“Wild Wast West” Thailand faces new rules as smuggling in the UK rises

Thailand tries to keep its marijuana market on free wheels.

The government has approved new measures that will soon limit drug intake to those who have a doctor’s recipe – hoping that it will help regulate the industry that some describe how to go out of control.

Public Health Minister also said marijuana consumption would be criminally criminally, though it is unclear if it can happen.

Ever since the drug was decriminated in 2022, there has been an insanity investment.

Thailand now has about 11,000 cannabis registered dispensaries. In some parts of the capital, Bangkok cannot avoid the excess green shine of its neon signs and the permanent smell of people who smoke their products.

In the famous backpack of the Hao -Canda area, in the historical royal quarter, there is a whole shopping center dedicated to the sale of hallucinogenic flower heads or marijuana accessories.

Derivatives, such as brownies and sounds, offer openly online – although it is technically illegal – and can be delivered to your doors within an hour.

Previously, they talked about the restriction of the industry. The largest party of the government coalition wanted to return cannabis to the recorded narcotic drugs after it took over in 2023, but its former coalition partner, who made decriminalization policy policy, blocked the plan.

But it seems that the last straw exerted pressure from the UK, which observes the flood of Thai marijuana, which is smuggled into the country.

Often young travelers who are lured by narcotics in Britain are transferred by suitcases filled with Thailand flights.

Last month, two young British women with a lot of marijuana from Thailand were arrested in Georgia and Sri Lanka. Both now face long prisons.

“In the last couple of years, this has increased massively,” says Beki Wright, a press secretary of the National Agency in London (NCA). The NCA notes that 142 couriers carrying five tons were intercepted in 2023. This number pulled up to 800 couriers in 2024, which transported 26 tons, and the amount continued to grow this year.

“We really want to stop the people who do it. Because when you are stopped, in this country or many others, you will encounter the consequences that change life, because what many believe is low at risk. If you bring forbidden drugs to the UK, you can survive the first time, but you will find it in the end.”

So far, this year, 173 people accused of Kanabis smuggling – almost all of Thailand – have gone through a judicial system in the UK and received 230 years.

NCA works with Thailand authorities to try to restrain young people from the temptation to smuggle cannabis to Britain. But it turned out to be difficult, with the very few rules that exist in Thailand to control drugs.

“It’s a gap,” says Panthong Loikulnn, a press secretary of the Thai Customs Department.

“The profit is very high, but the penalties are not high. Most of the time when we catch people at the airport, they refuse their luggage. But then there is no punishment. If they insist on the baggage check, we can arrest them, but they just paid a fine and try again.”

In 2022, the legalization of cannabis was to be accompanied by the transition of the new normative base of the Thai Parliament.

But it has never been, in part, says that one deputy involved in the processing process, of the obstacles engaged in interests, links to the marijuana industry. Last year, a new cannabis law was drawn up, but it could be two years from accepting.

The result was a weed where almost everything can make money from marijuana.

There was also an influx of foreign drug syndicates hiding behind Thai nominees, growing huge number of powerful marijuana strains in brightly lit conditioners.

It flooded the market and reduced the price, and it attracted smugglers.

Even if more than half of the marijuana people stop, they can still make money from what gets into the UK from much higher prices.

‘You can’t have free for everyone?

“If there is a weed store on each corner, when people smoke when they walk down the street, when tourists are high on our beaches, other countries have suffered from our laws, and people sent it illegally – it is a negative.”

He claims that the proposed new rules of the Ministry of Health will restrict the demand and supply, as well as to restore the industry, which should always be, focused solely on medical use of marijuana.

There is a lot of opposition to this concept from cannabis lovers who believe that the new rules will do nothing to swit smuggling or unlicensed manufacturers.

It is said that measures will be destroyed by small enterprises that are already fighting due to the oversaturation caused by excessive production.

Earlier this month, many of these smaller manufacturers went down to the Prime Minister’s office in Bangkok to give up an official government complaint, calling for a more sensitive adjustable industry, not just by what they believe is a reaction to the knee to external criticism.

“I fully understand that the government is probably screaming during international meetings,” says Kitty Shapak, the most voice supporter of small manufacturers.

“Countries say that” all your weed goes into our country “is very unpleasant. But now they don’t even comply with the rules that already exist. If they have done, it’s likely to mitigate many problems such as smuggling or sale without a license.”

The collapse at the prices forced her earlier this year to close her cannabis dispensary, one of the first to open three years ago.

Parryn SangPersert, one of the manufacturers for protests, claims that illegal manufacturers are already working under the law in Thailand – and will ignore new rules.

He is persistent that people cannot come to his farm and just buy 46 kg (101 pounds) marijuana – the number is usually transferred to two “mules” who are trying to reach the UK.

On his phone he raised a copy of the official form, which he should fill every time he sells.

“If you want to buy or sell a large amount of cannabis, you need a license issued by our government. Every weed store should get this to buy marijuana, and there are records that are stored, from which the farm it and whom it was sold.”

At the same time, Thai customs officers continue their efforts to stop the flood of cannabis, though their airports.

They use intelligence collected on travel models to focus on potential smugglers, and dissuade them from checking in tainted luggage and risking severe imprisonment in the destination countries.

They are increasingly using the requirement for the purchase, selling or exporting the amount of marijuana to harass those they are intercepted, but punishment is rarely more than a fine.

And seized suitcases filled with vacuum packages of dried marijuana heads such as “Runtz” and “Zkittlez” are still going to the rear premises at the airports. About 200 in the same room was allowed in the same room, which was allowed BBC, which was placed from two to three tons, taken only in the last month.