Warning after huge increase in Brits caught smuggling cannabis out of Thailand
Officials in Thailand are cracking down on cannabis sales after cases of tourists attempting to smuggle the drug out of the country soared in recent months.
Airport officials said they have tightened inspections to detect smuggling attempts, adding that most people found with cannabis in their luggage are foreigners, especially Indian and British nationals.
Last week two young British women were arrested in Georgia and Sri Lanka for alleged attempts to smuggle cannabis after they flew there from Thailand.
The UK government said a joint operation with Thailand in February resulted in over two tons of cannabis seized from air passengers. It said that since July last year, over 50 British nationals had been arrested in Thailand for attempting to smuggle cannabis.
It also said there was a dramatic increase in the amount of cannabis sent to the UK from Thailand by post since the decriminalization in 2022.
Thailand's experiment with cannabis decriminalization is now facing a critical juncture as authorities grapple with the challenge of regulating the industry while addressing growing public concerns.
In 2022, Thailand made history as the first Asian nation to decriminalize cannabis, a move initially lauded for its potential to boost tourism and agriculture.
The policy shift led to a rapid proliferation of cannabis shops across the country, injecting new life into the farming sector. However, this rapid growth has been met with increasing unease, with critics arguing that inadequate regulations have made the drug readily accessible to children and fueled a rise in addiction rates.
The ruling Pheu Thai Party, responding to the growing public backlash, has pledged to recriminalize cannabis. This proposed policy reversal, however, has encountered significant resistance from its coalition government partner, a staunch supporter of decriminalization. The ensuing political tension highlights the complexities of navigating the social, economic, and legal ramifications of cannabis policy.
Thailand's Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin said at a press conference that officials are aiming to roll out new regulations in coming weeks that will tighten control on the sale of cannabis, including requiring shops to sell cannabis only to customers who have a prescription.
He emphasized that it is against Thai law to bring cannabis out of the country without permission from the authorities.
In March immigration authorities and police said 22 suitcases filled with a total of 375 kilograms of cannabis were seized, and 13 foreigners, most of them British, were arrested at the international airport on the Samui Island.
Thai officials said the suspects were hired to travel to Thailand as tourists then traveled to Samui, a popular tourist destination, where they would wait at the arranged accommodation to receive the suitcases with cannabis. They would then be instructed to travel from Samui to Singapore, and then from Singapore back to the U.K., where they would be paid 2,000 pounds ($2,682) upon completing the job.
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It crowns its size with the highest British peak beyond the mainland, Sgùrr Alasdair, whose 3,255ft (992m) heft is worth 60 points here. That you can hike to its summit is emblematic of Skye's general accessibility – it actually loses 20 points in our scoring system for the bridge to the mainland (between Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh) which dilutes a little of its island aesthetic. But ease of travel also makes for a fine destination. Especially if you enjoy poking around churches. There are over 90 of them on the island (30 points), not least the Trumpan Church, a medieval ruin with a dark history (it was the site of a clan massacre in 1578) but a dramatic coastal location. Add in a soupcon of refinement – a Michelin-starred restaurant (Loch Bay in Stein; 20 points); three five-star hotels (30 points) – and 'big' is boosted by 'broad of appeal'. Highlight 4. Mull (including Iona and Staffa) 587 points Although smaller than its Inner Hebridean brother – it is Britain's (and Scotland's) fourth biggest island – Mull manages to outmuscle Skye in our scoring system. It cannot quite match its 'neighbour' in height, its central peak Ben More rises to 3,169ft (966m), and 58 points. But it surpasses Skye in other things. Scotland is rarely lauded for its beaches, but Calgary Bay, on Mull's west coast, is among the best of them; a fabulous sliver of sand which makes TripAdvisor's list of the top 100 British beaches (20 points). Its seven listed historical sites (50 points) include the magnificent Duart Castle, which has stood at the island's eastern tip since the 13th century. It is hardly unusual for a Scottish island to have a distillery, but Mull does so with aplomb (30 points) in its 'capital' Tobermory. And for those who don't mind colder water, it has three PADI-recognised dive sites (30 points), including the wreck of the SS Hispania, a steamer which sank in 1954. Throw in the islet next door – Iona, where Port Ban Beach is as gorgeous as Calgary Bay – and you have quite the scenic combination. Highlight Britain's 30 greatest villages (a further 20 points). 3. Jersey 644 points With Guernsey in sixth, it should be scant surprise that its Channel Island sibling also makes the grade. Jersey shares many of Guernsey's key attributes, not least its 20C August average (35 points) – but on a bigger basis. Its full-circle coast path (20 points) is a longer challenge, at 48 miles – and passes a grand array of beaches en route. Four of them are ranked in Britain's top 100 by TripAdvisor (40 points), including the splendid arc of St Brelade's Bay, at the island's south-west corner, and Plemont Beach, at its north-western tip. Jersey's southerly location and commensurate warmth make for a flourishing vineyard (30 points) in the form of the La Mare Wine Estate, up near the north coast at La Falaise. And if you want food as well as drink, Bohemia offers a Michelin-starred (20 points) menu of modern European fare in the capital St Helier, under the gaze of chef Callum Graham. Add in a pair of five-star hotels (20 points) – the Grand Jersey Hotel in St Helier (from £210); Longueville Manor (from £275) on its outskirts – and a long weekend makes a lot of sense. Highlight Jersey has 10 listed historic properties (60 points in total), including Mont Orgeuil ( – a classic medieval castle, on the east coast at Gorey. 2. The Isle of Wight 646 points An island on the edge of the Channel, rather than a 'Channel Island', the Isle of Wight matches Guernsey and Jersey for weather (its August average sneaks up to 21C; 35 points), but steals a march on them in other areas. Roughly half of the island's 150 square miles are categorised as an AONB (40 points), with the north-west and south-west coasts, along the Solent as well as the sea, justifying this tag. The Isle serves up some of the new niceties of a British island – Adgestone Vineyard (from 30 points) turns the local climate into sparkling wine – while also clinging to long-held traditions: its Steam Railway (20 points), running six miles through the countryside just outside Ryde, is a classic of the heritage genre; its raft of cricket clubs (20 points), including Ventnor CC, in its glorious clifftop position on the south coast, exudes a certain Englishness. And its 70-mile coast path seals the deal, not least because it calls on the enduringly British attraction that is the funfair at The Needles. Highlight The Isle of Wight has 18 listed historical sites (75 points). Osborne House, summer refuge of Queen Victoria, may be the greatest. 1. Anglesey (including Holy Island) 777 points Wales's biggest island romped to the top of our ranking. Anglesey can lay claim to two Unesco World Heritage sites (100 points): as part of the slate-mining landscape of northwest Wales, and via GeoMôn, its geopark, which showcases the rich range of fossils found in its soil. Indeed, you can barely move on Anglesey without tripping over an accolade. Much of its 125-mile shoreline (which is fully covered by a coastal path; 20 points) is protected as an AONB (40 points), including Holyhead Mountain, rising amidst the neolithic standing stones of adjacent Holy Island. But there is much more to Anglesey than geography. Sosban & The Old Butchers offers Michelin-starred cuisine (20 points) with a view of the Menai Strait; Aberffraw, on its south-west flank, joins Tobermory in the Telegraph's list of ' Britain's 30 greatest villages ' (hailed as 'a huddle of pretty stone and pastel-painted cottages, peeking above the tidal waters of the River Ffraw). It all adds up to a towering total, one which even the 20-point penalty for a bridge to the mainland cannot puncture. Highlight Anglesey can boast 25 listed historic sites (80 points); none, perhaps, as remarkable as the 13th century masterpiece that is Beaumaris Castle. The results Nature - the top 10 Mull (including Iona and Staffa): 301 points Isle of Wight: 247 Lewis and Harris: 237 Anglesey (including Holy Island): 237 Islay: 218 Jersey: 217 Mainland, Orkney: 209 North Uist: 203 Tresco: 202 Mainland, Shetland: 201 Culture - the top 10 Anglesey (including Holy Island) Isle of Wight Mainland, Orkney Isle of Man Mainland, Shetland Jersey Arran Guernsey (including Sark and Herm) St Mary's Mull (including Iona and Staffa) Luxuries - the top 10 Skye Jersey Anglesey (including Holy Island) Arran St Mary's Mull (including Iona and Staffa) Isle of Man Guernsey (including Sark and Herm) Islay Isle of Wight The methodology We first compiled a shortlist of 40 islands based on their size and popularity as holiday destinations. These were awarded points based on their performance in the following categories: Population density (the lower the better); highest point; number of World Heritage Sites; number of beaches listed amongst TripAdvisor's 100 best in Britain; number of churches per capita; number of nature reserves per square km; number of beaches per km of coastline; number of golf courses; number of historic sights (listed on TripAdvisor) per square km; number of gardens open to the public (listed on TripAdvisor); number of vineyards or distilleries; percentage of the island that is woodland (according to Ordnance Survey); percentage of the island that is still water (according to Ordnance Survey); number of Michelin-starred restaurants; number of restaurants with three, four or five AA stars; number of Camra-listed pubs per capita; number of lighthouses managed by the NLB or Trinity House; average daily high temperature and total rainfall during August (according to number of four- and five-star hotels per square km (according to number of hotels with five AA stars; number of National Trust, National Trust for Scotland listings or equivalent; number of English Heritage, Welsh Heritage, Historic Scotland properties or equivalent; number of Historic Houses Association properties; number of RSPB reserves; number of nearby dive sites listed on Further points were awarded for islands that possess an AONB, a Certified IDA International Dark Sky Park or Reserve; a round-the-island coast path, a cricket club, a heritage railway; and for appearances in Telegraph Travel's guide to Britain's wildlife wonders, and our pick of Britain's 30 best villages. Twenty points were deducted for islands with a road link to mainland Britain.
