Cannabis street vendors in Bangkok
- moreno molenaar
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Cannabis in Thailand – Part 1
Khao San Road is the nightlife area in the center of Bangkok. In the past, the street was full of clubs, small food places, souvenir shops, and many street stalls. Since June 2022, cannabis shops have opened quickly on this backpacker street and changed the look of the area. The shops come in many different styles. Some are much more colorful than others. During the day, the shops are less noticeable. At night, they really come alive. The bright neon lights are impossible to miss.
People from the area
Thailand is known for its street food stalls. This concept is also used in Bangkok for the sale of cannabis. In the evening, street sellers set up their stalls, which are filled with weed, pre-rolled joints, and cannabis accessories. The selling happens openly. Cannabis is within reach on the tables. People who like weed have no problem with this. But young children are also directly confronted with the sale and use.
The street sellers are generally local people from Thailand, while the owners of cannabis shops have almost always settled there from abroad. Local street sellers say that renting a building to start a shop is not affordable for them. On top of that, there are also costs for various permits needed to open a shop. This means that local Thai people have little chance of becoming shop owners.
The sale of cannabis through stalls happens without permits. This is not allowed under Thai law. In the early period, this was allowed by the police by looking the other way. At the moment, there is increasing action against street selling.
Legalization made things calmer
Aof is a street seller in the nightlife area. He started his stall after legalization. Aof says he works together with his brother, who grows the cannabis. They do not have the money to open a shop and sell in a legal way. Aof says that he also sold weed before legalization. At that time, he did not sell it from a stall. It was better for his income because he could ask more money for the weed. He says legalization gave him more peace. He does not have to be afraid all the time of being arrested because of the cannabis he has. He sells to both local Thai people and tourists. He notices in his income that tourists buy cannabis faster in shops than at his stall. He knows that control on illegal street selling will increase. When this happens, he will have to look for another way to earn money. His dream is still to open his own shop. But without the money, this remains a dream.
Still looking for rules
You can see that Thailand is still searching for rules for the sale and use of cannabis. According to the law, smoking cannabis in public places is still forbidden. A punishment can range from a fine to a prison sentence of several months.
In the first period after legalization, there was little enforcement of public cannabis use. At the moment, control is increasing. On private property, such as hotels, people are also looking for the right way to deal with cannabis use. In the first year after legalization, it was not a problem to smoke cannabis at a hotel pool. One year later, it is noticeable that several hotels have a different approach. At some hotels, signs now show that cannabis use is not allowed in that area.
