The Burley Tobacco Farmers Association of Phetchabun and Sukhothai held their annual general meeting, stating that farmersof tobaccoare prepared to drive the local economy, affirming tobacco as an important economic crop for the upper central region.They appeal to the government for promotion and support.
On 29 Apr, reporters reported that recently the Burley Tobacco Farmers Association of Phetchabun and Sukhothai held their annual meeting with over 2,000 members attending. The meeting showcased the readiness to drive the local economy, proposed government action to address tobacco tax issues, illegal cigarettes, value addition to tobacco leaves, and the establishment of a support fund for farmers and communities. At the Sukhothai meeting, congratulations were also extended to the newly elected MPs in the area, namelyMs. NaknangKulanatsiri, MP for Sukhothai Constituency 1,from the Pheu Thai Party, and Ms. NatthidaThepsutin, party-list MP and deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party, with former MP Phansiri Kulanatsiri attending as well.
Mr. Prasert Sanguansap, president of the Burley Tobacco Farmers Association of Sukhothai, said at the meeting that tobacco farmers have been affected by rising production costs and input expenses, similar to other crop farmers. Fertilizer, labor, and fuel are major costs in tobacco farming. Additionally, the tobacco industry faces unique problems.These include the collection ofexcise taxes on tobacco declining, illegal cigarettes, and illegal e-cigarettesflooding into the country, and neglect in establishing a fundto assist tobacco farmers, while tobacco tax revenues have been used to pay a fund amounting to billions annually. These long-standing issues have been raised with every government, which has responded positively but has yet to resolve them decisively. It is hoped that the current stable government, which understands local people, will help push fora resolution of the problems,so tobacco farmers can be helped quickly and seriously.
Reporters added that the meeting in Phetchabun coincided with the annual general meetingof the Bhumjaithai Party,which prevented MPs from the same party in the province from attending the tobacco farmers' meeting. Only Mr. Jakrat Pua Chuai, a representative from the Kla Party, attended. The meeting highlighted long-standing tobacco industry problemsthat have not been seriously addressed and urgently require continuation by the new government. On this occasion, Mr. Songkran Phakdeejit, president of the Burley Tobacco Farmers Association of Phetchabun, said the two-tier tax structure implemented since 2017 has severely impacted farmers' livelihoods, with planting quotas cut by over 50%, causing a loss of more than 900 million baht annually in local community cash flow. Furthermore, illegal cigarettes remain a worsening crisis, currently holding over one-quarter of the market share, causing the state to lose 26 billion baht in tax revenue. At the same time, Thailand lacks policies embracing new innovations as seen internationally, depriving farmers of opportunities to develop and adapt to global market mechanisms.Mr. Songkran emphasized four main demands to elevate Thailand's tobacco industry: 1. Adjust excise tax rates to be appropriate and not harm farmers; 2. Strengthen crackdowns on illegal cigarettes sold openly online and in stores, prosecuting offenders throughout the process and confiscating assets; 3. Review laws allowing farmers to add value to tobacco leaves; and 4. Establish a farmers' fund to provide support or insurance for tobacco crops to generate sustainable income and stability. In 2025, Burley tobacco planting areas produced up to 4.2 million kilograms for export, valued at over 705 million baht, reflecting
the significant rolethis economic crop plays for the upper central region.Reporters also noted that representatives of tobacco farmers from both Phetchabun and Sukhothai expressed hopes that the new government would promote and develop this industry further, because Thai tobacco is not only a domestic cigarette raw material but also a quality export product generating hundreds of millions of baht annually. Farmers continually strive to improve production quality to meet international standards and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to maintain competitiveness and enhance Thai tobacco quality forthe global market, and they urged the governmentto recognize the importance of jointly advancing the Thai tobacco industry to grow steadily in the future.