Latest news with #Suvarnabhumi
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Thailand tightens cannabis rule after tourists caught trying to smuggle drug out
Thailand aims to clamp down on easy access to cannabis by mandating medical prescriptions amid rising instances of tourists attempting to smuggle out large quantities of weed. Dispensaries will be allowed to sell cannabis only to those with licenses or with prescriptions from medical professionals, including traditional medicine practitioners, when proposed changes to existing rules take effect in about 40 days. The amount sold will also be limited to 30 days of use, according to the Ministry of Public Health. The new rules, which will be binding on locals and foreigners alike, come after Thai authorities intercepted 73kg (160lbs) of cannabis earlier this week at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. Weed smuggled out of Thailand has reached the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong and many other destinations, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said. Thailand will now make it harder to access cannabis except for medical reasons, he added. Thailand was the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, but has so far struggled to regulate and contain its free use.
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- News.com.au
Aussie busted with 22kg of meth in Thailand
An Australian tourist was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 22kg of meth through an airport in Thailand. The 28-year-old was reportedly caught with the drugs while trying to board a plane at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on May 18, according to Asia Pacific Press. Staff flagged his belongings after finding 'density abnormalities' in his luggage during inspections. They said they rifled through the bags and discovered the plastic packs of methamphetamine inside. The Aussie tourist was due to fly to Melbourne on a Thai Airways flight but was arrested before boarding. 'The owner of the bag was an Australian passenger who was trying to take the crystal meth to Australia, where its value would increase tenfold,' Phanthong Loykunlanan, spokesman of the Customs Department, said. 'We believe the suspect was not selling the drugs himself. In previous cases, the tourists we arrested were just couriers delivering the drugs to a drugs network in the country of destination. 'They may have been in debt or were hired, but they are not the sellers themselves.' Mr Loykunlanan said as for where the drugs came from, 'we cannot say because the case is under investigation'. Meth is classified as a category 1 substance in Thailand. Under Thai law, using category 1 substances may be punished with up to three years in jail and a fine of up to 60,000 baht, while possession carries a fine of up to 200,000 baht – $A9500 – and up to 10 years imprisonment. Those convicted of dealing may face life imprisonment and a five million baht fine, depending on the amount involved. Producers, importers, and exporters of Category 1 substances face the same charges and may face the death penalty if it is proven their intent was to sell or distribute on a large scale.
