The group, which included a representative from US giant Philip Morris (Thailand), complained to the minister about unequal controls on all forms of tobacco products with cigar and pipe tobacco being less restricted that cigarettes.

"I will ask my colleagues in the US to follow up on the matter," said Hatai Chitanondh, president of the Thailand Health Foundation, the kingdom's leading anti-tobacco group.

The US directive, issued on January 2000 and shown to The Nation by Hatai, states that the general policy is that, "… the US government will not promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products or seek the reduction or removal by any foreign country of non-discriminatory restrictions on the marketing of tobacco or tobacco products". The guidelines of the directive also state that "[Diplomatic] posts should not promote the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products, and should not assist the efforts of US firms or individuals to do so.

Ambassadors or embassy staff should not attend or otherwise support receptions, trade promotions, or any events sponsored by individuals or entities involved in the export, manufacture, promotion, distribution or sale of tobacco or tobacco products where their attendance could be construed as United States government support for the sale or export of tobacco or tobacco products".

"The health minister should not have allowed such a meeting to take place," said Hatai, himself a former deputy permanent secretary of the ministry.

"If they [tobacco groups] are dissatisfied they should lodge a written complaint and the reply should be written so it can be used as a record.

"These people are tricky and our bureaucrats can't keep up with them," he said.

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation