August 18, 2025Aug 18 Popular Post d6c09c0c7bfe1ca1b1e343a4a927451c.mp4 Don’t miss the latest headlines from Thailand and around the world. Get the Asean Now Briefing newsletter, delivered daily. Sign up here.
August 19, 2025Aug 19 Popular Post So odd I have noticed only going after stores where there tend to be foreigners. Out in Nakhon Nowhere have noticed zero changes. Ignore this BS news ^^^^ and light up. Two weeks this will all be history.
August 19, 2025Aug 19 Popular Post Again and again, cracking down on anything foreign-related in the first place. Cannabis shops in Pattaya, night venues, foreign owned bank accounts, foreign owned property, innumerous visa rule changes in the last 10 years, more and more double pricing and so on and so on… What is wrong with these people and this country? I don’t even think it has something to do with a true Thai tradition. We all know how open and openminded this country and its people were just 20-30 years ago. And now… what a shame!
August 19, 2025Aug 19 15 minutes ago, Hellfire said: Again and again, cracking down on anything foreign-related in the first place. Cannabis shops in Pattaya, night venues, foreign owned bank accounts, foreign owned property, innumerous visa rule changes in the last 10 years, more and more double pricing and so on and so on… What is wrong with these people and this country? I don’t even think it has something to do with a true Thai tradition. We all know how open and openminded this country and its people were just 20-30 years ago. And now… what a shame! It's called far right politics..
August 20, 2025Aug 20 20 hours ago, ThreeCardMonte said: Good! "This is your brain on eggs" 1980's horrors on smoking ganja The Gateway To Hell drug!
August 22, 2025Aug 22 Popular Post So after this sensational article is there any hard evidence that police have raided and shutdown any more of the shameful devils-device hell-holes?
August 23, 2025Aug 23 16 hours ago, nglodnig said: So after this sensational article is there any hard evidence that police have raided and shutdown any more of the shameful devils-device hell-holes? No! And my hunch is once Thaksin and clan get the boot once again the so called HM will go away. Besides I don,t think he has the stomach to deal with the found of lawsuits. Light Up! and relax.
August 23, 2025Aug 23 On 8/19/2025 at 8:39 AM, Hellfire said: Again and again, cracking down on anything foreign-related in the first place. Cannabis shops in Pattaya, night venues, foreign owned bank accounts, foreign owned property, innumerous visa rule changes in the last 10 years, more and more double pricing and so on and so on… What is wrong with these people and this country? I don’t even think it has something to do with a true Thai tradition. We all know how open and openminded this country and its people were just 20-30 years ago. And now… what a shame! Just dont do anything and thailand would love to have you. Also you have to keep spending money
August 23, 2025Aug 23 On 8/19/2025 at 10:39 PM, Hellfire said: Again and again, cracking down on anything foreign-related in the first place. Cannabis shops in Pattaya, night venues, foreign owned bank accounts, foreign owned property, innumerous visa rule changes in the last 10 years, more and more double pricing and so on and so on… What is wrong with these people and this country? I don’t even think it has something to do with a true Thai tradition. We all know how open and openminded this country and its people were just 20-30 years ago. And now… what a shame! Most Thai's probably don't want foreigners here. I have found most to be proud of the country and people, but it does not seem to extend to other places. It's more of a country specific thing. The happy welcoming thing is the way they act here anyway. Those responses are probably not because you are a foreigner visiting and they like it that you are strange and different.
August 25, 2025Aug 25 I'm thinking of coming back to Thailand in early September but only if I can smoke weed without any problems and without a doctor certificate can someone tell me if I still can I thought it was November the 11th it was all changing or something.
August 27, 2025Aug 27 On 8/26/2025 at 6:17 AM, juice777 said: I'm thinking of coming back to Thailand in early September but only if I can smoke weed without any problems and without a doctor certificate can someone tell me if I still can I thought it was November the 11th it was all changing or something. I seriously doubt anything much is going to change. Any day now PM to get the boot and like Health Minister Dr. Doom with the entire clan gone. Light up and don,t worry be happy.
September 3, 2025Sep 3 'They couldn't bear it': The city where cannabis shops are disappearing post-high More than 18,000 dispensaries that opened after Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022 are now facing imminent shutdown after the government's policy reversal. Thailand's cannabis industry is experiencing a painful comedown after the government announced it would recriminalise the drug after only three years. Source: SBS News For three years, downtown Bangkok has had a green glow. Neon cannabis leaves light up practically every corner; an inescapable marker of what quickly ballooned into a billion-dollar industry. More than 18,000 recreational marijuana shops sprang up, seemingly out of nowhere, when Thailand became the first Asian nation to decriminalise cannabis in 2022. Their glory days may have been short-lived. Last month, the government introduced new regulations restricting cannabis to medicinal use only, banning dispensaries from selling the drug to anyone without a prescription. Suradeth Wattanasoontornkul runs a small cannabis dispensary outside Bangkok's city centre. He says he's lost almost all his business. Source: SBS News It's now flagging more rules to come; planning to cut shop numbers back almost 90 per cent to 2,000 and require each one to have a doctor on site. "The customers are gone," cannabis shop owner Suradeth Wattanasoontornkul says. "They are scared. Everyone's business is going down." "The shop opposite us just closed. They probably couldn't bear it anymore." So far, there's no real evidence Thai authorities have started enforcing the new regulations, but Suradeth says the fear they will has scared most of his customers away. He used to sell more than $7,000 worth of cannabis every month. Last month, it dropped to less than $500. "We paid 5,000 baht ($240) to the government for a licence, but once we get that licence, they release new regulations and tell us the one we have is useless," Suradeth says. "Sure, you can hire a doctor, but the cost is very high, and not every doctor wants to work in a cannabis shop." The governmental feud fuelling recriminalisation Thailand's health minister says the reforms are about improving public safety and addressing rising cannabis addiction, but analysts say they are also wound up in Thailand's latest political crisis. In June, former Cambodian leader Hun Sen leaked the audio from a controversial phone call with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, during which she appeared to make disparaging remarks about her own military's handling of the recent border crisis. Her political allies in the Bhumjaithai Party, which was the main driving force behind cannabis decriminalisation, withdrew from the coalition in outrage. Within a week, Shinawatra's Pheu Thai Party had moved to recriminalise the drug. The reversal on cannabis "has a lot to do with coalition dynamics and coalition politics," political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, says. "The cannabis policy in Thailand is synonymous with the Bhumjaithai Party. It wanted to broaden its political base by decriminalising cannabis. So, suddenly, you had these cannabis shops mushrooming around Thailand, especially in Bangkok," he says. The Thai government has flagged plans to cut cannabis shop numbers back almost 90 per cent to 2,000 and require each one to have a doctor on site. Source: SBS News The industry experienced near-instant economic success; its value was already estimated above $1 billion, with the Thai Chamber of Commerce predicting that number could rise to $1.8 billion by the end of this year. Analysts believe tourists were behind much of the enthusiasm. "I think there was a public backlash against it," Pongsudhirak says. "The constituencies in favour of cannabis were limited; some vendors, proprietors, tourists, the hospitality industry. But the public sentiments at large are very sceptical. The Thais, being a predominantly Buddhist country, still frowned upon vices like this." Thailand's public health minister Somsak Thepsuthin says he eventually wants to relist cannabis as a category five narcotic, which would result in tougher penalties for recreational use and possession, including jail time. "We want to tell tourists they are welcome to enjoy Thailand's culture and nature, but Thailand should not be seen as a destination for recreational cannabis use," Thepsuthin recently said. "It affects children, causes nuisance from unwanted odours." An industry moving underground With the new restrictions widely unenforced and more regulations on the way, the industry has settled into a grey zone for now. Those trying to keep their businesses open say there is little clarity and a lot of confusion. Kitty Chopaka says cannabis dispensary owners are reporting a rise in tourists selling the drug to other tourists, suggesting the billion-dollar business is now moving underground. Source: SBS News "The health department is coming out with one set of information, the provinces are coming out with another set of information, when a lot of things are actually still on the drawing board," Kitty Chopaka from advocacy group Writing Thailand's Cannabis Future says. "The shops in the provinces where the health officers happen to be strict, they are now either shut down, or are being told 'We suggest you shut down until the rules are more concrete, but if you don't shut down we will come and do a little inspection where we're then probably able to suspend your licence'." Chopaka has been speaking with a network of dispensary owners almost daily as they try to navigate the changes. They have consistently been reporting a drop in sales since the prescription rules came into effect, but they do not believe that correlates with a drop in usage. Many believe tourists are now buying the drug from other tourists instead of the dispensaries. Some of the 18,000 registered shops have begun shutting down, while others are holding out to see if they might be one of the few that get to stay in business. "A lot of the small businesses are going to get removed, the small farms, the ones where the husband is the grower, the wife is the trimmer, then maybe the mother-in-law is the seller at the shop. Those guys are not going to exist anymore," Chopaka says. "I would say one small business is about ten lives you're dealing with. You've got the owner, the farms, the people who work in the shop, all of the production side of things. Each of them will have a family. And you times it by 18,000 — that's a lot of people." She says: "That's the sad part." Source: SBS News Published 25 August 2025 5:33 By Claudia Farhart https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/thailand-cannabis-government-policy-reversal-shut-down/zhxue87ag
September 4, 2025Sep 4 Not going to ever happen until it becomes law. Just saw another NEW shop in Nakhon Nowhere. Health Minister is wasting his time. Soon to get his walking papers.
September 4, 2025Sep 4 11 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said: Health Minister is wasting his time. Soon to get his walking papers. There is no health minister at this time. He was dismissed when Ung Ing was kicked out. Anutin will choose the new one.
September 4, 2025Sep 4 6 hours ago, marin said: There is no health minister at this time. He was dismissed when Ung Ing was kicked out. Anutin will choose the new one. Are you sure about that? I just saw this article today in the Bangkok post mention his name, so it seems like he's still there: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3098372/somsak-eyes-health-boost-for-myanmar-refugees
September 4, 2025Sep 4 The guy is 100% OUT THE DOOR! Will everyone stop worrying about him and IGNORE the fool!
September 4, 2025Sep 4 28 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said: The guy is 100% OUT THE DOOR! Will everyone stop worrying about him and IGNORE the fool! You absolutely sound like someone who invested his life savings into this stinky enterprise
September 4, 2025Sep 4 1 hour ago, Celsius said: You absolutely sound like someone who invested his life savings into this stinky enterprise The issue here is the law itself. I don,t think kindly of government officials just making up laws because they do not like something. If I remember correctly regulations (not laws) where never voted on in the Thai parliament. Until then this guy is just blowing smoke out of your know where. On a power trip !
September 4, 2025Sep 4 Waliking around Sukhumvit Bangkok yesterday I did not see a closed shop. And several had signs ¨spend ... in shop and get a free cannibis medical certificate.¨.
September 4, 2025Sep 4 13 hours ago, Anthony mellows said: 50 million thais would disagree with you plus many tourists who hate the stinking weed polluting areas. 50 million thais would disagree with you Stop pulling figures out of your ass and go and educate yourself.
September 5, 2025Sep 5 Popular Post 18 hours ago, Anthony mellows said: Stay home.We don't want you potheads here. You need to smoke a joint and mellow out a bit.
September 5, 2025Sep 5 42 minutes ago, jvs said: You need to smoke a joint and mellow out a bit. Just going to say he picked a bad nick to come on here and bad mouth herb.
September 5, 2025Sep 5 21 hours ago, Anthony mellows said: Stay home.We don't want you potheads here. Define 'we'
September 5, 2025Sep 5 4 hours ago, jvs said: You need to smoke a joint and mellow out a bit. Yea Dude he needs to chill. Perhaps join the club? Oh the horror !
September 5, 2025Sep 5 1 hour ago, BritManToo said: Define 'we' 1 hour ago, BritManToo said: Define 'we' Can we ban booze ? All the foreign alcoholics would leave ! YES!
September 5, 2025Sep 5 8 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said: Can we ban booze ? All the foreign alcoholics would leave ! YES! And ban hookers and massage so all the dirty old men leave.
September 5, 2025Sep 5 12 minutes ago, Mitkof Island said: Can we ban booze ? All the foreign alcoholics would leave ! YES! 4 minutes ago, BritManToo said: And ban hookers and massage so all the dirty old men leave. Sounds like Oman, but the locals there smoked quite a bit of cannabis when we camped in the desert diving at the shores there. No alchohol and no ladies, just cannabis
September 5, 2025Sep 5 1 hour ago, Mitkof Island said: Can we ban booze ? All the foreign alcoholics would leave ! YES! Big difference.It is legal.
September 5, 2025Sep 5 6 hours ago, jvs said: You need to smoke a joint and mellow out a bit. I just need a couple of legal beers to mellow out thanks.
Create an account or sign in to comment