The arrest came just after midnight Tuesday night, at 00.10am (Sept 9).
Officers led by Lt Somphot Chanthaphaso of the Phuket City Police made the arrest after the man, Krissada Pimchanda, 29, originally from Khon Kaen, was found with six hookahs, Phuket City Police reported.
It was not reported where Krissada was arrested or how police came to know that he was in possession of the illegal devices.
Krissada was taken to Phuket City Police Station and changed for violating ‘Consumer Protection Board Order No. 9 / 2015’, which explains that the sale or provision of services for hookahs, electronic hookahs, and electronic cigarettes, smoking materials for use in hookahs, and liquids for filling hookahs, electronic hookahs, and electronic cigarettes is prohibited, said the report.
See the full order here.
Previous reports of people arrested for possession of hookahs have noted that the penalty ranges up to three years in jail or a fine of up to B600,000, or both – but illegally importing the devices may result in a penalty of up to 10 years in jail or a fine of up to B100,000, or both.
However, the Central Investigation Bureau of the Royal Thai Police notes that baraku sellers or service providers may be imprisoned up to five years or fined up to B500,000, or both, while those caught illegally importing baraku face up to 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to B1 million, or both.