Cigarette Consumption among Foreign Tourists in Thailand
Lakkhana Termsirikulchai PhD*, Mondha Kengganpanich PhD*, Sarunya Benjakul PhD**, Tharadol Kengganpanich MA*
Affiliation : * Department of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand ** Bureau of Tobacco Control, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
Objective : To explore the cigarette consumption among foreign tourists in Thailand.
Material and Method: The data in this cross-sectional survey is collected by interviewing 655 foreign tourist smokers with
questionnaires in congested areas including Suvarnabhum International Airport, Khao San Road, shopping centers and
tourist attraction sites. The data was collected in October, 2010, analyzed by descriptive statistic and the crude magnitude of
cigarette consumption was calculated.
Results : The findings indicated that 62.9% of tourists were male and 58.9% were from European countries and 22.7% were
from Asian countries. 59.2% smoked cigarettes sold in Thailand and were taxed legally. In that amount, 55.7% smoked
imported cigarettes and only 3.5% smoked Thai cigarettes. 40.8% had brought cigarettes from their countries or bought
cigarettes from Duty Free shops with the amount allowed by Thai law. The top 2 popular brands were Marlboro and L&M.
The main reason why they bought imported cigarettes in Thailand was that the price was cheaper or the same when compared
with that in their countries. The cigarette consumption share crudely calculated was around 8.90 million packs.
Conclusion : Foreign tourists smoked imported cigarettes distributed in Thailand and cigarettes brought from abroad. So,
Free Trade Agreement in bilateral level or multilateral level need to be reviewed and should separate cigarettes from other
goods. The tax barrier, excise tax measure and permission law of carrying in 200 sticks should be reviewed in order to control
cigarette consumption effectively.
Keywords : Cigarette consumption, Tourists, Thailand
