Vaping Laws Around Asia

In Asia, where the majority of vapes and e-cigarettes are being manufactured, local legislations are visibly shaken by the recent vape-related deaths in the US. The following countries now have strict bans that regulate the use and sale of vapes and e-cigarettes: Cambodia, India (some parts), Philippines, and Vietnam.

Vaping in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia

Since 2014, has had one of the strictest sets of regulatory mechanisms for the personal consumption of vapes. If you are arrested possessing vape pens or related gear, you can end up being imprisoned for ten years, or be made to pay a whopping fine of $945.

To clarify, Thai laws on vaping has many grey areas, and it appears that tourists can purchase and use vapes in private, but not in public. What is explicitly prohibited is sale of all vape-related gear.

To be safe, if you are traveling to Thailand, don’t bring your vape gear at all. However, you will see some stores selling vape gear in tourist traps around the country, but this doesn’t make vaping legal.

Grey areas seem to be common for countries that generate significant revenue from tourism. Indonesia is another prime example that follows the path of Thailand. On the whole, vaping is prohibited throughout the country but in tourist hotspot Bali, there are vape cafes that openly operate, catering to the public’s demand for e-juices and vape gear.

Malaysia has a public ban on vaping, but you can still purchase vapes around the country. However, the public is prohibited from openly using vapes in public spaces such as parks and gasoline stations. There is an outright ban on the sale and use of vapes in the following states: Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri, Terengganu, and Sembilan.