AOT’s proposal to provide smoking rooms at Suvarnabhumi raises concerns

The Thai Institute of Health Promotion has expressed concern over the proposal by Airports of Thailand (AOT) to arrange rooms for smoking at Suvarnabhumi Airport, warning that it could affect public health and Thailand’s image.

The move would also violate laws prohibiting smoking rooms in all domestic and international airports in Thailand in the last seven years, institute director Assoc Prof Naowarat Charoenkha said on Thursday.

The AOT proposal will be deliberated on by the Tobacco Products Control Committee (TPC) when it meets on Friday (February 7).

Naowarat pointed out that amending the laws to allow smoking rooms at airports again would not be beneficial for the country, which is striving to establish standards for quality airports that are safe for everyone.

“This move could prevent Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi airports from meeting international standards or evaluations, especially in terms of health,” she said. “It is widely known that cigarette smoke is harmful not only to smokers but also to non-smokers who are exposed to it.”

Naowarat added that Thailand has been making efforts for several years to limit the smoking areas at airports and planes. In 1992, Thai Airways International Plc was awarded a medal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the World No-Tobacco Day due to its banning of smoking on domestic and Asian flights. 

“Back then there were smoking rooms at airports, and the smell had been a nuisance for airport users,” she said.

In 2010, Thailand ratified the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control for five years and amended the law to prohibit smoking areas or smoking rooms in public places nationwide, as required by the convention, except for international airports.

In 2018, Thailand eliminated smoking rooms within airports, both domestic and international.

Naowarat urged the TPC to consider prioritising the health of all airport users and not to reverse the decision by allowing smoking rooms again, as Thailand’s airports were already known worldwide as 100% smoke-free.