Thailand's latest effort to tighten cannabis controls has introduced stricter rules -- but on Bangkok's streets, particularly in tourist areas with many cannabis shops, little appears to have changed.
Despite regulations aimed at restricting cannabis use to medical purposes, including prescription requirements under the new framework, cannabis remains widely accessible for recreational use, workers and advocates say.
Current regulations require consumers to obtain a prescription before buying cannabis products.
Users must register with a Thai traditional medicine clinic, receive a diagnosis and get a prescription, while retailers must record transactions and keep documents for inspection.
Cannabis advocate Chokwan Chopaka said the official process is largely disconnected from practice.
"No one really follows the official way of making a legal purchase," she said.
Shops routinely sell without prescriptions and later create documentation if needed. She also claimed some doctors issue prescriptions in bulk or through informal arrangements with retailers.
One dispensary on Khao San Road said following the rules had increased costs. The shop now requires prescriptions and has hired a doctor to visit several times a week to verify documentation.
Despite these efforts, enforcement appears limited.
"Even if customers get stopped by police without a prescription, I've seen they're given softer treatment if they're tourists," a shop worker said.
