Can Tourists Buy Cannabis in Thailand? Yes, With One Extra Step
Visitors can buy cannabis legally in Thailand using the same PT 33 prescription process as Thai nationals, with a passport instead of an ID card. Here is how it works.
Last reviewed
Yes. It takes one extra step compared to a few years ago, and that step is a consultation with a practitioner.
The confusion is understandable. Thailand spent 2022 to 2025 as the most relaxed cannabis market in Asia, then changed the rules in the middle of 2025, and a lot of what is written online still describes the old version.
The current position
Since 26 June 2025, cannabis flower in Thailand is a controlled herb. Buying it legally requires a PT 33 prescription (ใบสั่งยา ปท. 33) from a licensed practitioner.
There is nothing in that rule restricted to Thai nationals. Visitors go through the identical process. The only practical difference is that where a Thai national shows an ID card, you show a passport.
What the process actually looks like
Message a shop or clinic first. Not strictly required, but practitioners do not sit in every dispensary every day. A message the day before saves you a wasted trip.
Bring your physical passport. Not a photo of it, not a copy on your phone. The prescription is a real document and it records real identification.
Have the consultation. Around thirty minutes with a licensed practitioner. They will ask what you are looking for and about relevant medical history, including anything you currently take. Answer honestly. They are making a clinical judgement and a bad one helps nobody.
Receive the PT 33. If a prescription is appropriate, it is issued there and then, naming what you may buy and in what quantity.
Buy at a licensed shop. Present the prescription. The shop records the sale against it, which is a legal requirement on them. This is why a proper dispensary asks for your details and a bad one does not.
Most people who message ahead are done inside an afternoon.
What it costs
Consultation fees are set by the practitioner, not fixed by regulation, and they vary. Anyone quoting you a national figure on a blog is guessing. Ask the specific place you are going to before you travel to it.
The four things visitors get wrong
Assuming a shop with a green sign is licensed. The licence must be displayed at the front of the premises. It is a condition on every licence issued in Thailand. If you cannot see one, ask to.
Smoking in public. Public consumption is a nuisance offence with a fine attached. Your hotel balcony, if the hotel allows it, is a different matter from Tha Phae Gate.
Trying to take it home. This is the one that turns a holiday into a problem. Carrying cannabis across a Thai border is a serious criminal offence in either direction and a Thai prescription has no force outside Thailand. Airport detections happen regularly and the person caught is almost always someone who bought legally and did not think it through.
Assuming the prescription lasts forever. Validity is set by the practitioner on the document. Ask at the consultation, especially if you are travelling on within Thailand.
Age and eligibility
You must be 20 or over. Thai law also prohibits sale to anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and to pupils and students, other than on a practitioner’s prescription. A dispensary that does not check ID is one that has decided its licence is optional.
In Chiang Mai specifically
We are a licensed dispensary on Nimman Soi 11 and we work with a practitioner, so we can tell you when consultations are running and what the current fee is. That offer stands whether or not you buy anything from us afterwards. Message us on LINE and just ask.
If you want the full detail on the process, it is on our prescription page. If you want the law itself, start here.
This page explains publicly available Thai regulation in plain language and is not legal advice.
Common questions
Can tourists legally buy cannabis in Thailand?
Yes. Tourists use the same PT 33 prescription process as Thai nationals and present a passport in place of a Thai ID card. Nothing in the process is restricted to residents.
Do I need a Thai visa to get a cannabis prescription?
No. A passport with a valid entry stamp is sufficient. There is no residency or visa-type requirement for a PT 33 consultation.
How much does a cannabis prescription cost in Thailand?
Consultation fees are set by the individual practitioner and vary by clinic and city. Ask the dispensary or clinic directly before you go, as published figures go out of date quickly.
Can I bring cannabis home from Thailand?
No. Carrying cannabis across a Thai border is a serious criminal offence regardless of a valid Thai prescription. Consume what you buy in Thailand or leave it behind.