According to the two articles linked below, the cannabis industry may finally be catching a break with Anutin now in the top job. The mood has already shifted, with advocates saying officials are suddenly friendlier and more positive again about Cannabis since his win, which now points to a softer enforcement climate again.

Most importantly, the threat of cannabis being reclassified as a narcotic now looks to be off the table. Instead, Bhumjaithai is pushing a middle ground, keeping it decriminalized but tightening rules to rein in full on recreational use. That is a big shift from the Pheu Thai period, when shops were raided, hundreds closed, licenses suspended, and the crackdown was fueled by reports of Thai cannabis being smuggled overseas to the UK, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and elsewhere.

The catch is Anutin’s government is only intended to be a stopgap for now. Elections are due in four to five months, and nobody is sure if a full cannabis bill can pass within that time. Advocates are warning that unless the law gets nailed down quickly, the industry could be thrown back into turmoil, depending on which party wins the PM seat in next round.

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/thai-cannabis-industry-eyes-revival-under-pm-anutin-who-backed-its-rise

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3100254/thai-cannabis-industry-eyes-revival-under-pm-who-backed-its-rise

Means more smugglers i guess.In my Scandinavia country the custom catch smugglers with a total of 722 og.

All smugglers came from a trip from Thailand.

As I predicted former anti-weed Health Minister Thaksin puppet, nutcase, fool and top clown is GONE!!!!! Time to light up and celebrate it!

9 hours ago, norsurin said:

Means more smugglers i guess.In my Scandinavia country the custom catch smugglers with a total of 722 og.

All smugglers came from a trip from Thailand.

 

Can you share more details? 

 

I looked for articles, found a few, mostly in packages mailed from Thailand.

 

Outbound smuggling is a MAJOR issue that needs to be addressed with better enforcement, both at the airport and at Thai Post.

 

 

 

UK claims 90% drop in mail-order cannabis from Thailand

 

 

The amount of cannabis posted to the UK from Thailand has dropped by 90% in three months thanks to cooperation with Thai Customs, the Home Office has said.

 

When Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022, a surge of illegal shipments threatened to overwhelm UK Border Force - which uncovered 15 tonnes of the drug in the post in the final quarter of last year.

 

But a new deal requiring parcels from Thailand to be checked before they are shipped meant just three months later the figure had dropped to 1.5 tonnes.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33zllk41z7o

Decriminalized ??????  Cannabis is 100% legal and has been since 2022. Perhaps Thai Customs needs to do their job better and parents being more responsible around their children. The last Health Minister CLOWN was on nothing more than an EGO trip backed by one of the most corrupt families in Thai politics.  Every action he took was illegal not the cannabis shops themselves. All those shops were harassed and illegally shut down because of him and Thaksin. Hopefully those shops will file a lawsuit together for their losses. In the meanwhile booze is  harming and killing thousands and zero is done to stop it. 

3 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

Can you share more details? 

 

I looked for articles, found a few, mostly in packages mailed from Thailand.

 

Outbound smuggling is a MAJOR issue that needs to be addressed with better enforcement, both at the airport and at Thai Post.

 

 

 

UK claims 90% drop in mail-order cannabis from Thailand

 

 

The amount of cannabis posted to the UK from Thailand has dropped by 90% in three months thanks to cooperation with Thai Customs, the Home Office has said.

 

When Thailand decriminalised cannabis in 2022, a surge of illegal shipments threatened to overwhelm UK Border Force - which uncovered 15 tonnes of the drug in the post in the final quarter of last year.

 

But a new deal requiring parcels from Thailand to be checked before they are shipped meant just three months later the figure had dropped to 1.5 tonnes.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c33zllk41z7o

This is at Gardermoen Airport in Oslo.

On 9/8/2025 at 11:14 PM, RSD1 said:

Most importantly, the threat of cannabis being reclassified as a narcotic now looks to be off the table. Instead, Bhumjaithai is pushing a middle ground, keeping it decriminalized but tightening rules to rein in full on recreational use.

Exactly what is needed IMO - hopefully this time, they can strike a balance, tighten the regulations a bit and finally put the weed issue to bed for good.  If nothing changes, it just becomes a never ending problem and that doesn’t help anyone, other than those who choose to bury their head in the sand and pretend that everything is perfect regarding weed.

1 hour ago, TimBKK said:

Exactly what is needed IMO - hopefully this time, they can strike a balance, tighten the regulations a bit and finally put the weed issue to bed for good.  If nothing changes, it just becomes a never ending problem and that doesn’t help anyone, other than those who choose to bury their head in the sand and pretend that everything is perfect regarding weed.

Having had months if not years under Prayuth's government and not getting it right, why do so many posters believe that Anutin will get it right in 4 months with all the other problems Thailand has to face, and that Anutin as the PM will have to deal with?

38 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Having had months if not years under Prayuth's government and not getting it right, why do so many posters believe that Anutin will get it right in 4 months with all the other problems Thailand has to face, and that Anutin as the PM will have to deal with?

Well, it can't be any worse than the last government, making it more difficult for foreigners in Thailand, banks, Sims. Non os, all harder under Thaksins proxy government.

 

At least with Anutin we get to keep cannabis.

As for Thailand's problems, don't give a flying one, as long as I'm alright!

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Having had months if not years under Prayuth's government and not getting it right, why do so many posters believe that Anutin will get it right in 4 months with all the other problems Thailand has to face, and that Anutin as the PM will have to deal with?

Personally I don’t think it is necessarily about getting it “right”, after all what does that really mean?  I would aim for “better” - better than how weed regulations were originally structured and better than how these regulations have evolved into the morass we’re currently in.

 

And, who better than Anutin to try to address weed?  If anyone can, and has the political wherewithal to do so, he would be the obvious candidate - even if he doesn’t get the PM job after elections, he’ll certainly wield enough influence to bring change to the industry.

 

I do agree that there are a lot of things on his plate though, so maybe nothing changes - not ideal IMO but not the worst outcome either.

Ex Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin that tried amend cannabis laws facing possible jail time.   I translated from Thai.

 

The curtain falls on two ministers protesting against Pun, who are facing a potential jail term for those who issued strict herbal regulations. The issue of "spiritual illness" has been raised after the country was forced to become sick with green tea.

The end of two ministers who oppose Pun likely ends with them being in jail. They are facing the case of "spiritual illness on the 14th floor" which spread poison after forcing the green line to be a patient with a medical certificate from Bhumjaithai Party 33. The green line points out that "this government" has committed many sins against the people after small-scale fertilizer farmers lost 80-90% due to the new lightning-fast control regulations. Political experts advise the two ministers who dislike Pun to "pack their bags," warning that they face serious legal challenges. Meanwhile, the green line has launched a game of suing through every avenue, filing a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to punish Somsak Thepsuthin under Section 157 for policy corruption, along with filing a lawsuit with the Administrative Court to suspend the unfair control announcement.

Dr. Thanaporn Sriyakul, Director of the Institute of Political and Policy Analysis, revealed on the program "Talk Slow Shot" that After the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions sentenced Thaksin Shinawatra to one year in prison, excluding the six-month period of illicit illicit treatment, the two involved ministers were charged under Section 157 of the Criminal Code. This is because the court's decision will fuel further legal action by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).

Dr. Thanaporn further stated that a key issue concerns the distorted reporting of information regarding the illicit illicit condition of the head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC). The court found that the court had used the Medical Council's decision, as a medical expert, to determine that the NACC was not seriously ill enough to warrant hospital confinement. The court also found that the resolution was opposed by Somsak Thepsuthin, who vetoed the decision, and the court also relied on medical records. Therefore, when it comes to the NACC, it must investigate whether the actions were a violation of the facts to aid Thaksin. Whether the actions were directly used or supported by him, it must also examine whether there was a conspiracy among ministers, as the court ruled that the state officials involved must be held liable. Therefore, there's a high chance that this could spread to department heads, including ministers.

Dr. Thanaporn continued, stating that he advised both ministers to pack their bags and apply for visas if they were to follow the 2006 "big boss" model, as they risked facing Section 157 charges. This included vetoing the medical examiner's decision, as well as the Justice Minister, Thawee Sodsong, who was ruled by the court to report symptoms every 30-60 days. The court found that the information was distorted regarding "phantom illnesses." So, who is responsible? Who is aware of it? Who signs off on it? The 180-day "phantom illness" policy has exceeded the authority of the Corrections Department Director-General, but it is the authority of the Justice Minister.

A source from the manager of a 35,000-plant fertilizer farm told Channel Weez Thailand that the sudden change in regulations, without giving time to adjust, meant that this government had committed a great sin against the people. Small-scale entrepreneurs and farmers suffered losses of 80-90%, affecting their incomes and livelihoods. Therefore, he would like to propose that the government expedite the clarification of regulatory laws to allow entrepreneurs to move forward.

News reports indicate that Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin announced a strict fertilizer control policy. Just weeks after the Hun Sen video leak and the Bhumjaithai Party's split, the government imposed conditions requiring consumers to be ill and hold a Phor Thor. 33 certificate, and the establishment of GACP cultivation standards, which caused widespread criticism and led to a lawsuit against the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) for policy corruption under Section 157 of the Anti-Corruption Act, which allegedly monopolized market control regulations for large corporations, and a lawsuit against the Administrative Court, with the Federation of Pun for the People scheduled to file a lawsuit against the court to revoke the aforementioned control announcement, which the victims considered unfair.

This government has historically had ministers take the most active action against Pun. This has been discussed both in press conferences and in meetings. Several times, policies between the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Justice were linked, even to the extent of having a Pheu Thai Party deputy prime minister falsely claim royal authority, which was reported in the media regarding the Pun crackdown. Furthermore, it was discovered that the Pun control policy, which has resulted in numerous victims, was used as a campaign issue during the by-election in Sisaket Province.

 

https://www.channelweedthailand.com/2025/09/10/anti-cannabis-minister-at-risk-court-jail/

What do you want to do? Bhumjaithai Party reveals 'Pun's bill cannot be completed in time'. They are keeping an eye on whether they will push for a change in the announcement of stricter controls. Somsak leaves it up to the new government to decide.

https://www.channelweedthailand.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/S__67256323-1024x780.jpg

 

Paradorn Prisananantakul, a core MP for the Bhumjaithai Party, revealed that the highly anticipated medical drug policy could not be pushed through in time due to the need to amend several laws governing drug sales. Therefore, it is uncertain whether the bill will be successfully passed, as it is currently pending in the House of Representatives
.
Meanwhile, Somsak Thepsuthin, former Minister of Public Health of the Pheu Thai Party, who announced stricter drug control regulations following the Paethongtarn-Hun Sen video leak, stated that the direction of the drug policy will depend on the new government's determination. Currently, a second draft of the control order (requiring shops to be converted into clinics with full-time doctors) is pending at the Cabinet meeting and cannot be pushed through.

A reporter asked whether a new Public Health Minister would be able to amend the announcements and ministerial regulations regarding Section 33 and GACP cultivation standards. Mr. Somsak replied that it was the new minister's authority to determine whether to elevate the issue to primary law, ministerial regulations, or announcements under other acts, such as the Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Protection Act. He emphasized that his policy guidelines were aimed at avoiding lawsuits and preventing public distress.

"Pun, if not for medical use, must be considered a drug, which is acknowledged to have many factors involved, preventing it from reaching that point (returning to being a drug). However, at least what's being done is better than doing nothing," Mr. Somsak said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ratthaphon Saenrak, founder of Highland, told Bloomberg that the change in government might not immediately change the law, but rather impact the enforcement environment. This could lead to less stringent measures on shop closures or more politically motivated stunts. However, the recent back-and-forth between policies has made it difficult for even law-abiding operators to survive. Rising costs of improving cultivation processes and prescription requirements have driven many players into the black market.

A report from Channel Weez Thailand indicates that the current caretaker government has been unable to successfully implement the Pun Act, hampered by both authority and time constraints. Therefore, the Pun Act will likely remain in a vacuum under the current regulatory announcements. The regulatory announcements, which include Section 33 and GACP cultivation standards, remain in effect, unless the new Minister of Public Health exercises his authority to sign additional orders to ease the stringent conditions. While the regulations for patients cannot be amended, there is room for additional regulations for adult users to be enacted, easing the burden on operators and protecting consumer rights, as has been the case in other countries, where medical certificates are not required. The future of the Thai Pun industry remains a concern. If it is tied to politics, it will likely lead to policy uncertainty. If the next election brings an opposing party into government, the entire industry could be thrown into turmoil once again.

1 min read

My suspicion is that nothing significant will change in terms of laws or enforcement at this point, and things will continue much as they are now. Weed shops will remain open with no further forced closures for failing to meet new guidelines and previous threats of not being able to renew existing licenses likely won't come true. Technically, users will still be required to have a medical use certificate and obtain a T.M.33 form to purchase flower, but with no enforcement in place, shops will not ask for it and there will be no real need to get one. Cannabis flowers will not be reclassified as a Class 5 narcotic. Smoking in public will continue to be discouraged, though police are unlikely to heavily hassle tourists or individual users. People who smoke in popular public places may be told to stop, but little more than that. The government will continue to check shop licenses, ensuring they are properly issued, and will close those operating without them. Beyond that, I do not expect any new changes or major cannabis laws to pass through Parliament. Things are functioning well enough as they are, so the government will probably leave the situation alone for now. The main focus of the new administration will likely be preventing people from showing up at Heathrow with 40 or 50 kilograms of cannabis flower in their luggage after just arriving on a flight from Bangkok.

In CM everyone openly smokes cannabis in bars. They even bring you ashtrays when you light up.

And it's still 2bhr/g.

Happy Daze Are Here Again ! Strong coffee a good puff and time for morning chores and Pink Floyd  at 3am