Pictures courtesy of Daily News

A 55-year-old South Korean woman has been arrested at Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang International Airport after authorities discovered more than 23 kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in her luggage, allegedly intended for export to London in the United Kingdom. The arrest was made on 8 January following a coordinated operation by local police, tourist police, immigration officers and customs officials, marking another seizure amid ongoing efforts to curb illegal cannabis exports from Thailand.

According to police at Ban Du Police Station, the suspect was stopped at a security checkpoint before entering the international departure terminal. During routine X-ray screening, officers detected suspicious contents inside her suitcase and requested to inspect it further. Inside, they found 40 packages of cannabis flower with a total weight of 23.25 kilogrammes, which were seized as evidence.

The woman was immediately taken into custody and charged under the Customs Act for attempting to export cannabis flowers out of the Kingdom of Thailand. Officials confirmed that cannabis exports remain illegal under Thai law, despite changes to domestic regulations in recent years. The suspect and the seized drugs were handed over to investigators at Ban Du Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Investigators said the woman told police during initial questioning that she had been asked by an acquaintance to transport the cannabis to London. She claimed she believed that taking cannabis out of Thailand was not illegal, an assertion authorities said does not exempt her from prosecution. Police have not released further details about the alleged contact who supplied the drugs.

The case comes amid heightened scrutiny at Thai airports, particularly in provinces popular with tourists, as authorities respond to an increase in attempted cannabis smuggling incidents. Law enforcement agencies have warned foreign nationals and travellers that strict penalties apply to drug export offences, regardless of misunderstandings about local laws.

Customs and police officials said the coordinated operation reflected closer cooperation between multiple agencies to intercept illegal exports before they leave the country. They added that enhanced screening and intelligence-sharing would continue, especially on international routes to Europe and other regions.

Daily News reported that the suspect remains in police custody as investigators prepare the case file for formal prosecution. Authorities are also examining whether the arrest may be linked to a wider smuggling network, although no additional suspects have been named at this stage.

Key Takeaways

• A 55-year-old South Korean woman was arrested on 8 January at Chiang Rai Airport with 23.25kg of cannabis.

• Police said the cannabis, packed into 40 bundles, was intended for export to London, UK.

• The suspect has been charged under the Customs Act and transferred to Ban Du Police Station for prosecution.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now from Dailynews 2026-01-09

 

 

WOW! That's about 50 pounds. How utterly stupid to try to smuggle it this way. I feel sorry for her, not only for the legal penalties on something most of us know is a harmless weed, but for being a stupid person doing stupid things for her entire life. BUT, maybe she was desperate for the money for reasons we don't know. Now if the UK had demonstrated any sense they would have legalized it, and taxed it to make money for the government, putting illegal markets out of business.

Curious asks.... These people don't know that your bags are x-rayed on leaving the country?

1 hour ago, wombat said:

Curious asks.... These people don't know that your bags are x-rayed on leaving the country?

Depending on the sophistication of the x ray, organic matter may or may not show up. Thailand is not known for its bureacrasy keeping up with the modern world. But chances are that it will be flagged. But the smell - doesn't take a drug sniffing dog to smell 23 kilos of weed.

"concealed in her luggage" Concealed as in an elephant concealing itself behind a telephone pole?

Important rules to keep in mind when traveling by plane.

#1 DO NOT EVER carry any drugs in your bags. They will almost certainly be detected.

#2 See #1

2 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Depending on the sophistication of the x ray, organic matter may or may not show up. Thailand is not known for its bureacrasy keeping up with the modern world. But chances are that it will be flagged. But the smell - doesn't take a drug sniffing dog to smell 23 kilos of weed.

Look at the photo of the X-Ray image. Even if organic matter does not show up very well in the image, which I somewhat doubt, the fact that there is nothing else in the bag would make it immediately suspect. You might get away with a few hundred grams but 23KG??? 😂

2 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

WOW! That's about 50 pounds. How utterly stupid to try to smuggle it this way. I feel sorry for her, not only for the legal penalties on something most of us know is a harmless weed, but for being a stupid person doing stupid things for her entire life. BUT, maybe she was desperate for the money for reasons we don't know. Now if the UK had demonstrated any sense they would have legalized it, and taxed it to make money for the government, putting illegal markets out of business.

Legalizing does not always work. California legalized pot but found that the illegal market grew. Through regulation compliance and taxes the price of legal pot was higher than the illegal stuff. Legalized pot lead to more users but when many found out that the illegal pot was not that hard to get and was significantly cheaper they turned to the illegal stuff.

She's been watching too many Cheech & Chong movies ...

I once had a bag of rice in my carry-on luggage, and it was flagged by security. I had to show the officers that it was just rice. It makes me wonder why anyone would think they could successfully smuggle 23 kg of drugs and not get caught.

1 hour ago, statman78 said:

Legalizing does not always work. California legalized pot but found that the illegal market grew. Through regulation compliance and taxes the price of legal pot was higher than the illegal stuff. Legalized pot lead to more users but when many found out that the illegal pot was not that hard to get and was significantly cheaper they turned to the illegal stuff.

That’s how CA rolls.

2 hours ago, wombat said:

Curious asks.... These people don't know that your bags are x-rayed on leaving the country?

1 hour ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Depending on the sophistication of the x ray, organic matter may or may not show up. Thailand is not known for its bureacrasy keeping up with the modern world. But chances are that it will be flagged. But the smell - doesn't take a drug sniffing dog to smell 23 kilos of weed.

1 hour ago, Dexxter said:

Look at the photo of the X-Ray image. Even if organic matter does not show up very well in the image, which I somewhat doubt, the fact that there is nothing else in the bag would make it immediately suspect. You might get away with a few hundred grams but 23KG??? 😂

19 minutes ago, Effective altruism said:

I once had a bag of rice in my carry-on luggage, and it was flagged by security. I had to show the officers that it was just rice. It makes me wonder why anyone would think they could successfully smuggle 23 kg of drugs and not get caught.

Doesn't anybody actually read?

"she believed that taking cannabis out of Thailand was not illegal"

On 1/9/2026 at 4:09 AM, Georgealbert said:

she believed that taking cannabis out of Thailand was not illegal

Irrespective, possession of cannabis is strictly limited to certified medical purposes.

She obviously possessed cannabis without any supporting documentation.

I"m amazed at people who try to get that much weed on an international flight. The odor alone would be enough even without an X-ray, unless it had extreme packaging.

17 hours ago, Effective altruism said:

That’s how CA rolls.

In Canada it seems less people are smoking pot only a few hard core stoners. I haven't caught a whiff of it on the breeze since it was legalized. Young people have largely abandoned it as a form of rebellion because it's now legal " something old timers do".

10 minutes ago, The Old Bull said:

In Canada it seems less people are smoking pot only a few hard core stoners. I haven't caught a whiff of it on the breeze since it was legalized. Young people have largely abandoned it as a form of rebellion because it's now legal " something old timers do".

Not so true. Its not that younger people are not using cannabis. They have just shifted their consumption habits. Smoking is on the decline while eating and drinking it are on the rise. Vapes are also popular.

Also younger consumer numbers rose in the past few years.

Another fool and her stay will be in cnx maybe in the womans prison enjoy

• A 55-year-old South Korean woman was arrested on 8 January at Chiang Rai Airport with 23.25kg of cannabis.

About as dumb as you can get.