Thailand cannabis law
Is cannabis legal in Chiang Mai?
Short answer: yes, with a prescription. Longer answer below, because the honest version is more useful than the version most shops will give you.
Last reviewed
Cannabis is not a narcotic in Thailand. It has not been since 2022. But it is also not the free-for-all it was between 2022 and 2025, and anyone telling you otherwise is either out of date or hoping you are.
What changed, and when
Four dates matter, and only three of them have happened.
- 9 June 2022 Cannabis leaves the narcotics list Thousands of shops opened within months, with almost no framework underneath. This is the period most travel articles are still describing.
- 26 June 2025 Flower becomes a controlled herb Reclassified under the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Act B.E. 2542. From that day, buying or holding flower legally requires a PT 33 prescription from a licensed practitioner. This is the change that ended the open recreational market.
- 30 April 2026 Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569 in force Sets out what a licensed shop must have: separated and quality-controlled storage, staff trained by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine on duty whenever the doors are open, a qualifying licence, and odour control. A lot of shops quietly stopped meeting the bar around here.
- 21 May 2026 Draft Cannabis and Hemp Act, consultation closed A full Act would replace the current patchwork. It had not passed parliament as of September 2026, so nothing on this page depends on it. Until it passes, the rules above are the rules.
So what does that mean for you
If you are standing in Chiang Mai and you want to buy cannabis legally, you need two things: a prescription, and a shop that holds a valid licence.
The prescription part is genuinely straightforward. A licensed practitioner runs a short consultation, maybe half an hour, and issues a PT 33 if it is appropriate. Tourists go through the same process and use a passport instead of a Thai ID card. Most people are done the same afternoon. We can point you at it, and we explain the whole thing on our prescription page.
The licence part is on the shop. Ours is ชม-3-335/2566, issued to Siam Bloom Co., Ltd. by the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office. It is on the wall by the door, which is where the rules say it has to be. Worth glancing at wherever you go.
The things that will get you in trouble
- Smoking in public. Treated as a public nuisance offence, and it carries a fine. Not worth it.
- Taking it across a border. Serious criminal offence, in either direction, prescription or not. Thai prescriptions do not travel. Finish it or leave it.
- Buying from a shop with no licence on the wall. Cheap for a reason, and you have no idea what you are getting.
- Being under 20. The legal age is 20, and it also covers anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, and pupils and students.
What about CBD
CBD and hemp products under 0.2 percent THC sit outside all of the above and remain legal without a prescription. Anything extracted above 0.2 percent THC is still a Category 5 narcotic.
Is this going to change again
Probably, eventually. A draft Cannabis and Hemp Act finished public consultation on 21 May 2026 and has not passed parliament. When it does, this page changes. We date it at the top so you can see how current it is, which is more than most pages on this subject will do for you.
This page explains publicly available Thai regulation in plain language. It is not legal advice. Primary sources: the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Wisdom Act B.E. 2542, the Ministry of Public Health notification of 26 June 2025, and Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569.
Common questions
Is weed legal in Thailand in 2026?
Cannabis is not a narcotic in Thailand, but since 26 June 2025 cannabis flower has been classified as a controlled herb under the Traditional Medicine Act. It can be bought and held legally, but only with a PT 33 prescription from a licensed practitioner, and only from a licensed shop.
What changed in Thailand in June 2025?
On 26 June 2025 the Ministry of Public Health reclassified cannabis flower as a controlled herb, which ended the open recreational market that had run since 2022. From that date a prescription from a licensed practitioner became a legal requirement for buying or possessing flower.
What is Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569?
Ministerial Regulation No. 2 B.E. 2569 took effect on 30 April 2026 and sets out what a licensed cannabis dispensary in Thailand must have: separated and quality-controlled storage, staff trained by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine on duty during all opening hours, a qualifying licence, and odour control.
Can tourists legally buy cannabis in Thailand?
Yes. Tourists follow the same PT 33 prescription process as Thai nationals and present a passport instead of a Thai ID card. The consultation takes about half an hour and is available in Chiang Mai.
Can I still smoke cannabis in public in Thailand?
No. Public consumption is treated as a public nuisance offence and carries a fine. Consumption is also prohibited inside dispensary premises unless it is administered by a licensed practitioner.
Is CBD legal in Thailand without a prescription?
CBD and hemp products containing less than 0.2 percent THC remain legal in Thailand without a prescription. Extracts above 0.2 percent THC are still Category 5 narcotics.
Can I take cannabis out of Thailand?
No. Carrying cannabis across a Thai border in either direction is a serious criminal offence, regardless of whether you hold a valid Thai prescription. Finish or leave behind anything you buy.
Is the law going to change again?
Possibly. A draft Cannabis and Hemp Act completed public consultation on 21 May 2026 and had not passed parliament as of late 2026. Until it does, the Traditional Medicine Act framework described here is what applies.
Not sure where to start?
Message us on LINE and just ask. We will tell you what the process looks like for your situation, whether or not you end up buying anything from us.
Suthep, Chiang Mai 50200
11:00 – 22:00 daily