Can you bring a vaping device to Thailand? Is it illegal?

Can you bring e-cigarettes to Thailand? Is it illegal? On January 30, 31-year-old French tourist Cecilia Cornu and her family were vacationing in Phuket. That day, she and her fiancé were riding a motorcycle when they were unexpectedly stopped by four police officers. The police confiscated her e-cigarette and demanded a fine of 40,000 baht, which she refused to pay. Subsequently, she was arrested and taken to the Karon Police Station.

Cornu had her passport confiscated and was detained at the police station, with a legal trial scheduled for February 11. Her return flight was booked for February 12.

On February 11, Cornu was found guilty by the Phuket Provincial Court for her actions and fined 827 baht (23 euros). She was then sent to the Phuket Immigration Office. Cornu initially thought she was being sent there to retrieve her passport, but upon arrival, she learned that the immigration office intended to send her to Bangkok for deportation.

Cornu stated that she was held in a prison in Bangkok for four days and three nights. The conditions were very harsh, with 60 other women in the same cell. There were no sheets or mattresses, and she had to sleep on the dirty, hard floor. She reported that her legal and travel expenses in Thailand amounted to approximately 8,000 euros (286,000 baht).

On the morning of February 27, Colonel Prasarn Hankotha, the head of the Karon Police Station, responded to Cornu's case, stating: "On January 30, Ms. Cecilia Cornu was arrested because the police saw her using an e-cigarette. The police negotiated with her and her lawyer for several hours at the station, and she requested bail, which was set at 100,000 baht. After she was bailed out, we released her that same day. During her time at the police station, she was not held in a prison. We have also refunded her entire bail amount, with documentation to prove it. Ms. Cecilia Cornu was later fined by the Phuket Provincial Court on February 11, but we have not received the court documents, so we do not know the amount of the fine."

Regarding Cornu's claim that the police demanded a bribe of 40,000 baht, Colonel Prasarn Hankotha denied this, firmly stating: "The Karon police had nothing to do with this matter. We confiscated her passport to prevent her from leaving before the trial, which is a legal procedure. After the trial, we sent her to the Phuket Immigration Office to handle the deportation process through Bangkok."

As for Cornu's claims of significant expenses, Colonel Kathathorn Kumthieng stated that her transfer to Bangkok for deportation was in accordance with standard procedures, and the process could take three to four days, during which all living expenses must be borne by the deportee.