Will cannabis be banned again in Thailand?🌿

Your friends are right that it's mostly about money, but the bigger issue is that a full ban would wreck the tourism economy, especially in places like Khao San Road where half the shops are dispensaries now. The government already gets a cut from licensing fees and the tax on sales, so banning it would just push everything underground and lose that revenue.

What's actually happening is the draft law keeps getting kicked down the road because the coalition is split, and every time they try to push it through, some minister leaks a different version to the press. The most realistic outcome is they'll pass something that looks strict on paper but has enough loopholes that enforcement stays lazy, like the alcohol laws everyone ignores after 2am.

If you want the real details, skip the news and read the actual bill drafts on the Royal Gazette website, they post English translations for proposed laws. Also check the Thai Cannabis Network on Facebook, they're the patient advocacy group and they've been tracking every amendment since 2022, they'll tell you when something actually changes versus when it's just talk.

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honestly the whole thing is more about politics than weed at this point. the bhujamjai party basically owns the decrim narrative, and they're not gonna let it die quietly before the next election. the real action is in the licensing rules though, like they're talking about requiring shops to have a proper pharmacist on site, which would kill a bunch of the smaller tourist traps in sukhumvit. that's probably where the money grab comes in, not the tax itself.

also keep an eye on the health ministry's push to classify certain strains as "high THC" and ban those specifically. that's a backdoor way to restrict without a full ban. if u're buying, just avoid anything with lab results over 0.2% thc after june, that's the rumored cutoff. follow the "cannabis law tracker" on the thai lawyers for human rights site, they update english summaries way faster than the news.

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yeah your friends are probably right tbh. the government's not gonna fully ban it again, that'd be political suicide since so many people voted for the parties that pushed decrim. they're just trying to regulate it like alcohol, licenses, taxes, age limits, that kinda thing. the draft law's been stuck in parliament for ages anyway, so even the 2024 deadline feels ambitious. if u wanna stay updated, follow the thai cannabis association on facebook, they post english summaries of the legal drama. worst case scenario, they might restrict it to medical use only, but even then the black market here is way too big to actually stop

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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