Thai police warned Thai and foreign travelers on Monday against smuggling cannabis out of the country, citing a string of recent overseas drug busts linked to Thailand and warning that offenders face prison time and heavy fines both at home and abroad. Pol. Maj. Gen. Chaturaphat Phiromkaew, commander of the Royal Thai Police’s Foreign Affairs Division and a deputy spokesperson for the force, issued the warning following international trafficking cases tied to cannabis allegedly sourced from Thailand.
Among the cases cited, Hong Kong customs officers seized about 23 kilograms of dried cannabis and arrested two suspects, a Chinese national and a Hong Kong resident, who had arrived on flights from Thailand, according to several news sources. Separately, Indonesia’s National Narcotics Board dismantled a trafficking network and seized 3.37 tonnes of high grade cannabis allegedly originating in Thailand, in an operation that also led to the arrest of Malaysian and Chinese suspects.
Police said anyone caught carrying, smuggling, or accepting payment to transport cannabis, cannabis flower buds, or cannabis products out of Thailand could face prosecution under several overlapping laws. Under the Customs Act B.E. 2560, exporters can face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to four times the value of the goods, including duty owed. The Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Knowledge Act and a 2025 Ministry of Public Health notification on controlled herbs each carry penalties of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
On top of those penalties, Thailand’s Customs Department has tightened its enforcement approach. Since June 17, the department has applied a standard fine of 30,000 baht per kilogram of cannabis seized at the border, with confiscated product becoming state property, according to Nation Thailand. That figure matches guidance published by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which separately advises British travelers that attempting to take cannabis out of Thailand carries fines starting at 30,000 baht per kilogram, along with the risk of detention if the fine goes unpaid.
Police stressed that the risk extends well beyond Thai borders. Cannabis remains classified as a narcotic in many destination countries, and traffickers caught abroad can face sentences ranging from lengthy prison terms to life imprisonment, with some countries, including Singapore, retaining the death penalty for drug trafficking offenses.
The warning reflects the awkward legal position cannabis now occupies in Thailand. The country partially decriminalized cannabis for medical and health related use in recent years, and licensed dispensaries continue to operate domestically. But export of the plant remains tightly restricted regardless of how it was obtained or intended to be used, and police say some travelers appear to mistake domestic legality for permission to carry it across international borders.
The Royal Thai Police also appealed for public help in identifying trafficking networks, asking anyone with information about smuggling attempts or online recruitment by traffickers to contact the force through its 24 hour hotlines at 191 or 1599.
The warning comes as Thailand heads into its peak summer travel period, when authorities typically see an uptick in both inbound and outbound passenger volume through Bangkok’s international airports. Police did not say whether the recent cases had prompted any specific new screening measures at airports, and no additional details on enforcement steps were available as of Monday.
