Travellers warned against carrying parcels for others as Thailand targets cannabis smugglers
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- Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan, Thailand's deputy government spokesperson, announced on July 12 that relevant agencies had been instructed to intensify inspections of outbound cannabis following reports of smuggling to other countries.
- Thailand's government warned both Thai and foreign travelers not to accept packages, luggage, or paid courier jobs from others, and to inspect their own baggage carefully to ensure cannabis, flower, or cannabis-containing products have not been concealed inside.
- Thai authorities stressed that the partial easing of cannabis restrictions for medical purposes within Thailand does not authorize export — travelers face Thai export controls plus the drug laws of destination and transit countries regardless of legal status at home.
- Convictions under Thailand's Customs Act for illegal cannabis export carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of four times the duty-inclusive value of the goods, or both penalties combined.
- Offences under the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Wisdom Act and the Ministry of Public Health's 2025 notification on cannabis as a controlled herb each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to 20,000 baht (S$776).
- Destination-country penalties for cannabis importation vary by jurisdiction and can include lengthy or life imprisonment or capital punishment in some countries, according to the government's statement.
- Thai authorities urged the public to report suspicious courier recruitment or online paid-courier advertisements through the 24-hour hotlines 191 or 1599.
Why it matters: Thailand's semi-legal cannabis market has created an export gray zone where tourists and unwitting couriers can be prosecuted in multiple jurisdictions. Under the Customs Act alone, offenders face up to 10 years in prison plus a fine of four times the goods' value, and in some destination countries the penalty rises to life imprisonment or capital punishment — meaning a single suitcase someone else packed could carry a death-penalty sentence abroad.
