Thailand Weed Legality

There’s a bunch of pretty horrific accounts of foreigners caught up in long jail times in Thailand’s notorious prisons for small quantities of weed. Before I left for Asia, I remember a friend telling me he knew a guy who was caught with a joint and sentenced to death, with the government of Canada unable to intervene. Whether or not it’s true, it’s still incredibly illegal.

To put it straight: it is no joking matter and you aren’t invincible. The police will tell you with smug smiles that you’ll spend 10 years in prison for carrying a couple grams.

Do. not. carry. it. on. you. ever.

I’ll refrain from naming where exactly I got my own weed in Bangkok, but I always made sure I smoked on patios or in safe spaces indoors. Or at bars that had bought out the cops and if police did visit, the owners would warn everyone to dump their illegal possessions.

All of the people I met made sure to smoke or sell their share before heading on trains or buses or planes to avoid a dangerous situation with authorities. One guy just dropped a whole bag of bud on our table for free cause he had no time to sell it. And for those who test their luck, some succeed, but most don’t.

In Pai, a girl was stuck working at a hostel until her family could send her some money because she gave up a thousand dollars to the cops who stopped her on her motorbike, searched her backpack and found two grams of weed. She was lucky they were corrupt enough to take a cash bribe. That said, if you’re going to be stupid enough to carry it, make sure you have $1,000 USD dollars on you to buy your freedom.

Of course it is possible to toke up safely. But I wanted to state just how severe the punishments are before you become carelessly stoned. As a category 5 narcotic in Thailand, those who attempt to make profit or with plans to cultivate the plant could face 15 years in jail and massive financial fines. And simply for possessing cannabis, you can face up to ten years and hefty monetary submission. The penalties are merciless and the law is strict.

A majority of people thrown in jail for a small collection of herb will likely face a large fine over actual jail time but don’t assume this could be you. Know the law and know what you’re getting yourself into. There’s much safer countries to indulge so spare yourself the trouble.