Many countries prohibit citizens from using marijuana when traveling to Thailand.

Citizens of Japan, China, and Singapore could face legal trouble if caught using marijuana while traveling to Thailand.

Thailand’s legalization of marijuana last year has brought a wave of tourists to the country, notably Japanese tourists. Many of them come to Thailand out of curiosity about the appeal of the banned herb.

Many countries prohibit citizens from using marijuana when traveling to Thailand. — **Customers at a marijuana dispensary in Bangkok, Thailand.** Photo: AFP

Japan does not have the death penalty for drug offences, but has warned that its cannabis laws could apply to citizens even while abroad.

At a marijuana shop in Bangkok, a Japanese tourist took a few puffs from a joint he rolled himself. The 42-year-old tourist asked to remain anonymous because he was worried that using marijuana in Thailand could get him in trouble when he returned home. He admitted that “this is the first time I have tried marijuana” and asked why “Japan prohibits it.”

The law is also clearly stated in China. The Chinese Embassy in Thailand has warned that if Chinese tourists consume marijuana and are found upon returning to China, it is equivalent to domestic drug use. Tourists will be subject to corresponding legal penalties.

China has also issued similar warnings to tourists traveling to other countries that have legalized marijuana, such as the United States, Canada and the Netherlands.

On a flight from Shanghai to Thailand, passengers were warned not to consume cannabis, whether intentionally or unintentionally, while in Bangkok. The notice also stated that “some food and drinks may contain cannabis, so travelers should pay attention to the leaf logo printed on food packaging and avoid consumption.”

Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau has announced plans to randomly test travellers returning from Thailand over concerns about the drug. Singapore has executed two people in the first six months of this year for marijuana trafficking.

Neither the Chinese nor Singaporean authorities have detailed how often they screen citizens returning from countries where cannabis is legal. Several cannabis businesses in Bangkok said visitors from Singapore and China were being cautious about using the drug, asking questions about “how long THC stays in the body and whether cannabis is addictive.”

Despite strict controls on its citizens from Asian countries, Thailand's cannabis industry is growing at a rapid pace. Foreign tourists to Thailand are still curious to try the illegal drug. Cannabis shops are springing up like mushrooms in some areas of central Bangkok.

By February 2023, nearly 6,000 licenses for cannabis-related businesses had been approved, including more than 1,600 in Bangkok alone.

The Thai government has no exact statistics on how many tourists come to the country to smoke marijuana. However, Kueakarun Thongwilai, manager of a marijuana shop in central Bangkok, estimates that 70-80% of his customers are foreigners, mainly from Asian countries such as Japan, Malaysia, China, the Philippines and a few from Europe.

According to vnexpress.net

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