Thailand and cigarette branding

Is Thailand to become the next battleground for plain packaging? See here for previous ASEAN news on this topic.

Thailand strictly regulates tobacco. Its graphic warnings on the packs are famous. Smokers are banned from public places and there are heavy advertising restrictions. Now draft regulations have appeared in the form of the Tobacco Consumption Control Act. The suggestion is that the Kingdom's government could rule on packaging formats, and follow Australia's lead in plain packaging.

But the WTO may yet have the last say on this contentious battle for freedom of trademark use as the case against Australia trundles through the dispute resolution procedure.