Thailand Steps Up Checks on Its 12,279 Licensed Cannabis Shops: What Inspectors Are Finding and the Penalties

🔖 Safety and Regulation Cannabis News & Updates
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Thailand’s government has stepped up inspections of licensed cannabis shops. Its stated goal is to keep cannabis use strictly medical. This post sums up what was announced in early November 2026, what inspectors are finding, and what the penalty rules mean for licence holders and for visitors.

What was announced

On 3 November 2026, the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM, the agency that licenses cannabis shops) briefed the media on its enforcement work. On 6 November 2026, a deputy spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister repeated the message, and the government’s PR Thai Government page then posted an English summary.

The government says it does not support recreational use.

How many licensed shops there are

Thailand has 12,279 licensed cannabis shops. The five provinces with the most shops are:

Province Licensed shops
Bangkok 1,726
Phuket 1,046
Chon Buri 900
Surat Thani 717
Chiang Mai 482

What inspectors are finding

The breaches found in inspections are:

  • Reports required by law are not prepared or not submitted.
  • Cannabis is sold without a prescription.
  • Shops run sales promotions or commercial advertising.
  • Customers are allowed to smoke cannabis on the premises.
  • Cannabis is sold online or through other computer networks.

The penalty rules

DTAM issued its penalty guideline on 22 June 2026. It applies the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Controlled Herbs (Cannabis), B.E. 2568. Under the Protection and Promotion of Traditional Thai Medicine Knowledge Act B.E. 2542, a licence can be suspended for up to 90 days at a time.

30-day suspension

  • Required business reports are not kept at the premises, are incomplete, or are not sent to the registrar.
  • Controlled herbs are sold or exported without meeting GACP (good agricultural and collection practices) or an equal or higher standard.
  • The licence is not displayed clearly, or the electronic licence is not shown to inspectors.
  • Controlled herbs are advertised for commercial purposes.

90-day suspension

  • Export details are not reported to the authorities.
  • Cannabis is sold without a prescription from a qualified practitioner.

Licence revocation

  • False reports are filed.
  • Cannabis is sold without a prescription to people under 20, pupils, students, pregnant women or breastfeeding women.
  • Smoking is allowed on the premises.
  • Controlled herbs or products made from them are sold through vending machines.
  • Sales are made online or through electronic channels.
  • Sales are made in prohibited places such as temples, dormitories and public parks.

Two further rules apply. If several breaches are found at once, the suspension periods are added together, but the total cannot exceed 90 days. If a shop that has already been suspended breaks the same condition a second time, DTAM may consider revoking the licence straight away.

The full penalty map, with examples, is in Licence Suspension and Revocation in Thailand: The Full Penalty Map for Cannabis Licence Holders (Part 1 of 2) and Licence Suspension and Revocation in Thailand: Appeals, Repeat Breaches and Keeping the Business Running (Part 2 of 2).

Appeals

In 2026, licence holders filed 66 appeals against suspension or revocation orders: Bangkok 31, Phuket 15, Si Sa Ket 7, Surat Thani 6, Chon Buri 2 and other provinces 5. An appeal sub-committee met on 28 October 2026 to screen the facts and the law in these cases. Its findings go to the Committee for the Protection and Promotion of Thai Traditional Medicine Knowledge, which takes the next step.

What to do now

If you hold a shop licence:

  • Match every sale to a prescription before the product leaves the counter. Selling without one is a 90-day suspension.
  • Keep your required records at the shop and submit them on time. Missing reports were the first breach on the inspectors’ list. Record duties are explained in Licence Holder Duties in Thailand: PT 27 and PT 28 Records, PT 33 Matching, On-Duty Practitioners and Inspections.
  • Remove price promotions and commercial ads, including on social media, and stop taking orders by chat or delivery app. Online sales lead to revocation, not suspension.
  • Make sure no one smokes on the premises.

If you are visiting Thailand:

Has your shop been inspected recently, or have you been asked for a prescription as a visitor? Share what happened below so others know what to expect.

References