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Thai Tobacco Trade Association: Illicit Cigarettes Online Grow, Urges DE Action

Thai Tobacco Trade Association: Illicit Cigarettes Online Grow, Urges DE Action

MGR Online•General•16d ago

Reader Briefing

Illicit cigarette sales surge online in Thailand, with Facebook Groups becoming the primary marketplace and sellers employing trust-building tactics.

  • •The Thai Tobacco Trade Association reports a significant increase in the online sale of illicit cigarettes, with Facebook Groups now dominating the market.
  • •Sellers are adapting by offering features like cash-on-delivery and private groups to build trust and mitigate risks for buyers.
  • •The association is urging the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to urgently address illegal online trade, particularly illicit cigarettes, and to manage social media platforms and delivery services.
  • •Data from October-December 2025 shows 1,240 posts related to illicit cigarette sales, with Facebook Groups accounting for the majority of activity.

Overview

  • •The Thai Tobacco Trade Association has expressed gratitude to the Excise Department and Customs Department for their continuous crackdowns on illicit cigarettes, which have significantly benefited over 500,000 small shops nationwide.
  • •The illicit cigarette market in Thailand remains a serious concern, particularly due to the growth of online sales channels.
  • •Analysis of conversations related to illicit cigarette sales from October to December 2025 revealed 1,240 posts.
  • •Illicit cigarette sales have shifted from platforms like X (Twitter) to Facebook Groups and private communities, as these offer a more trusted trading environment.
  • •Facebook Groups recorded 1,096 posts related to illicit cigarette sales between October and December 2025, followed by X (Twitter) with 753 posts.
  • •Sellers are using tactics such as offering bulk deals (200-299 THB per carton), highlighting foreign origins, and creating a perception that legal domestic cigarettes are overpriced, in order to attract buyers.
  • •The use of location-based hashtags in major cities and tourist destinations, along with university hashtags, is concerning due to its potential to target youth and facilitate faster transactions.
  • •The Thai Tobacco Trade Association is calling for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to proactively block pages, groups, keywords, and advertisements related to illicit cigarette trade on social media platforms, to prevent distribution to consumers and protect youth.

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Key Quotes

Thanyasarn Saengtong
"The association thanks the Excise Department and Customs Department for continuously cracking down on illicit cigarettes since the beginning of the year, with tangible results benefiting nearly 500,000 small shops nationwide."
สมาคมฯ ขอขอบคุณกรมสรรพสามิตและกรมศุลกากรที่ลุยปราบบุหรี่เถื่อนอย่างต่อเนื่องตั้งแต่ต้นปีที่ผ่านมา ซึ่งทั้งสองหน่วยงานมีผลงานเชิงรูปธรรมเป็นที่ประจักษ์และช่วยบรรเทาความเดือดร้อนให้กับโชห่วยที่ขายบุหรี่เกือบ 5 แสนร้านทั้งประเทศได้อย่างมาก
Thanyasarn Saengtong
"Therefore, we want to see increased cooperation from other agencies."
เราจึงอยากเห็นความร่วมมือจากหน่วยงานอื่น ๆเพิ่มขึ้น
Thanyasarn Saengtong
"Transaction discussions have shifted to Facebook Groups and private communities, as these can build a trusted trading ecosystem and reduce transaction risks better than open platforms."
บทสนทนาการซื้อขายได้ขยับเข้าสู่ Facebook Groups และคอมมูนิตี้แบบปิดมากขึ้น เนื่องจากชุมชนกลุ่มปิดเหล่านี้สามารถสร้างระบบนิเวศการซื้อขายที่เน้นความไว้วางใจ และลดความเสี่ยงในการทำธุรกรรมได้ดีกว่าแพลตฟอร์มเปิด
Thanyasarn Saengtong
"Trust is the core of online sales."
ความไว้วางใจคือแกนหลักของการขายออนไลน์
Thanyasarn Saengtong
"The association urges the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to take serious and continuous action against illegal online trade, especially the ongoing crisis of illicit cigarettes."
สมาคมฯ ขอเรียกร้องให้กระทรวงดิจิทัลเพื่อเศรษฐกิจและสังคมดำเนินการอย่างจริงจังและต่อเนื่อง กับปัญหาการค้าผิดกฎหมายบนโลกออนไลน์ โดยเฉพาะเรื่องบุหรี่เถื่อนที่ยังคงวิกฤต

Key Entities

Organization

Thai Tobacco Trade Association(สมาคมการค้ายาสูบไทย)
An organization that monitors and reports on the illicit cigarette market in Thailand and urges government action.
Customs Department(กรมศุลกากร)
A government agency involved in combating illicit cigarette smuggling and sales, adapting its surveillance methods and using X-ray technology.
Excise Department(กรมสรรพสามิต)
A government agency responsible for cracking down on illicit cigarettes in Thailand.
Ministry of Digital Economy and Society(กระทรวงดิจิทัลเพื่อเศรษฐกิจและสังคม)
A ministry urged by the Thai Tobacco Trade Association to take serious action against illegal online trade, particularly illicit cigarettes, by blocking relevant content on social media platforms.
X (Twitter)ℹ️
A social media platform previously identified as a primary channel for illicit cigarette sales, now secondary to Facebook Groups.
Facebook Groupsℹ️
The dominant social media platform and marketplace for illicit cigarette sales in Thailand, as identified in recent surveys.
Marketplace on Facebookℹ️
A feature on Facebook where illicit cigarette sales are also occurring, contributing to the online market.

Person

Thanyasarn Saengtong(นางสาวธัญญศรัณ แสงทอง)
Executive Director of the Thai Tobacco Trade Association, who provided statements and analysis regarding the illicit cigarette market.

Place

Bangkok(กรุงเทพมหานคร)ℹ️
A major city in Thailand where illicit cigarette sellers and buyers are using hashtags to facilitate transactions and increase post visibility.
Chiang Mai(เชียงใหม่)ℹ️
A tourist city in Thailand where illicit cigarette sales are promoted using location-based hashtags.
Phuket(ภูเก็ต)ℹ️
A prominent tourist destination in Thailand where illicit cigarette sales are advertised using location-based hashtags.
Songkhla (Hat Yai)(สงขลา (หาดใหญ่))ℹ️
A city in Thailand where illicit cigarette sales are being facilitated through the use of location-based hashtags.

Timeline

May 6, 2026(6 พฤษภาคม 2026)
The date on which the Customs Department announced its findings on the current patterns of illicit cigarette sales.
October – December 2025(ตุลาคม – ธันวาคม 2025)
The period during which the Thai Tobacco Trade Association conducted its analysis of online conversations related to illicit cigarette sales.