Thammasat University is firmly committed to establishing and maintaining a healthy, safe, and smoke-free educational environment across all campuses. The foundational legal and administrative cornerstone of this commitment is established in the Thammasat University Notification of Designation of Thammasat University as a Non-Smoking Area (2022), enacted on August 30, 2022, by Rector Associate Professor Gasinee Witoonchart pursuant to Section 39(1) of the Thammasat University Act B.E. 2558 (2015).
Formulated in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), and the National Alliance for Tobacco Free Thailand, this notification builds upon Thammasat’s institutional smoke-free directives originally introduced in 2010 and updated in 2019 in accordance with national tobacco control legislation.
Under this notification, all properties, buildings, structures, and open grounds across the Tha Phra Chan, Rangsit, Lampang, and Pattaya campuses are officially designated as non-smoking areas. To ensure strict compliance and protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke, campus administration divisions are mandated to install clear non-smoking signage, restrict and regulate outdoor designated smoking areas ensuring proper ventilation to prevent public nuisance, and enforce statutory penalties including fines up to 5,000 Baht for violations under the Tobacco Products Control Act. This statutory framework serves as the binding policy foundation for all university-wide health promotion initiatives, spatial regulations, and student campaigns.
From May 9 to 11, 2025, the Faculty of Public Health at Thammasat University, operating under the Public Health Academic Network for Health Risk Management and supported by ThaiHealth, hosted the Academic Conference and Student Potential Development for Health Risk Factor Management (Batch 2). Student leaders from 10 public health institutions across Thailand gathered to exchange field strategies on controlling tobacco, e-cigarettes, and alcohol. The conference successfully built youth leadership networks and empowered students to drive sustainable, smoke-free environments within higher education institutions and surrounding communities.
On May 31, 2025, during World No Tobacco Day, Thammasat University issued a public service announcement detailing institutional regulations and formal law enforcement reporting channels against electronic cigarettes. The university publicized official contacts, including local police stations, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB Hotline 1166 and OCPB Connect app), and provincial Damrongdhama Centers, to report illegal e-cigarette sales and distribution. This proactive administrative action strengthened institutional oversight, deterred unlawful vaping commercialization on campus grounds, and reinforced a safe, smoke-free learning environment.
On June 12, 2025, the Thammasat Well Being Center, under the Future Wellness University framework, spearheaded the “Thammasat is Different”: Creative Designated Smoking Zone and Smoke-Free Campus Campaign. Built on the principle of respecting individual freedom while taking decisive action against health hazards, the campaign structured clear designated smoking areas to prevent secondhand smoke and e-cigarette vapor from disturbing others. This balanced framework protected non-smokers from passive smoke, elevated campus environmental standards, and accelerated Thammasat University’s transition toward a healthy university model.
On February 14, 2026, the Student Council of Thammasat University, Tha Phra Chan Campus, conducted a student survey and petition campaign to design structured smoking zones tailored to the urban campus setting. The initiative gathered student feedback to propose dedicated smoking spaces that prevent smoke pollution from drifting into non-smoking study areas. By involving the student body in democratic spatial planning, the campaign generated empirical data to support university administrators in establishing well-regulated, non-intrusive smoking zones that foster peaceful coexistence.
On February 23, 2026, during the Smoke-Free Academic Expo 2026, Thammasat University Lampang Campus was officially recognized with the Outstanding Smoke-Free Higher Education Institution Award by the Smoke-Free Higher Education Institution Network. The award validated Lampang Campus’s rigorous tobacco control policies, effective vaping prohibitions, proactive health education, and sustained commitment to safeguarding students and staff from health risks, serving as a model smoke-free university framework for higher education institutions nationwide.
On April 27, 2026, the Thammasat Well Being Center hosted the “E-Cigarettes are a Threat” Campaign Exhibition Booth at Rangsit Campus. Featuring interactive educational displays and risk factor assessments, the event educated the university community on the hidden toxins, addictive nature, and physiological dangers of electronic cigarettes. The initiative heightened campus-wide vigilance against vaping, dissuaded nicotine initiation, and reinforced student commitment to maintaining a smoke-free campus.
On May 14, 2026, Thammasat University announced the results of the Thammasat Healthy University Assessment under the “TU One Health” policy framework, achieving an overall score of 72.5% (4-star rating). Crucially, the university recorded its highest performance score of 87.5% in the Zero Tolerance Areas (ZA) category for strict smoking prohibition and alcohol regulation across campus grounds. This assessment provided concrete evidence of Thammasat’s institutional success in enforcing smoke-free campus policies and maintaining clean, health-promoting environments.
The student team under the TU100 Project: Designated Smoking Areas in Thammasat University, in collaboration with the Thammasat Well Being Center, launched an environmental campaign at Rangsit Campus to operationalize the university’s non-smoking notification. The project demarcated and publicized specific designated smoking zones across campus—including locations behind the Engineering Building, beside the Architecture Building, behind Journalism, and between SC1 and SC Canteen—equipped with physical barriers, clear signage, and cessation guidance via Quit Line 1600. By organizing smoking behaviors and isolating secondhand smoke, the initiative significantly reduced tobacco smoke exposure in shared student spaces and established an orderly, socially responsible campus standard.
On May 31, 2026, to commemorate World No Tobacco Day 2026, the Faculty of Medicine at Thammasat University, alongside the Thoracic Society of Thailand and medical health partners, organized the Zero Nicotine Fest at Siam Square One. The festival provided free public lung function screenings, health consultations, and youth outreach activities to raise awareness about the severe health impacts of smoking and vaping. The event successfully expanded nicotine cessation outreach into the broader public domain and demonstrated Thammasat University’s medical leadership in promoting a smoke-free society.
Through the statutory foundation established by the Notification of Designation of Thammasat University as a Non-Smoking Area, complemented by student-led spatial planning, inter-university networks, and public health outreach, Thammasat University has successfully institutionalized a comprehensive smoke-free campus environment. By combining rigorous policy enforcement with clearly designated outdoor smoking zones and active anti-vaping education, Thammasat effectively protects its academic community from secondhand smoke while serving as a national benchmark for health-promoting higher education institutions.
