Thailand’s experiment with weed goes up in smoke

[snoop1130]

 

After four years of support from the ruling coalition government, Thailand is expected to vote against the decriminalisation of marijuana in Sunday’s general election. The current free-for-all and weed shops lining the busy tourist streets appears unlikely to continue in the months after the election and a new parliament is settled.

 

Almost all of the political parties involved in the 2023 national election are in favour of returning to the previous policies of marijuana prohibition and confining its use to medicinal purposes only. Only one party is still seeking some sort of policy that would allow and regulate recreational use.

 

The changes in policies comes amid rising concerns over the negative societal impact of an open-slather approach to cannabis use. The decriminalisation has also been botched by a lack of details, leading to a legal vacuum, with no regulations in place covering the recreational use of the drug in Thailand.

 

Full Story: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/thailands-experiment-with-weed-goes-up-in-smoke/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-05-12

 

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[Mitkof Island]

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

[scottiejohn]

7 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

They/it will go up in smoke!

[bignok]

6 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

Coffee shops

[Crossy]

1 minute ago, bignok said:

Coffee shops

 

I made the mistake of trying to get a coffee in a Rotterdam "coffee shop" (I was young and naive).

 

I did actually get a coffee, and an education

[WHansen]

20 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

It will be an expensive lesson learned in trying to beat the competition and jumping on the band wagon before policies have been set in stone.

It was always going to be a gamble, some may lose the bet.

[wordchild]

44 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

firstly i would question whether "regular" Thais put money into this sort of business.

Those that did are beyond stupid.

 

From what i have heard (reasonable sources!) , most of the shops, at least in BKK, are just money laundering fronts for those that need such things.

I guess these people  will just move on and find other ways to clean up their cash 

( obtained from where they make the real money ie call centre investment scams, illegal gambling sites  etc etc).

 

Back to owning go-go bars?

[transam]

29 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

Tough luck............????

[smedly]

alcohol is a big enough problem

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

38 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

Which there seem to be many .

I was in Chiang Rai recently and there seemed to be at least one newly opened weed selling shop in every street 

[transam]

The weed thing was a bad idea to start with, it is an easy money venture that a huge number jumped straight on the bandwagon.

Anyone with half a brain knows weed shops were a bad idea, as if there weren't enough junkies in LOS as it is.

But, losing their weed shop will be no different to the bars and coffee shops that come and go in short order, with no thought, just borrow and lose by the thousands...????

[scottiejohn]

13 minutes ago, smedly said:

alcohol is a big enough problem

 

To druggies?

What is the connection?

It is just deflection!

[scottiejohn]

17 minutes ago, smedly said:

alcohol is a big enough problem

 

To you?

What has your problem with alcohol got to do with the cr@p called weed?

[onthedarkside]

Off topic troll post removed

[torturedsole]

Too late.

 

The fox is in the henhouse and he's not leaving irrespective of the election. 

 

Anyway, I've already predicted the outcome of the election so all good for another five years.

[Denim]

55 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

They will be totally wasted, but not in a way they had hoped

[Denim]

22 minutes ago, smedly said:

alcohol is a big enough problem

 

Yes. There is a ban on sales during election. Big problem for tourists.

[torturedsole]

Just now, Denim said:

Yes. There is a ban on sales during election. Big problem for tourists.

I've a stockpile of Asahi and weed, all ready for the big day.

[transam]

Just now, torturedsole said:

I've a stockpile of Asahi and weed, all ready for the big day.

I thought you might.............

[Gecko123]

I don't think cannabis decriminalization has been anywhere near as successful for Thailand's economy as was predicted. Does anyone remember all the hype about hemp farming for textiles? R-i-i-i-ght.

 

Thailand's probably attracted a certain demographic who are intrigued by the novelty of smoking weed on vacation, and obviously there are some hard-core aficionados in the expat community (who knew?), but on balance, there's probably a lot of tourists who are kind of turned off by the cannabis shops on every street corner environment in some cities.

 

I have to say, when I look at some of the store fronts, street and on-line cannabis advertisement I find them to be such eye-sores, giving streets and websites a tacky seedy vibe. Nor has it done much to improve the reputation and image of expats and tourists, probably deterring more upscale and family tourists than it has attracted. Just more of treating Thailand as a place to get laid, drunk and stoned, a hedonistic playground.

 

My sense is that recreational use is going to be scaled back to medical use, and after the election, no is going to be able to unilaterally ignore the will of the people on this issue.

 

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand is expected to vote against the decriminalisation of marijuana in Sunday’s general election.

Thailand will be voting against Prayut. Simple as that.

[torturedsole]

5 minutes ago, Gecko123 said:

I don't think cannabis decriminalization has been anywhere near as successful for Thailand's economy as was predicted. Does anyone remember all the hype about hemp farming for textiles?

You don't agree with cannabis use so suspect your argument has nothing to do with economic benefits and you're just sounding off.  

 

How could you possibly know the benefit to the economy? Serious question.

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Thailand will be voting against Prayut. Simple as that.

I've no interest as falang but my wife and family will vote Prayut. Doesn't make any difference anyway as weed is here to stay.  

[redwood1]

1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said:

And what happens to all the Thais that spent money creating shops etc?

There are 4358 weed shops  https://weed.th/  in Thailand... I bet more like 6000-7000.....Plus loads of growers and online sellers...

 

There are rental contracts, emplyees, taxes, loans, suppliers to be paid etc etc etc....

 

Point is HUGE  numbers of people have invested every thing they have into this..

 

It CAN NOT BE SHUT DOWN fast...Maybe a slow slow shut down over 2-4 years might be possible....But any shutdown faster than this is not possible without paying out $$$$$$ in compensation....

[billd766]

7 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

You don't agree with cannabis use so suspect your argument has nothing to do with economic benefits and you're just sounding off.  

 

How could you possibly know the benefit to the economy? Serious question.

Please explain what benefit to the economy would that be?

 

7 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

I've no interest as falang but my wife and family will vote Prayut. Doesn't make any difference anyway as weed is here to stay.  

It has been available in Thailand for decades before Anutin decided to jump on the bandwagon and it will still be available long after he has gone.

 

Potheads will just have to look a little harder, and pay a little more.

[stoner]

anutin for the win. 

[torturedsole]

Just now, billd766 said:

Please explain what benefit to the economy would that be?

 

It has been available in Thailand for decades before Anutin decided to jump on the bandwagon and it will still be available long after he has gone.

 

Potheads will just have to look a little harder, and pay a little more.

I don't have to explain the benefits as taxes/business rates already applied. Are you serious?

 

Indeed, weed has been available in LoS for decades but we can now smoke it freely.

[billd766]

7 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

There are 4358 weed shops  https://weed.th/  in Thailand.....Plus loads of groers and noline seller...

 

There are rental contracts, emplyees, taxes, loans, suppliers to be paid etc etc etc....

 

Point is HUGE  numbers of people have invested every thing they have into this..

 

It CAN NOT BE SHUT DOWN...Maybe a slow slow shut down over 3-5 years might be possible....But No any shutdown faster than this is not possible without paying out $$$$$$ in compensation....

Of course it can be shut down. Recreational pot smoking was never made legal anyway.

 

If you have a problem with that then complain to Anutin at the BJT.

 

It IS his problem along with the BJT who supported it.

[billd766]

3 minutes ago, torturedsole said:

I don't have to explain the benefits as taxes/business rates already applied. Are you serious?

 

Indeed, weed has been available in LoS for decades but we can now smoke it freely.

I am serious.

 

Yes you have to explain to me how smoking recreational pot is legal, because it isn't.

 

As for taxes and business rates, that is a risk you take opening any business in Thailand.

 

Why do you think that the police are closing down pot shops?

[torturedsole]

11 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Yes you have to explain to me how smoking recreational pot is legal, because it isn't.

Because I can walk into shop, purchase weed and smoke it. The authorities don't care anymore.