Cannabis

Is cannabis legal in Thailand?

Short answer

Only for medical use.

The cannabis flower is a "controlled herb", not a narcotic, but since 26 June 2025 a licensed shop may sell it only to someone with a prescription from a licensed practitioner, for up to 30 days. The UK government says recreational use remains illegal; smoke or smell in public can be treated as a nuisance, and taking cannabis out of Thailand is illegal. A stricter "medical use only" bill, approved by the Cabinet on 22 September 2026, is not law yet. Checked 14 October 2026.

Checked · 13 sources · How we check

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Illustration: a small licensed cannabis shop in the evening, jars on lit shelves, a glass counter and a cannabis plant in the window

Checked on 14 October 2026. Thailand's cannabis rules have changed several times since 2022 and a new law is before parliament. Check the date above, and the sources, before you rely on this page.

The rules in force today

What governs cannabis in Thailand on 14 October 2026.
RuleWhat it does
Cannabis removed from the narcotics list, 9 June 2022The plant and flower are no longer a narcotic. Extracts with more than 0.2 % THC stay a Category 5 narcotic.122
Ministry of Public Health notification "Controlled Herb (Cannabis) B.E. 2568", signed 23 June 2025, in force from 26 June 2025The flower is a controlled herb. A licensed seller may sell it to the public only against a prescription, and may not sell it online, from machines, for smoking on the premises, or at temples and other religious sites, dormitories, public parks, zoos and amusement parks. Advertising is banned.17
Ministerial Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2569, Royal Gazette 30 April 2026For new and renewed shop licences: a healthcare-facility, drug or herbal-product licence (or folk-healer status), a staff member trained by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine on site whenever open, and a system to remove smoke and smell. Existing licences run until they expire.2
Public Health Act notification on cannabis smoke and smell, in force since 15 June 2022Smoke or smell from cannabis that bothers others can be treated as a nuisance.4

Buying cannabis

A licensed shop may sell flower to you only if you have a prescription from one of seven kinds of licensed practitioner: a medical doctor, a Thai traditional medicine or applied Thai traditional medicine practitioner, a folk healer, a Chinese medicine practitioner, a pharmacist or a dentist, treating their own patient. The prescription is valid for at most 30 days' supply.1 Prescriptions use an official form (PT 33).6

The UK government's travel advice puts it plainly: cannabis use in Thailand is restricted to medical purposes, recreational use remains illegal, and you must not buy, possess or use it without a Thai-issued medical prescription.3

Smoking it

Shops may not sell flower for smoking on their premises.1 In public, smoke or smell from cannabis can be treated as a nuisance under the Public Health Act.4 News reports at the time gave the penalty as up to three months in jail and a fine of up to 25,000 baht; we haven't seen it in an official English text.12

Taking it out of Thailand, or bringing it in

Taking cannabis out of Thailand is illegal. The UK government warns of fines starting at 30,000 baht per kilogram, detention if you can't pay, and an immigration watchlist; cannabis is also illegal in many transit and destination countries.3 Thai government guidance for tourists says seeds and plant parts may not be brought in or taken out for personal use.9

What is changing

On 22 September 2026 the Cabinet approved a Cannabis Control Bill that would limit cannabis to medical use only. It goes to the House of Representatives next and is not law on 14 October 2026.511 As reported, shops whose licences expire would have to become clinics supervised by medical professionals, and people who misuse cannabis would face fines only.511

Points that are still unclear

  • Carrying cannabis without a prescription. The 2025 notification regulates selling, not possessing.1 The UK government says you must not possess it without a Thai prescription.3 We have not found an official Thai text that settles it.
  • Prescriptions written in the shop. The law requires a prescription; news reports say many shops sell without one or write the paperwork afterwards.8 Whether such a prescription would hold up is not settled.
  • A doctor on site. The April 2026 regulation requires a trained staff member, not a doctor.2 Officials have said shops will have to become clinics on renewal; that is in the pending bill, not yet the law.11
  • Sales to under-20s and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Official 2023 guidance, under the repealed 2022 rules, limited them to supervised use;9 the 2025 notification, as reproduced by Thai PBS, has no such clause,1 and the pending bill would add a ban.5
  • When the April 2026 regulation took effect: news reports give 30 April 2026; a law firm gives the day after publication, 1 May 2026.1013

This page explains the rules; it isn't legal advice for your situation.

Questions people ask

Is weed legal in Thailand now?

Only for medical use. Since 26 June 2025 licensed shops may sell cannabis flower only against a prescription from a licensed practitioner, valid for up to 30 days, and the UK government says recreational use remains illegal (checked 14 October 2026).

Can tourists buy cannabis in Thailand?

Only with a Thai prescription from a licensed practitioner, at a licensed seller. The UK government advises that you must not buy, possess or use cannabis without a Thai-issued medical prescription.

Can you smoke weed in public in Thailand?

Smoke or smell from cannabis in public can be treated as a nuisance under the Public Health Act, and shops may not sell flower for smoking on their premises.

Can I take cannabis home from Thailand?

No. Taking cannabis out of Thailand is illegal; the UK government warns of fines from 30,000 baht per kilogram, detention if unpaid and an immigration watchlist.

Is Thailand banning cannabis again?

The Cabinet approved a medical-use-only Cannabis Control Bill on 22 September 2026. It is not law yet; it goes to the House of Representatives next.

Sources

  1. Full text of the Ministry of Public Health notification 'Controlled Herb (Cannabis) B.E. 2568' (in Thai), Thai PBS. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Ministerial Regulation on licences to study, export, sell or process controlled herbs (No. 2) B.E. 2569, Royal Gazette vol. 143 part 28 Kor, 30 April 2026 (in Thai), Royal Thai Government Gazette. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Thailand travel advice: safety and security (cannabis section, updated 12 October 2026), UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Cannabis laws in force (in Thai), Thai Food and Drug Administration. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Cabinet approves medical-use-only cannabis bill (news, September 2026), Bangkok Post. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. Thailand's new cannabis controls: impact on doctors, dispensaries and growers, Tilleke & Gibbins (law firm). Checked 14 October 2026.
  7. Cannabis laws and notifications (in Thai), Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine. Checked 14 October 2026.
  8. Cannabis market barely dented by new rules (news, May 2026), Bangkok Post. Checked 14 October 2026.
  9. Cannabis: what tourists should know (government guidance, 2023), Royal Thai Government (thailand.go.th). Checked 14 October 2026.
  10. New ministerial regulation on cannabis shops (news, in Thai), Bangkokbiznews. Checked 14 October 2026.
  11. Cabinet approves cannabis control bill (news, 22 September 2026), Nation Thailand. Checked 14 October 2026.
  12. Thailand makes marijuana legal, but smoking is discouraged (news, June 2022), NBC News / Associated Press. Checked 14 October 2026.
  13. New Thailand cannabis law: Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569, Juslaws & Consult (law firm). Checked 14 October 2026.

Facts on this page were checked on the date shown. Rules and prices change; the source is the final word. Found something out of date? Tell us.

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