Background:
Prevalence & willingness to pay for tobacco consumption is in need for effective pricing of HC and IC. This study aimed to determine Thai prevalence of HC and IC consumption, its average expenditure and willingness to pay.

Methods:
Roiet, a province with high cultivation rate of tobacco had been chosen as the site. A cluster random sampling was conducted by using Krejcie & Morgan table to determine sample size. A survey method was employed to interview men who smoking. In total, 400 men were interviewed during August - November 2016. Data were analyzed by descriptive and Chi-square technique.

Results:
The results showed that participants smoking IC, HC, both types but more on IC and both types but more on HC were 37.3, 43.0, 12.0 and 7.8 % respectively. Expenditure/ day of those smoking IC, HC, both types but more on IC and both types but more on HC were 1.02,0.17, 1.35 and 0.60 US$. Expenditure for tobacco equaled to 16.1 % of total expenditure. When expenditure was analyzed by income quintile, it was found that the lowest to highest quintile paid 0.42, 0.55, 0.70, 0.85 and 1.09 US$/day for tobacco. Willingness to pay for tobacco was 0.83, 0.95, 1.22, 1.43 and 1.66 US$/day. Number of cigarette smoked per day was 6.90, 7.98, 11.42, 10.10 and 10.61. It was found that household cultivating tobacco had significantly less income than those cultivating other crops. Household with better economic status were likely to consume more tobacco, start smoking at younger age and had higher number of friends smoking together.


[Details of tobacco consumption by income quintile]



Conclusions:
Thailand can increase price for cigarettes, particularly HC, since willingness to pay for each item of cigarette is higher than their current expenditure for tobacco. People in higher income group pay more for cigarette than lower group although the number of cigarettes smoking may not different.