Thailand's economic reliance on tourism[51] creates cover, crowds, and undocumented vice income, enabling foreign criminals to enter and remain in the country overstaying tourist visas. BANGKOK, June 9 (UPI) -- Dispensaries can be found on seemingly every corner of this bustling capital city, their neon-lit marijuana leaves beckoning customers as Thailand marks the one-year anniversary of becoming the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis. Thailands cannabis market is estimated to reach $1.2 billion by 2025. BANGKOK (AP) The U.S. ambassador to Thailand dismissed claims of American interference in recent elections as a "disservice" to the Thai people, saying Tuesday that Washington does not support any individual candidate or political party. On June 17, Thailand absorbed cannabis into an existing law governing traditional medicine, meaning its sale was banned to under-20s, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. How to see Thailands temples, rainforests and reefs on a budget. by Benjamin M. Adams November 22, 2022 Photo by Sakchai Lalit/AP The future of Thailand's cannabis industry is up in the air after a new legal challenge could bring everything to a screeching. The 2019 U.S. State Department report ranks Thailand as a Tier 2 nation. [21], Animal abuse in Thailand is widespread, including elephants tortured for tourism,[22] killing elephants for their tusks,[23] smuggling them from Myanmar,[24] exploiting elephants in cities,[25] and trading in animal parts. Thailand on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, became the first country in Asia to approve the de facto decriminalization of marijuana, as its anti-narcotics agency agreed to have the Health Ministry drop cannabis from its list of controlled drugs. Tourists on the resort island of Koh Samui can buy cocktails with cannabis syrup alongside vintage champagne in tony beach clubs. More than six months into the Kingdom's decriminalisation of weed in Thailand, unclear regulation and fluctuating market trends are clouding the landscape for local business owners. More people will understand it over time., Anutins pitch was that cannabis could become a valuable cash crop to help alleviate poverty among rural farmers. Thailand has decriminalized marijuana for medical and lawful purposes, a sign it's slowly abandoning its War on Drugs. However, the interministerial body that oversees drug policy couldnt decide on the specific limits to be placed on cannabis. Likewise, the law states that food and beverage products that contain cannabis again, those strictly for medical purposes must contain less than 0.2% THC, although on the streets of Thailand, these rules are being flouted. June 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department approved the sale of $440 million in ammunition and spare parts to Taiwan, the Pentagon announced, as tensions with China over the democratic island remain elevated. On our campus, we might use a gun to protect ourselves from violent, unruly seniors. Recent updates to this legislation prohibit people under the age of 20, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers from possessing and using cannabis unless they have a doctor's permission. The monastic life offers a veil of legitimacy to criminal organizations. [66] This situation is not unique to Rayong Prison, and is commonplace throughout Thailand. Still, hes sanguine about the potential for a Thai cannabis bonanza. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Police refused to accept many complaints, giving excuses such as "political unrest". Vendors in Bangkok sell cannabis products at night in July. [26], In 2013, some 87 women came forward daily to report sexual abuse or to seek counseling as a result of sexual abuse in Thailand, with most offenders known to the victim. The extracts of cannabis have also been used to produce diverse products such as toothpaste and coffee. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crime_in_Thailand&oldid=1162013120, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with failed verification from November 2018, Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes from March 2021, All Wikipedia neutral point of view disputes, Articles lacking reliable references from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 26 June 2023, at 13:10. In the walled northern city of Chiang Mai, joints can be bought at guest house reception desks. But, he said, what makes Thailand especially attractive, "is the compliant and bribable police force. The [Thai] government wants us to export, but who can we export to? The new law also adds penalties for sexual crimes against men and necrophilia.[29]. ", "But it takes time," Chokwan added, "I realized that being in this fight for cannabis is never-ending. Eastern Spectrums initial plan is to expand to at least 2,000 acres. 2013 Crime and Safety report on Thailand from the US Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Studying the American cannabis industry, Thanisorn observed how drastic price volatility meant firms that invested large overheads on expensive greenhouses were the most likely to fail. ", Thailand decriminalized cannabis one year ago, but a cloud of uncertainty remains over the industry. Thailand was the exporter of the illegal weed into the U.S.; now the U.S. is the illegal exporter of weed into Thailand. June 9, 2022 Marijuana was decriminalized in Thailand on Thursday in a move that has recreational users celebrating and business owners salivating. The peer support remains a key element in attracting people to use its services, and it is now hoped that the new legislation will lead to less discrimination and will enable others to access similar services through more government health facilities. Subscribe to Lonely Planet newsletters and promotions. [16] They had reported the drugs to be imports of electronics and automobile parts. "We don't want to see people going to jail for having one gram of cannabis," Rattapon said. Who can import it? says Thanisorn. After all, prostitution is nominally illegal but the country has an estimated 250,000 sex workers in prominent, gaudy go-go bars. [39][40], In response, Walmart and Costco retail chains in USA have dumped Charoen Pokphand as a supplier of seafood products due to suppliers that "own, operate or buy from fishing boats manned with slaves. Among other changes, sexual attacks on children younger than 13 will carry a sentence of life in prison, while penalties will double for rapists who record and share media of their crime. Advertising. Since the announcement in June, Thais have taken full advantage of this legal gray area. June 30 (UPI) -- Brazil's highest electoral court voted Friday to bar former President Jair Bolsonaro from running for office until 2030, after alleging that he abused his political power and violated the country's election laws. However, there are two kinds of defamation in Thailand: 1) Simple defamation (Section 326) "Whoever imputes anything, to the other person before a third person, in a manner likely to impair the reputation of such other person or to expose such other person to be hated or scorned.". [5][6], In November 2015, The New York Times reported that in the fiscal year ending September 2015, the national police have seen a surge in thefts, burglaries, and robberies, more than 75,557 thefts and other property crimes in the fiscal year, 10.5 percent higher than the previous year. This fourth edition of The Travel Book features incredible photography that illustrates each country, accompanied by a profile that includes details of when to visit, what to see and do and how to learn more about the countrys culture. Although below market price, its a guaranteed income; most farmers prefer that security rather than risk the vicissitudes of weather, disease, and global commodity prices. Flip-flopped arrivals are met with a sensory cacophony: blistering sunshine, the pungent waft of red chili hitting smoldering woks, and, for the more reckless, a smorgasbord of mind-tweaking drink and drugs procured down back allies and dimly lit bars. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. news for Buddhist monks and novices: Thailands Sangha Supreme Council has banned Buddhist monks and novices from smoking or growing cannabis but is allowing them to use it to treat illnesses. "It's a huge amount and the quality is so low," Rattapon said. Magazines, Digital Advocates like Chokwan can only watch and wait. In Thailand, an estimated eight per cent of drug users have HIV, approximately 3,800 people. Meanwhile, police stand idly by or even line up to pick up a baggie of their own. Poland charges hockey player in suspected Russian spy ring. Among the most famous and lucrative are the gem scam, Thai tailor scam, and fake travel agents[30][31] and Thai zig zag scam. In comparison, that of the Philippines was 7.42; the US, 3.85; Cambodia, 0.96; Myanmar, 0.56; Malaysia, 0.46; Indonesia, 0.10; and Singapore, 0.03. Its activities are supported by UNODC, although a funding shortfall has meant that the centre has had to close many of its outreach services in other parts of Thailand. Complement your trip to Thailand with the dishes and drinks that show off the countrys legendary culinary heritage. Thailand still has a long way to go before were able to compete with the West on quality, says Thanisorn. The move was a key policy of Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvikul, who foresaw huge economic potential in the medical marijuana market. The youngest victim was aged one year and nine months and eldest was 85. Thailand became the first country in Asia last week to decriminalize . [91] U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson asked then secretary of State Hillary Clinton to help with the case. According to Polish Interior Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, the ice hockey player was competing with a Ligue 1 club in Poland. [88] Thai police arrested three musicians for the crime. [71] Other initiatives include x-ray scanners,[65] and installing CCTV equipment. In June, Thailands Food and Drug Administration removed marijuana and hemp from the Category 5 narcotics list, meaning that these substances are essentially decriminalized. Ironically, that draconian legacy inadvertently lies behind the sweeping decriminalization. Former Brazilian president Bolsonaro barred from office for 8 years. [86] Whatever the reasons for their demise indeed many of the deaths are confusing or have unclear causes Thailand has remained popular for adventures. We are client-centred and offer peer support treating everyone equally, no matter their background.. Their palms greased, police and immigration officials ignore wrongdoing. [90] In that case that the help then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a U.S. senator was involved. Many went from behind bars to back in a resurgent, legal business within hours. [58], Technical colleges for years have seen rival gang shootings at major intersections in Bangkok and elsewhere, and tends to be an urban phenomenon. New category of a 'serious drug offence'. Thailand has a growing problem of drugs and the violence associated with it. Read More: Revenge Travel May Be a Big Problem for Places Like Thailands Famous Maya Bay. Violators of this law can face a 25,000 baht (around $690) fine and three months of imprisonment. All activities related to the plants and their derivatives had been strictly restricted until the recent rise of the cannabis legalization movement, which began in Thailand with an amendment to the Narcotics Act in February 2019 to legalize medical marijuana. Read our Privacy Policy. Of those, 105,622 involved children those involving women amounted to 102,269. Its amazing, I didnt know weed was legal until I got here, says Magnus Pedersen, 22, from Norway, who is used to visiting Amsterdams famous coffee shops. Inside Eastern Spectrums development lab, scientists in white lab coats tinker with glass tubes and steel containers to decipher the best way to extract THC and cannabidiola therapeutic component that doesnt produce a high, more commonly known as CBDfrom the 2.5 million spindly cannabis plants the firm grows annually around the country. South Africa is estimated to have 500,000 rapes per year, Egypt 200,000, China 32,000 and the UK with 85,000 rapes per year. Even with lower utility, infrastructure, and labor costs than the West, most Thai growers lack knowledge and experience. New Developments Thailand Decriminalizes Kratom. Scores of farmers in sun visors and camouflage pants prune cannabis flowers and hang them on long drying racks. "We will fight to have a balanced regulation -- not overregulated and not too weak.". Eurozone inflation slows to 5.5%; energy prices fall, core inflation ticks up. In practice, this change in legislation grants Thais the ability to grow and sell marijuana for medical use, which according to the government, will ultimately position Thailand as an herbal hub in Southeast Asia. After becoming the first Southeast Asian country to legalize medical cannabis in 2018, Thailand is to become the first Asian country to decriminalize recreational cannabis for personal use. Violence against women and children has been rising in Thailand. But before you begin growing or smoking pot for recreational purposes, you should know that the Thai authorities have left a gray area around this. We caught up with an expert to talk about the dos and donts now that the plant is essentially legal in the country. On Aug. 15, the police chief for Bangkoks Phra Nakhon district said that street hawkers of weed on Khao San Road were illegal and would be prosecuted. Not least since growing cannabis is super hard, says Chokwan. The prime transit corridor for drugs entering northern Thailand is from the Golden Triangle, as well as from ethnically divided rebel-controlled areas within the fragmented state of Myanmar, especially Shan State. June 14, 2022 at 12:23 p.m. EDT (iStock/Washington Post Illustration) 4 min Thailand legalized the cultivation and possession of marijuana last week, but the new laws come with regulations and.