Cannabis in Thailand: what travelers need to know

Not long ago, Thailand had some of the strictest drug policies in the world. Then, in 2018, the government legalized medical cannabis, launching the country’s first foray into the weed game.

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In 2022, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration went futher, removing marijuana and hemp from the Category 5 narcotics list, effectively decriminalizing these substances. This change meant that just about everyone (save those under 20, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers) could grow, smoke, consume, sell and buy cannabis without any retribution.

There were limits to the 2022 policy, however: one rule held that extracted cannabis content must contain less than 0.2% THC – generally considered a very small amount of the stuff that gets you high.

Still, decriminalization allowed a free pass to unlicensed vendors, with thousands of entrepreneurial Thais openly selling weed products that far exceeded the government’s THC limit. As part of the “green rush,” weed dispensaries and other related businesses proliferated along Bangkok’s Khao San Road, beach resorts, regional cities like Chiang Mai and just about anywhere else tourists congregated.

Then came the backlash. Authorities had promised further regulations and guidance to mitigate the quick transformation of Thailand into a center of weed tourism – and the addiction, trafficking and other social problems that followed. Yet political gridlock meant little happened until June 2025, when a new government promulgated rules that turned the status quo back to 2018. Today, anyone who wishes to buy marijuana in Thailand once again requires a medical prescription.

So where does all this mean for visitors to Thailand who have enjoyed or are looking to enjoy the green herb on their next visit?

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Backlash to a legal gray area

Between 2022 and 2025, a shaky status quo regarding weed held in Thailand. High-THC weed was openly sold as Thais took full advantage of the legal gray area around “recreational” usage, with police and other authorities unable to enforce any potency rules. (They did, though, occasionally punish public smoking of marijuana using a provision of a 1992 health law.)

Those days are over. As of June 2025, dispensaries may sell marijuana only to those with a valid medical prescription. Anyone violating this rule is subject to a fine of 20,000 Thai baht (US$630) and up to one year in jail. (An irony: the current head of the new government currently rolling back the rules was a champion of the earlier decriminalization effort. So goes the roller-coaster of Thai politics.)

Where this leaves the tens of thousands of weed-related businesses that emerged in recent years is unclear.

So what does that mean for a tourist looking to enjoy legal weed?

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, the regulator of the new regime, allows the sale of cannabis to custumers with one of five medical conditions: insomnia, chronic pain, migraines, Parkinson’s disease and loss of appetite. A prescription from a licensed Thai medical professional is required – which means any tourist must visit the doctor’s office before the dispensary.

As the new rules take effect, conflicting reports have emerged. The government claims to have shut down thousands of illegal businesses. Countless others have closed as their sales crashed. Yet some reports indicate that many dispensaries continue to operate discreetly (and in violation of the rules), swapping green neon signs and flashy graphics for tinted windows and “natural pharmacist” signs.

While the situation could change yet again, the government’s U-turn means that Thailand won’t be a destination for marijuana tourism anytime soon. Unless you can obtain a valid prescription once you’re in Thailand, we do not recommend patronizing weed-related shops in the country, risking fines – or worse.

So when you’re lying out on the beach, count on getting your high from mindful breathing rather than weed.

Can I bring my own cannabis products to Thailand?

No. According to the guidelines set out by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, products containing cannabis and hemp extracts, and hemp-derived products, as well as any parts of cannabis and hemp with more than 0.2% THC still fall under the Category 5 Narcotics list. Meaning that you run a very high risk by bringing your favorite gummies into Thailand.

As with any controlled substance in Southeast Asia, it’s best to proceed with caution and stay up to date whenever possible.