The number of smokers in Thailand has decreased by 38 percent in the past 15 years due to the government's success in enforcing anti-smoking laws, Thailand News Agency (TNA) said on Tuesday.

Dr. Manit Teeratantikanont, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health and Thawat Suntrajarn, Director-General of Department of Disease Control spoke on Thailand's use of tobacco at a press conference for World No Tobacco Day. According to them, Thailand's enforcement of anti-smoking measures has reduced the number of smokers.
The number of Thai smokers has dropped from 11.67 million to 9.54 million from 1991 to 2006. The percentage of smokers in the same period in Bangkok fell from 32.33 per cent to 13.9 per cent.
Deputy Bangkok governor Wallop Suwandee and Thai Health Professional Alliance Against Tobacco president, Dr. Somsri Pausawasdi, also participated in the anti-tobacco press conference, saying citywide public campaigns calling for a "Smoke-Free Bangkok" will be launched on May 31.
Thailand introduced an official ban on smoking at central government offices in January 2006. Graphic health warnings are also compulsory in Thailand.