Thailand moves to ban recreational cannabis use, 18 months after historic decriminalization

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

 

They are not making near as much as the people in high places that are facilitating the easy entry to Thailand of the much sought after, higher quality weed from the US and elsewhere overseas.

 

hey. shhhhh

[crazykopite]

Why invest in Thailand when the government change there minds as often as they change there underwear  I don’t do any type of drugs but I can’t help but feel sorry for all the weed shops that have opened there are 1,000s of them There are going to be a lot of business owners who are going to be very unhappy and facing millions of baht lost if the government do a u turn

[cowellandrew]

13 hours ago, 2baht said:

Total numpties!..........Why don't you go buy a submarine!!! 

With no engine!

😂😂

[johnhender]

Great, I am so sick of the smell and pot venders every 10 meters - everyone got what they wanted yet they couldn't behave themselves 

[swm59nj]

I’m sure this will effect tourism and the some of the expat population in the LOS.  Cheap Charlie tourist and expats.  But they can afford to buy marijuana 

[Yellowtail]

Sooner is better than later.

[Dogmatix]

All these international articles but the Thaksinite health minister still refuses to let anyone read the Bill he has prepared.  We are just discussing his comments on it.  He reneged on his promise for public consultations too.  We kept seeing stuff like OP saying that promotion and online selling of cannabis will be banned which is already the case in the controlled herb order.  Also that extracts with over 0.2% TNC will be illegal which was although the case in June 2022.

 

Everything but factual information about what is in this damn draft.

[Dogmatix]

1 hour ago, johnhender said:

Great, I am so sick of the smell and pot venders every 10 meters - everyone got what they wanted yet they couldn't behave themselves 

 

Don't know where you are but the smell of pot is not noticeable in Bangkok at all. 

[Theowl58]

Excellent decision!

 

I hate drugs.

 

Many Farangs come to get supplies here, not counting the locals.

 

All associated with alcohol for the scooter or the car! There are cannabis shops on every corner. It's too much and I won't cry when a lot of stores close.

 

If it is for medical use and there is follow-up from a doctor I agree. I never understood why Thailand legalized Cannabis two years ago.

[bannork]

55 minutes ago, Theowl58 said:

Excellent decision!

 

I hate drugs.

 

Many Farangs come to get supplies here, not counting the locals.

 

All associated with alcohol for the scooter or the car! There are cannabis shops on every corner. It's too much and I won't cry when a lot of stores close.

 

If it is for medical use and there is follow-up from a doctor I agree. I never understood why Thailand legalized Cannabis two years ago.

It was the policy of Anuthin, the leader of Bhumjaithai Party. No doubt he hoped to win many votes in the last election with it.  

[sidneybear]

Tax laws. Visas more expensive. No more weed. Is anyone missing Prayuth yet? He was the most expat friendly PM Thailand ever had.

 

Thailand survived perfectly well before there were dope shops on every street corner, and will do so again. 

[AustinRacing]

Good news. It was meant for medical use only. Therefore it should not be sold anywhere other than pharmacies with prescription. No advertising, no little shops around tourist areas etc. the fact that these little businesses invested in some illegal activity is no excuse. Close them all. 

[Stargeezr]

Thailand  officials did not use their brains, before legalizaing cannabis.

People are upset now that they finally thought a bit and changed their minds on an all open

policy.  The stink of cannabis is better than some raw sewage smells along some back streets and alleys.

IMO.

[MangoKorat]

20 hours ago, stoner said:

a khao san road business rep went on to say that it possibly generates 20 to 30 mb alone for khao san road per month. multiply that throughout the countries tourist areas and you have a large sum of money.

 

VERY large. 

The only thing the government will be interested in is the tax income.  I wonder just how much of that 'very large' sum is actually declared.  If little or nothing is being received, they will knock it on the head.

 

It doesn't even have to be cash in Thailand, there must be very little scrutiny of bank accounts - I've had people ask me not to pay money into their business accounts, but to transfer to their personal accounts.

 

Manager at my Kasikorn branch says its rife and nobody worries about paying 'grey' money into their personal accounts.

 

Grey money in the UK must stay grey, cash only. If the Inland Revenue decide you're worth a look the banks have to supply details of every account you hold by law and they can go back 7 years. If you can't say (or even remember) where something's come from, they count it as income.

[MangoKorat]

1 hour ago, sidneybear said:

Tax laws. Visas more expensive. No more weed. Is anyone missing Prayuth yet? He was the most expat friendly PM Thailand ever had.

Yeah well we all know who's really pulling the strings at the moment and the UK cancelled his diplomatic visa - he's unlikely to be 'farang friendly' now - especially towards us Brits.

 

But miss Prayuth?  Never in a month of Sundays - mind you, he didn't have much real power, just a puppet for the Elite - the more the country changes, the more it stays the same.  The pot may have got a little bigger now but they still all pee in it and change positions now and again.

 

I thought there was a glimmer of hope just before the last election - then I woke up.

[MangoKorat]

1 hour ago, AustinRacing said:

Good news. It was meant for medical use only.

Well it wasn't, then it was and then god knows what? They were never really clear on that - neither when it was announced nor for the first few months.  Remember all the talk about Cannabis Tourism, how it would revitalise the tourist industry? 

 

Did they ever formalise the law on exactly what was and wasn't allowed?  Last I heard, the answer was no. All I ever heard was conflicting statements from different 'ministers' (sometimes from the same minister) and just because someone says something, that doesn't make it law.

 

I guess the law may have been made clear but I doubt it. In any case I got bored with all the conflicts and stopped following it.

[JimboB4]

Yet another blatant disinformation article by TVF. They are merely doing what it was legalized for in the first place. And these “changes” are already in effect unless they bring back the medical certificates again. 

[JimboB4]

37 minutes ago, MangoKorat said:

Well it wasn't, then it was and then god knows what? They were never really clear on that - neither when it was announced nor for the first few months.  Remember all the talk about Cannabis Tourism, how it would revitalise the tourist industry? 

 

Did they ever formalise the law on exactly what was and wasn't allowed?  Last I heard, the answer was no. All I ever heard was conflicting statements from different 'ministers' (sometimes from the same minister) and just because someone says something, that doesn't make it law.

 

I guess the law may have been made clear but I doubt it. In any case I got bored with all the conflicts and stopped following it.

Yet it was and that’s all they have been doing along. This is just disinformation from the opposition nothing more it’s not facts. 

[stoner]

2 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

The only thing the government will be interested in is the tax income.  I wonder just how much of that 'very large' sum is actually declared.  If little or nothing is being received, they will knock it on the head.

 

It doesn't even have to be cash in Thailand, there must be very little scrutiny of bank accounts - I've had people ask me not to pay money into their business accounts, but to transfer to their personal accounts.

 

Manager at my Kasikorn branch says its rife and nobody worries about paying 'grey' money into their personal accounts.

 

Grey money in the UK must stay grey, cash only. If the Inland Revenue decide you're worth a look the banks have to supply details of every account you hold by law and they can go back 7 years. If you can't say (or even remember) where something's come from, they count it as income.

 

our company files tax every month. they will come down hard on those soon who are not registered licensed etc

 

tax man always wins. 

[NanLaew]

6 hours ago, sidneybear said:

Tax laws. Visas more expensive. No more weed. Is anyone missing Prayuth yet? He was the most expat friendly PM Thailand ever had.

 

Thailand survived perfectly well before there were dope shops on every street corner, and will do so again. 

 

Good point. I missed the 'Thaksin years' in that I was living and working elsewhere between 1990 and 2005. When I returned, I noticed a fair few long-timers, including some friends living and working here, railing about how anti-farang he and his successive administrations were. It's hardly surprising that maybe they still "don't like us" much.

 

However, I'm not endorsing that claim that Prayuth was "the most expat friendly PM Thailand ever had". He simply put the big pan of boiling frogs on simmer.

[JimboB4]

4 hours ago, MangoKorat said:

The only thing the government will be interested in is the tax income.  I wonder just how much of that 'very large' sum is actually declared.  If little or nothing is being received, they will knock it on the head.

 

It doesn't even have to be cash in Thailand, there must be very little scrutiny of bank accounts - I've had people ask me not to pay money into their business accounts, but to transfer to their personal accounts.

 

Manager at my Kasikorn branch says its rife and nobody worries about paying 'grey' money into their personal accounts.

 

Grey money in the UK must stay grey, cash only. If the Inland Revenue decide you're worth a look the banks have to supply details of every account you hold by law and they can go back 7 years. If you can't say (or even remember) where something's come from, they count it as income.

The Thai government will be concerned about the economy and bringing in the tourists and this is what’s bringing them back. 

[sezze]

10 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

 

Don't know where you are but the smell of pot is not noticeable in Bangkok at all. 

I did visit Bangkok again in November after years . The smells still are bad , yes , many many smells ... Now , comes to the pot , or marihuana or similar , well that was very present also . Going out at night around Sukhumvit was basically horrendous for the smell of pot , along with all the other smells , which were always present during the years.

 

[herfiehandbag]

15 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

Unfortunately?

 

Wouldn't that be "fortunately"? Or maybe just say 

 

 

 

Unfortunately in the sense that it rather undermines his point.

[brewsterbudgen]

6 hours ago, sidneybear said:

Tax laws. Visas more expensive. No more weed. Is anyone missing Prayuth yet? He was the most expat friendly PM Thailand ever had.

 

Thailand survived perfectly well before there were dope shops on every street corner, and will do so again. 

Good grief - don't you realise the same people are still in charge?!  

[Celsius]

1 hour ago, stoner said:

 

our company files tax every month. they will come down hard on those soon who are not registered licensed etc

 

tax man always wins. 

 

Come down hard on who? The boomers playing bridge or hardened biker gangs?

[stoner]

2 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Come down hard on who? The boomers playing bridge or hardened biker gangs?

 

dispensaries and growers who are not filing tax returns and showing sales etc. i know of a few stores that were closed temporarily for this when inspectors came through. 

[jacko45k]

10 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

 

Don't know where you are but the smell of pot is not noticeable in Bangkok at all. 

It was very noticeable on Soi Cowboy when I was last there. Not on the Skytrain though I admit. 

[stoner]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

It was very noticeable on Soi Cowboy when I was last there. Not on the Skytrain though I admit. 

 

and the other 345 000 roads and sois in bangkok ? 

[Ralf001]

6 minutes ago, Celsius said:

 

Come down hard on who? The boomers playing bridge or hardened biker gangs?

[StayinThailand2much]

On 1/11/2024 at 6:38 AM, ezzra said:

And no reasons given? there are thousands of Thais who have have invested heavily and started business in either

growing or selling cannabis, and now the wishy-washy government of dufuses headed by a billionaire are moving the

goal posts, what next? going back to the previous opening hours of bars and restaurants?...

 

In a country where policies flip-flop on a whim, and where there's zero consideration for the future, any investor should be wary to take anything for granted.