Cigarette excise tax to increase

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buksida
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Re: Cigarette excise tax to increase

Post by buksida »

TTM counters higher taxes with cheaper smokes
The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) says it will introduce a new, cheaper brand of cigarettes to keep smokers from rolling their own or buying illegally imported untaxed ones due to higher prices from a recently imposed tax increase.

The plan announced on Saturday was immediately denounced by anti-smoking activists who have applauded the tax hike as a useful deterrent to smoking.

TTM managing director Daonoi Suttiniphapunt said the new cigarettes, which would be slightly smaller in diameter than standard brands, would cost about 40 baht a pack and would be introcduced on April 1.

Other brands now range in price from about 48 to 130 baht a pack, she said.

"We are concerned that smokers will choose other alternatives that will severely harm their bodies, such as low-quality hand-rolling tobacco,'' she said in a telephone interview. "They don't use good quality material, they use no filters and there is a lot more residue. ... They might put filters in, but in the process ... there is usually more residue such as tar and nicotine than in legal cigarettes.''

According to Ms Daonoi, there are 10.5 to 11 million smokers in Thailand.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... cigarettes
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Re: Cigarette excise tax to increase

Post by HHTel »

"His organisation previously praised Thai authorities for increasing the price of domestically produced cigarettes this month by 5 to 10 baht, saying it was a good example of trying to improve public health through tax policy.

Ms Daonoi said that since the recent tax hike of about 3%, "

I still don't get the stated increase of 3%. Even the cheapest went up by over 10 baht and throughout the range it's up by around 25%. 'Expensive' cigarettes went from 132 baht to 163 baht!
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