The History of Swedish Snus
Swedish Snus is a unique blend of high-quality tobacco, salt, water, and a secret combination of other condiments. It is a product that has been used in its native Sweden since the 17th Century, although then a snus store would sell it in the form of odor snus, and this continued until the late 18th Century, at which point, Swedish moist snus which we know today came to prominence. It was a significant shift that meant Swedish snuff was no longer reserved for the upper classes.
With its popularity soaring, brands such as General and Ettan were introduced, brands that are still regarded as market leaders to this day. ETTAN was founded in 1822, by Fredrik Ljunglof and at around the same time, the General Snus brand was started by leading snus manufacturer J.A. Boman with both brands achieving almost immediate success.
By 1915, the Swedish government recognised the success of the snus companies and immediately nationalised the snus industry creating the Svenska Tobaks Monopolet. The revenue generated from Snus facilitated a transformation in the Swedish pension system and improved national defence. By 1960, the monopoly was disbanded and became Svenska Tobaks AB, known as Swedish Match with Portion Snus, established in 1970. Still, few moist, loose snus manufacturers have entered the market in the last 200 years.
Snus in Thailand
Swedish Snus Co., Ltd was the first company to import Swedish Snus to Thailand, distributing original Snus in Thailand produced by Swedish Match. Due to the strict regulations regarding importing tobacco products to Thailand, Swedish Snus fought hard to become a reseller. The process began in 2017, but it wasn’t until November 2019 that the first batch of Snus arrived in Thailand. Unfortunately, as we all know, this was around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and within months, Thailand was in a complete lockdown.
Before you can buy Snus in Thailand, the Swedish Snus needs to be cleared by the Thai customs authorities. The items need to be unpacked and repackaged with all labels and product information written in Thai and affixing the tax labels to prove that duty has been paid. This procedure is overseen by Thai customs before Snus in shops or Snus online becomes a reality. Thailand snus is rarely consumed, with almost 99% of our customers choosing original Swedish Snus, and practically all are expats or foreign tourists.
Health Risks with Snus Vs Cigarettes
In Thailand, the consumption of smokeless tobacco products such as Swedish Snus is minimal. However, smoking in Thailand is commonly practised, and the country has incredibly high tobacco related cancer cases, with an estimated 100,000 people dying each year as a direct result of smoking. In Sweden, where the use of Snus is significantly more common than smoking, the number of tobacco related cancer cases is by far the lowest in Europe.
Quitting smoking can be challenging, and stopping by “going cold turkey” and not switching to another addictive tobacco product is difficult. It is the healthiest and best form of giving up. However, an alternative would be to change to Snus. It carries fewer health risks and has been proven to make quitting smoking far easier. There have been numerous studies into the connection between Snus and cancer, and so far, no link has been established. Finally, you can also use Snus in Thailand without affecting others and in indoor public places, which is not the case with smoking.
Buy Snus in Thailand
It has become a lot easier to buy Snus in Thailand in the last few years. The over-priced black market, which had limited supply, has been hit hard by Swedish Snus Co., Ltd. legally importing original Snus to Thailand. We have established retailers and outlets throughout the Kingdom (Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and more) and you can contact us to find the nearest distributor to you. In addition to being able to buy Swedish Snus from a snus store, you can also buy Snus online directly from our website.
All orders are sent without any shipping costs using Kerry Express. They can be sent to your home, office, or hotel with the cash on delivery option giving you that added peace of mind. All new customers will receive a free T-shirt, which has become a prized possession for many! However, if you don’t wish to set up an account or order snus online, you can email us your name, address, telephone number, the product(s) you want to purchase, and your T-shirt’s size. We will send you a tracking number and a link via email.
The Future of Swedish Snus
Due to the costs and the volumes involved with expanding a range of original Snus, we have decided that the best policy would be to limit our offerings to the bestsellers from the Swedish Match. Having started with one product, we have increased to four varieties with tobacco-free Snus likely to be added to our range shortly. Tobacco-free Snus has witnessed incredible worldwide growth, and we are eagerly waiting to see how well it is received in Thailand.
Our long-term goal is to make Swedish Snus available in as many shops as possible. We have continued to expand steadily despite the pandemic, and we look forward to some form of normality returning, so we can actively find new resellers. If you have a registered business in Thailand and are interested in becoming a snus reseller, please contact us.
Tax on Snus in Thailand
Thailand, like any country, has set duty free allowances for individuals who bring tobacco products into the country, and this is 250 snus. Of course, if you bring more into the Kingdom, the excess will be confiscated, and you will be subjected to a hefty fine. Any snus sent to Thailand via mail or other means will require customs clearance.
Taxes, import charges, and other overheads are too complex to discuss in detail in this article, but these costs come to approximately 100% of the purchase price of Snus in Sweden. Naturally, this results in the purchase price of Snus in Thailand being higher than in Sweden. However, we are in continuing dialogue with Swedish Match to try and address this issue. We know that to attract Thai buyers of Snus, the price must be significantly reduced to motivate smokers to switch products.
Swedish Snus Hotel Service
We understand that if you are a tourist in Thailand, it is likely that you will run out of Snus during your stay. Thankfully, we can deliver original Snus to hotels in Thailand. All you need to do is create an account using your name, room number, hotel address, email address, phone number, and the hotel’s phone number. You will need to tell the hotel reception staff that you are expecting a delivery from Kerry Express, leaving cash for the delivery with them. Your Snus will be with you in 24-28 hours!
If you require more information, you can chat with us on LINE, WhatsApp, or email. We wish you a pleasant and safe stay in Thailand!
Swedish Suns Team Thailand.