Random question - Vaping in the Philippines

[ghostrider1971]

A bit of a random thread - even for me

In about a month, I'm going on holiday to the Philippines. Having had a look online, there seems to be a fairly big vaping scene there.

I have found a few chat boards online and have managed to also find the odd B&M shop online too (although they never have any prices...) - American juices seems popular but I'm hoping to get the chance to try a few local brews if I can find any.

Does anyone have any experiences from vaping over there? 

I'm also thinking, perhaps stupidly, being closer to China might be able to pick up some hardware bargains? (I don't need an RX2/3 but still want one!!!)

[phtumshk]

Im pretty sure -V- lived out thailand way at some point.
But I could be wrong, I often am.
He may have some insight for you.

[HaroldTheBarrel]

I think it depends what part you're going to. We went to Manila and Bohol over Christmas 2014 and out in the provinces back then Vaping was pretty much non existent. The locals would look at me Vaping like I was some sort of escaped lunatic, and offer me cigarettes with a sympathetic expression on their face. Cigarettes are dirt cheap over there so that removes one motivating factor for Vaping.

But 2 years on planet vape is an awful long time, and there seem to be quite a lot of well stocked vape shops now, even out in the provinces. Don't assume everything will be cheaper though. Anything branded, particularly western brands, is more expensive than over here.

I can't offer anything more up to date then that I'm afraid

[Greigster]

Not sure I would want to openly vape in the Philippines just in case anyone thought it was something else.

Just my opinion.

[crystal]

ghostrider1971

It's difficult to find vendors that sell vaping supplies there, that depends where you go though. I go SW Philippines every year and what I'm told, the nearest is in Cebu which is a boat ride away.

Have a nice time there, Red Horse and Tanduay Rum are my favorite tipples there.

[ghostrider1971]

crystal - Funnily enough, its Cebu I'm going to :-)

Did you find any locally made or unusual vape juices?

Thank you for your feedback!

[markus]

Sept 23, 2016 4:30:32 GMT HaroldTheBarrel said:

Cigarettes are dirt cheap over there so that removes one motivating factor for Vaping.

I'm afraid not, theyre only cheap to us, they certainly arent cheap for most filipino's, which is why you see people on the streets selling them singularly....but like you say things are improving, wages getting better & alot more can afford to buy a whole packet now, which I guess isnt really a good thing..lol

ghostrider1971
Part of the problem is that the government has been very corrupt for decades, taking payments from tobacco companies....just like theyve been taking payments from drug king pins & that corruption goes from the police force right up to all the previous presidents.
The price of e-cig stuff is not much different to what youll pay from chinese companies, which for people in the philipines is crazy prices & still 20+ times cheaper to smoke cigarettes....& that is the reason why you wont see hardly any people using ecigs or see many egic shops....its just too expensive for the majority of people living there, but like HaroldTheBarrel has said, things are improving......go to the big citys where the wages are slightly higher & there should be some there.
I'm hoping this new president will be left alone by the western media, I'm glad drug dealers are being shot on sight, when you see the drugs theyre pushing (and we're not talking cocaine or weed, we're talking about drugs made from battery acid) and the damage its causing to people & families & the amount of crime its creating....it needs to be stopped & the only way to do it is to be ruthless.

I only know all this because my step mum is from the philipines & she obviously has family living there & regularly has skype chats with them.

[markus]

Sept 23, 2016 8:48:17 GMT Greigster said:

Not sure I would want to openly vape in the Philippines just in case anyone thought it was something else.

Just my opinion.

You'd be fine, they do know what e-cigs are....they'd know your not from the philipines & just see you as a rich person...lol....which may or may not be a good thing, but as long as your bigger they usually leave you alone...lol

go over there with someone thats 6ft tall....see how much you get stared at then...lol

[Greigster]

Sept 23, 2016 15:10:26 GMT markus said:

Sept 23, 2016 8:48:17 GMT Greigster said:

Not sure I would want to openly vape in the Philippines just in case anyone thought it was something else.

Just my opinion.

You'd be fine, they do know what e-cigs are....they'd know your not from the philipines & just see you as a rich person...lol....which may or may not be a good thing, but as long as your bigger they usually leave you alone...lol

go over there with someone thats 6ft tall....see how much you get stared at then...lol

I am more concerned about their latest drug enforcement, I am not sure that everyone who has a gun knows what an e-cig is, and being western may not keep you safe:-

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/19/daughter-of-late-british-peer-killed-in-philippines-drug-war

[markus]

Sept 23, 2016 18:58:10 GMT Greigster said:

Sept 23, 2016 15:10:26 GMT markus said:

You'd be fine, they do know what e-cigs are....they'd know your not from the philipines & just see you as a rich person...lol....which may or may not be a good thing, but as long as your bigger they usually leave you alone...lol

go over there with someone thats 6ft tall....see how much you get stared at then...lol

I am more concerned about their latest drug enforcement, I am not sure that everyone who has a gun knows what an e-cig is, and being western may not keep you safe:-

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/19/daughter-of-late-british-peer-killed-in-philippines-drug-war

I take anything the media say with a dose of salt, but reading that it says.....A dual British-Filipino citizen, Maria Moynihan was also accused of involvement in the narcotics business. She had been on bail following charges of possession of illegal drugs in 2013
You know as well as I do matey, there will be more to it than what that paper has printed.

Its not really got anything to do with e-cigs ! So I'm guessing aslong as you dont get involved with the drugs trade you should be ok to vape ;-)

[markus]

Vicious Ant are based in the Philipines, its nice gear, but theyre still waaayyyy out of my price range ! & you wont get it much cheaper buying over there either

[Greigster]

Sept 23, 2016 20:51:57 GMT markus said:

Sept 23, 2016 18:58:10 GMT Greigster said:

I am more concerned about their latest drug enforcement, I am not sure that everyone who has a gun knows what an e-cig is, and being western may not keep you safe:-

www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/19/daughter-of-late-british-peer-killed-in-philippines-drug-war

I take anything the media say with a dose of salt, but reading that it says.....A dual British-Filipino citizen, Maria Moynihan was also accused of involvement in the narcotics business. She had been on bail following charges of possession of illegal drugs in 2013
You know as well as I do matey, there will be more to it than what that paper has printed.

Its not really got anything to do with e-cigs ! So I'm guessing aslong as you dont get involved with the drugs trade you should be ok to vape ;-)

The latest war against drugs in the Philippines and advice from their president. Here a quote from the BBC:-
The head of the Philippines police has said more than 1,900 people have been killed during a crackdown on illegal drugs in the past seven weeks.
Ronald dela Rosa was speaking at a senate hearing into the sharp rise in deaths since Rodrigo Duterte became president.
He said police operations had killed about 750 people, but the other deaths were still being investigated.
Mr Duterte won the presidency with his hard-line policy to eradicate drugs.
He has previously urged citizens to shoot and kill drug dealers who resisted arrest, and reiterated that the killings of drug suspects were lawful if the police acted in self-defence.



All that I am saying is that I would not dare to use a device that looks nothing like a cigarette but could be mistaken for something else in the Philippines..........but this is only my personal view, and of course, others will have their own opinion.

[markus]

I'm not going to tell you what you should & shouldnt believe, thats entirely up to you, but the last people you want to believe are the media & esp the corrupt BBC ! I would have thought you'd known that from all the missinformation they & other media corporations have published about vaping !
I have an advantage of getting info about the war on drugs from the people living there, I personally value their opinion 100x's more than any story printed in the media, im quite aware that youre entitled to believe what you want & have youre own opinion on whats happening, but im sure you agree that only a tiny percentage of what the media do say is the truth as they adjust it & twist it to make a better story.

As for vaping, the last time I spoke to them via skype I was asking about e-cigs to try & find out if it would benifet me sending money over for them to buy stuff & post it to me, but it turned out to work out the same & in some cases even more expensive, I also had my mod with me when I was chatting to them, they knew exactley what it was.....personally I'd have no problem vaping in the philipines....you dont put a weapon up to your mouth & blow out vapour so I wouldnt have thought theyd confuse it for something else.

[DaveJ]

Sept 24, 2016 23:22:31 GMT markus said:

........personally I'd have no problem vaping in the philipines....you dont put a weapon up to your mouth & blow out vapour so I wouldnt have thought theyd confuse it for something else.

I don't think vape gear being confused with a weapon is the issue. I'm wondering if the issue is being confused with other illegal drugs. Donno about the Philipines, but I do know Indonesia, for example, is very strong against those other drugs. Just a thought ...

[HaroldTheBarrel]

Sept 24, 2016 23:22:31 GMT markus said:

esp the corrupt BBC

It's a disgrace how far they've fallen and the utter sh!te they spew about all sorts of subjects. Predictably enough Obama and the EU are already lecturing Duterte about human rights, prompting his "Son of a Whore" and European colonialism comments. Ironic in view of the total failure of our own limp wristed war on drugs.

My wife and all her friends here and family back home are very strong supporters of Duterte and his policies and they fume about the way he's being portrayed in the western media.

The police aren't just going round randomly shooting people. Most of the reported killings have been during the course of raids on known drug dealers. Maria Moynihan was well known to be heavily involved in the drugs scene. As a westerner I was always treated with a lot of respect by police and security personnel. The idea that someone is just going to randomly pull out a gun in the street and blast away at a tourist puffing on an e-cig is not very realistic. You're probably more at risk of being mugged by a junkie for his next fix.