The Toll of Tobacco in Thailand

Tobacco Consumption

• 20.7% of the adult population (age 15+) smokes tobacco (men 40.5%; women 2.2%).¹
• 3.3% of the adult population uses smokeless tobacco (men 2.5%; women 3.9%).¹
• Among youth (age 13-15):²
  • 15.0% currently use tobacco products (boys 21.8%; girls 8.1%).
  • 14% smoke cigarettes (boys 20.7%; girls 7.1%).
  • 2.7% use smokeless tobacco (boys 4.1%; girls 1.3%).

Secondhand Smoke Exposure

• 30.5% of workers are exposed to secondhand smoke at the workplace, 46.9% of adults are exposed in restaurants, and 25.6% on public transportation.³
• 38.6% of youth (ages 13-15) are exposed to secondhand smoke in public places and 33.8% are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes.³

Health Consequences

• About 106,000 people die in Thailand each year from smoking-related diseases.⁴
• Nearly 24% of male deaths and 10% of female deaths are attributable to smoking.⁴

Tobacco Industry

The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) dominates the tobacco market in Thailand. TTM is a state-owned enterprise and is the only domestic tobacco producer in Thailand. In 2016, TTM held 70% of the total cigarette market by volume. Philip Morris International ranked second with a market share of 28%. In Thailand, over 46 billion cigarettes were sold in 2016.⁵

FCTC Status

Thailand ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on November 8, 2004. The treaty went into effect on February 27, 2005.

Tobacco Control Policy Status

For a summary of smoke-free, advertising and promotion, packaging and labeling, and taxation and price measures, download the Thailand Tobacco Control Policy Status fact sheet. For more information visit the Tobacco Control Laws website.

¹ The Smoking and Drinking Behaviour Survey. 2014.
² Thailand Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). National, 2015.
³ Thailand Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2011
⁴ Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2013. Seattle, WA: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington; 2015.
⁵ Euromonitor International

Last updated Aug. 2017