Not only can you no longer buy a beer on Pattaya’s beaches, you can’t light up either.
Mayor Anan Charoenchasri announced Oct. 10 that Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources has implemented a smoking ban on 20 of the country’s beaches, including Pattaya and Jomtien.
This is all due to the massive amount of cigarette butts being collected from public beaches and research confirms they could be harmful to the environment. The ban takes effect Nov. 1.
Other beaches on the banned list are Bangsaen and Tham Pang on Koh Si Chang, Mae Phim in Rayong and Laem Sing in Chanthaburi. The ban is expected to be widened to all public beachfronts eventually.
Under the new law, smokers could be fined up to 100,000 baht and even face a year in prison.