be confiscated and you could be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if convicted.”
Waterton told the UK website: “I got a message from my sister saying James had been arrested in Thailand because he had an e-cigarette. He managed to pay the policeman, who had told him he could go to jail. Ten years seems a long time to go to prison for smoking an e-cigarette.”
A spokesman for the Tourism Authority of Thailand reiterated the UK government’s advice, warning tourists not to bring e-cigarettes into the country.
Waterton told Travelweekly: “If I’m selling [travel to] Thailand, I will definitely mention it now. All agents should. Thailand is very popular so we should make sure we are telling people about things that could ruin a holiday.”
Other travel agents also told the UK website that they would advise customers of the Thai law. Aspen Travel sales consultant Yvonne Montgomery said: “The last thing we want is our customers getting locked up.”