Vaping is illegal in Thailand. Carrying a vape, using one, even having an empty pod in your bag can get you fined or arrested. We're talking £500+ in fines and up to 10 years in prison.
Thailand's been one of the strictest countries on earth for vaping since 2014, and enforcement has only ramped up since. We've covered Thailand alongside 30+ other countries in our full banned countries guide, but this page breaks down the Thai rules in detail.
The Law: What's Actually Banned
All e-cigarettes have been banned here since 2014. The ban covers everything: refillable pod kits, prefilled vapes, disposables, e-liquids, heated tobacco (IQOS, glo, Ploom), and any accessories. Empty or full, nicotine or nicotine-free. All of it.
The ban is backed by multiple laws. Under the Customs Act, bringing any vaping product into the country counts as importing banned goods. The Consumer Protection Act covers the sale side. And the Tobacco Control Act makes it a prosecutable offence to use a vape anywhere in Thailand, public or private.
There's no tourist exemption and no personal use allowance. You can't declare a vape at customs to make it legal either. The law treats Thai citizens and visitors the same way, and everything vape-related is illegal regardless of nicotine content.
Penalties: What Happens If You Get Caught
Thai authorities don't give warnings. Get caught with a vape and you're looking at confiscation, fines, and potentially arrest. What you're charged with depends on what they think you were doing.
|
Offence |
Fine |
Prison |
|
Possession or use |
Up to 30,000 Baht (roughly £680) |
Up to 1 year |
|
Importing (carrying it through customs) |
4x the value of the goods + up to 30,000 Baht |
Up to 10 years |
|
Selling or suspected dealing |
Up to 600,000 Baht (roughly £13,500) |
Up to 3 years |
Most tourists caught with a single vape end up paying between 20,000 and 30,000 Baht (£450 to £680). But customs charges for importing can stack on top of possession charges. A £20 pod kit can easily become an £800+ problem after fines, legal costs, and a ruined itinerary.
Missed flights, extended hotel stays, days wasted in police stations. It all adds up fast.
How Strictly Is This Enforced?
Strictly, and getting stricter. Thailand launched a major nationwide crackdown in early 2025. In just one week between late February and early March, police made 690 arrests across 666 separate vape cases. Nearly 455,000 vaping products were seized, worth over 41 million Baht.
Customs pulled off a separate raid in March 2025 at Laem Chabang Port, intercepting over 200,000 smuggled e-cigarettes worth 33 million Baht.
Airports are where most tourists get caught. Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok), Don Mueang, and Phuket all run regular bag checks. Customs officers know what vapes look like on X-ray, and there are warning posters in English, Thai, and Chinese plastered all over arrivals.
Thailand also runs a public reward programme. Anyone who reports a vaping offence can receive up to 60% of the fine imposed. So it's not just the police you need to worry about. Hotel staff, taxi drivers, and fellow tourists can all report you.
Why Thailand Bans Vaping
It comes down to health policy and money. Thai officials see vaping as an unregulated nicotine product that puts young people at risk. But the bigger driver is Thailand's state tobacco monopoly, which pulls in massive tax revenue. Vaping threatens that.
The irony isn't lost on anyone. You can buy cigarettes at any 7-Eleven in Thailand at 2am without a problem. But carrying a pod kit that helped you quit smoking back home? Criminal offence.
Cannabis is another thing that confuses tourists. Medical cannabis was legalised and re-regulated in mid-2025, and you'll see cannabis shops in tourist areas. But vaping and cannabis sit under completely different laws. Being able to buy weed doesn't mean you can pull out a vape.
The Black Market Problem
Despite the ban, you can buy vapes on the street in Thailand. Markets, tourist areas, and online delivery all exist. It's all illegal, and we're not recommending any of it, but you should know the risks if you're tempted.
Black market vapes in Thailand often run at 35mg or 50mg nicotine strength. The UK legal maximum is 20mg. Nobody's checking the liquid, nobody's testing the coils, and the batteries could be anything. Zero quality control across the board.
Buying one is also a separate offence. You're not just breaking the possession law. You're purchasing smuggled goods, and police know exactly where the street sellers operate. Officers regularly set up near market stalls and stop tourists who've just made a purchase.
What to Do Instead
If you can't vape in Thailand, you've still got a few ways to deal with the nicotine side of things.
Nicotine patches and gum are legal and sold over the counter at Thai pharmacies including Boots and Watsons. Some 7-Elevens stock them too.
You could also drop your nic strength before you fly. Going from 20mg down to 10mg a week or two before the trip makes patches or gum feel less like a downgrade.
Honestly, most of the cravings hit during downtime. Keep busy with temples, beaches, and street food and you'll barely notice. Plenty of vapers treat the trip as a forced break and come home with a fresh take on how much they actually need nicotine day to day.
If Things Go Wrong
If customs find a vape in your bag or police stop you on the street, stay calm and don't argue. Cooperate, but don't sign anything you can't read. Ask for a translator.
Call the British Embassy in Bangkok on +66 (0)2 305 8333 straight away. They can put you in touch with English-speaking lawyers. And whatever you do, don't try to bribe your way out. That's a separate offence and will make things much worse.
Most tourist cases end with confiscation and a fine. Prison for simple possession is rare but it's on the books, and getting held for a day or two while things get sorted does happen.
Coming Home: Get Your Setup Ready
Coming back from Thailand means you can finally get your vape out again. If you've been running a refillable pod kit and fancy a change, or you want to stock up on nic salt e-liquids after two weeks off, we've got you sorted.
Thailand's one of over 30 countries where vaping is illegal to some degree. For the full picture on where you can and can't vape worldwide, check our complete guide to countries where vapes are banned.
