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Drug Laws in Thailand: Know the Facts Before You Travel

Thailand's drug laws are very strict, except for marijuana, of course, which is now legal, albeit with some restrictions on public use and age limit.

Narcotic & psychotropic drugs, however, are still very much illegal.

There's certainly no slap on the wrist for getting caught with a small amount of cocaine or a few pills. Class A drugs like heroin, cocaine, LSD, or Ketamine will land you in the slammer.

But still, year in year out, embassy representatives are called out to Thailand’s notoriously hard prisons to talk with foreigners who've been locked up for using drugs in the Kingdom, not to mention the amount of smugglers caught each year coming through the country’s airports.

The conversation always ends the same way: “You’re in a lot of trouble”.

Get caught with a substantial amount and your only hope is a pardon from the King, sometime in the next 60 years.

Prescription drugs are heavily regulated too. Some require a permit, and the majority are restricted to 30-days worth – in the original packaging and accompanied by the prescription.

Of course, seldom do people get stopped over a some painkillers, but it's best to exercise caution – better safe than sorry.

I don't take any risks when travelling. Why let a holiday be ruined by an overzealous official with an agenda.

In this post I'll cover class A and B prescription dugs, so you can arm yourself with the information you need to travel safely and well within the law.

thailand drug law

Contents

  1. Keeping Your Distance From Drugs
  2. Drug Classification
  3. Drugs & Police Bribes
  4. Stop and Search
  5. Prescription Drugs Law
  6. Anabolic Steroids
  7. Valium & Xanax & Related Drugs

Keeping Your Distance from Drugs

The most sensible thing you can do is simply stay away from drugs and the types of people doing them.

It’s easy to get carried away at a Full Moon Party or club and find yourself with a proposition you wouldn't normally take up. But that one line or pill could mean being banged up with hardened murderers and rapists.

It might seem like nothing back home, but no matter how relaxed Thai people are on the surface, the authorities take a very hard line when it comes to drugs.

Drugs have ravaged working class communities in Thailand and destroyed lives, particularly yaba, the “crazy drug”, which is a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine.

Therefore, anyone doing drugs inside Thailand is perceived as a threat to the stability of society.

If people are doing coke or any other drug and invite you to sit with them (foreign or Thai), stay away.

The police will arrest everyone in the group, not just those in possession of the drug.

Even the public smoking of marijuana is still an arrestable offense, if it is considered to be a public nuisance.

If you see anyone doing any type of drug, be it cocaine, ICE, or ecstasy, take yourself out of that environment immediately.

Also consider that the majority of Thais strongly object to recreational drug use, and as such will call the police on a condo or house where they suspect drug use is taking place.

+ Read about the new law on cannabis here

Drug Classification in Thailand

Narcotics are classified into five categories under Section 29 of the Narcotics Code, as follows:

  • Category 1: dangerous narcotics such as heroin.
  • Category 2: ordinary narcotics such as morphine, cocaine, codeine or medicinal opium.
  • Category 3: narcotics which are in the form of medicinal formula and contain narcotics of category 2 as ingredients, in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Minister of Public Health under the suggestions of the Narcotics Control Committee.
  • Category 4: chemicals used for producing narcotics of category 1 or 4, such as Acetic Anhydride.
  • Category 5: narcotics which do not belong under category 1 – 4, such as opium.

Anyone caught in violation of the laws pertaining to these categories shall be punished by imprisonment or death, depending on the circumstances as determined by the Thai Courts.

Bribing Your Way Out of Arrest

While it may be true that in some cases people buy their way out of sticky situations with the police by offering a fixed sum in exchange for freedom, depending on who you try to bribe, this may work against you as another criminal act.

The bribe is nowhere near as common as it may have been 20 years ago, and many foreigners exaggerate these stories, too. The majority of people who get caught with hard drugs go to prison. That is a fact.

Also consider that the police may simply take your money and bang you up anyway.

In some instances you may be asked to pay a “token amount of money to make things go away”, at which point that is for you to consider.

I can't comment on this. But know that you may end up in jail anyway. If you plan on staying in Thailand, you will also be in debt to the local police, and no one wants to be in that position.

Stop & Search in Thailand

Just because you’re a foreigner, doesn’t mean you won’t get stopped and searched on the streets of Thailand.

I have been stopped and searched in both Koh Samui and Bangkok. I was asked to empty my pockets and verify my identify.

On Samui it was a roadside stop on the Ghost Road, about 1.5 km from Chaweng. In Bangkok, it was a search near Asok station as I was walking to meet a friend for a drink.

Failure to produce identification may incur a fine and a trip to the station for further interrogation, so always carry an ID card / a copy of your passport and your photo driver's license.

Also consider that if an officer thinks you are under the influence of drugs when stopped, you may be taken to the station for a blood test.

Prescription Drugs Law: Narcotic & Psychotropic Substances

If you are traveling to Thailand with prescription drugs that may contain illegal substances under Thai law, you should read the guidelines to see if you need a permit.

The Food and Drug Administration of Thailand sets out the guidelines for cases where medications contain prohibited narcotics or substances:

The traveler is allowed to carry for his personal treatment medications which contain substance classified in Category II, III, IV, provided, however, that the quantity of which shall not exceed 30 days of usage. The traveler is required to obtain a permit “Form IC-2” issued by the Food and Drug Administration.

The traveler is also required to do the following:

  1. Submit the application form (see the links below this list).
  2. Carry a medical prescription issued by a Doctor identifying the medical condition of the patient as well as the necessity of the medical treatment, the total amount of the dosage and the name, address, license number of the doctor.
  3. Carry a certificate issued by the competent authority that the patient has authority to carry the medication.
  4. The traveler is required to declare the medication he is carrying into or out of Thailand. He is also required to present the document or medical certificate upon entry to the Red Channel and upon exit to the Custom VAT Refund.
  5. The medical certificate should be kept by the traveler all through his stay in the country.
  6. The medication is required to be kept in the original prescription bottle with the contents clearly marked.
  7. The traveler is not allowed to sell nor supply medications to another.

The guidelines are ever-evolving, and therefore it is necessary stay on top of new developments to Thai drug laws concerning prescriptions and the use of drugs inside the country.

> Click here to read the guidelines on drug restriction.

> Click here to find out if your medication needs a permit.

> Click here to fill out the form if you have identified from the ‘drug checker' tool that you need a permit.

* IMPORTANT: If you take medication that is considered a narcotic/psychotropic substance and you want to carry it into Thailand, you should request the permit at least two weeks before the arrival date.

+ Next Up: Get Proper Travel Insurance Cover

Using, Buying & Selling Anabolic Steroids

Thailand has a reputation as a steroid haven for bodybuilders, with all sorts of body-enhancing drugs available over the counter. But be careful.

Steroids could land you a jail sentence, even though you may be readily sold the drugs by a willing pharmacy.

Only steroids that are FDA approved are legal to buy over the counter from a licensed pharmacist, with a prescription.

The illegal trading of anabolic steroids has a maximum penalty of a jail sentence, as opposed to a maximum penalty of death under the Narcotics Act.

While most police couldn’t care less that you are obsessed with making yourself look like the incredible hulk, you could still get fined if you don't have a prescription.

Buying for resale is a different category. Getting caught posting steroids back home, selling from a website inside Thailand, selling to friends inside Thailand, or attempting to leave with a suitcase-full from the airport could land you in serious trouble.

Get caught with enough to be suspected of selling or exporting (illegally) and you could end up in the slammer: read the story of Richard Crawley and Ashley Vincent Livingston.

Xanax is another drug that can be bought in many of Thailand’s pharmacies, as is the case with Valium, Rohypnol and a host of other drugs. But it’s not legal.

The pharmacies can, and do, get fined for selling these drugs, and if you don’t have a prescription, you will too.

Most expats will tell you not to worry, that nothing will happen. But my advice is to exercise caution and know the law on what you're buying and carrying.

If you go through customs with the wrong drug, or get stopped and searched and caught with something you shouldn’t have, a great trip could quickly descend into a nightmare.

No doubt you’ve heard the old “you can pay your way our of anything in Thailand” talk, but the reality is that not every policeman can be bought, as discussed previously.

Your best bet is to stay away from using banned drugs and mixing with those who do drugs.

If you have any doubt over the legality of a prescription drug you intend to travel with, get a letter from your doctor to verify your prescription and obtain the necessary IC-2 permit.

Important Notice:

I will no longer reply to comments asking whether specific prescription drugs are allowed into Thailand. I am not a pharmacist and cannot properly advise on the ingredients of drugs.

You can Google the drug you have been prescribed to determine its ingredients, or ask your doctor for confirmation, then use the official drug checker linked in above.

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  1. BRIAN KELL says

    i take 2 to 4 tramadol hydrochloride 50mg capsuls each day i hope to go to thailand for 6 week 2018. do i need to have any documentation apart from a copy of my medical prescription, are these tablets legal in Thailand? thank you
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      It is legal but controlled. Normally, I'd say bring 30-days worth with a prescription, and then go to Boots or a hospital here to get the rest that you need. But you are only here for 6-weeks, so I'd just bring what you need for that period as it isn't much longer than 30 days. No one will count the pills out, I'm sure. That's what I'd do, but from a totally legal standpoint, 30 days would be the amount you are officially allowed to bring in.
      Reply

  2. BlazeItUp says

    This post seems like its way over the top.

    Especially the part about weed.

    Drugs are all over thailand but if you are caught at a stop and search your best bet is to bribe right away. Never call it a bribe and just say can I pay a fine. 2-5K will do the job at this stage. Always offer it with respect and humility remember cops all over the world are just on power trips. The reason you should never allow them to search you is these criminals are known to plant drugs on foreigners

    If you test positive for weed the price will go up (50K).False positives and fake positives (contaminated or straight up lies/crooked test) are common so another reason to avoid a piss test even if you are clean.

    Dont believe this poster that there are honest police who wont take bribes, they are all crooks and criminals. But if you do find some unicorn police that will not accept a 50K bribe, just ask for your embassy and get a good lawyer right away.

    Lawyer can get you off for weed possession for around 60K (they will bribe cops at a much higher paygrade than the peon that arrested you). Worst case you will get a court date and the judge will make you pay a 5K fine (on top of what you paid the lawyer).

    If you dont have the cash amounts listed above, dont do drugs!

    Good luck and stop trying to apply western logic and practices to the criminals in the police force.
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Bribes/fines are a gamble, and while pretty much a sure thing for a small amount of weed, you can't rely on that anymore.Back in 2008, when I lived in Samui, everyone was smoking weed and everyone took that same attitude that you can just buy your way out of trouble for a small bit of weed. But the police became very unpredictable. I woke one morning to my phone ringing with a mate panicked on the other end: Our good friend, a French girl, was stopped in Maenam the night before and arrested for a quarter of weed. She had gone to pick it up for someone else and wasn't even much of a smoker herself. She spent a two weeks in the slammer as a suspected dealer and was then released pending a court date, unable to leave the island.Okay, so you can get a lawyer and perhaps pay your way out, but what if you don't have the money? And do you really want to spend 1 day, 1 week or even more in a Thai jail? I certainly don't.Then there was the bar on Pee Pee: Everyone smokes there, "no problem, police my friend" says the barman. Until a new local police chief decided the monthly stipend wasn't enough and sent a message by raiding the bar and arresting the handful of foreigners smoking weed inside. This stuff happens regularly. Why risk it?I'm not sure what you mean by "Good luck and stop trying to apply western logic and practices to the criminals in the police force." I've witnessed and played part in a lot of incidents involving the police in Thailand over the years. The biggest mistake people make is thinking Thailand is cool because it's like the wild west and you can play the police and system with money. But not all coppers are bent, and the bent ones don't get played, they play you until they've had enough of you. Have a read of this post as a prime example: https://www.thethailandlife.com/illegal-thai-visaWestern logic is entirely different. In fact, I can smoke weed pretty freely in the UK. I don't smoke weed anymore but the police here aren't interested in a little bag of weed or one zoot. I know people that walk around with a zoot in the street. It's a different ball game there. But in Thailand drugs, even weed, is still hugely frowned upon and unwelcome in society.Moreover, most people don't speak Thai. You'll have a difficult time getting yourself out of trouble without speaking the language. Once you're at the station, it's a grim situation. Buying your way out on the spot before that is possible with some police, but I'm not going to advocate that here.My blog exists to help people have a successful, happy time in Thailand, whether staying long term or travelling. I would rather tell people to be very cautious than start advising that they instead they smoke weed freely and then bribe the police or pay off the court system though a bent lawyer.
      Reply

      • BlazeItUp says

        "Our good friend, a French girl, was stopped in Maenam the night before and arrested for a quarter of weed. She had gone to pick it up for someone else and wasn’t even much of a smoker herself. She spent a two weeks in the slammer as a suspected dealer and was then released pending a court date, unable to leave the island."

        Its going to sound real sexist but most women I know have no idea how to give a bribe whether it be to police or clubs. Western people in general dont know how to do it as well. Believe it or not there is a right way and a wrong way.

        "Okay, so you can get a lawyer and perhaps pay your way out, but what if you don’t have the money? And do you really want to spend 1 day, 1 week or even more in a Thai jail? I certainly don’t."

        I said at the end of the post if you dont have the cash dont do drugs! If you call a lawyer right away even before going to the station all of that can be avoided. They will intimidate the officer for you on the phone before going to the station. Good lawyers know the "cheif" and no street peon is going to want trouble from them. Believe it or not police are "low class" in thailand just showing you have and can afford a lawyer is enough for them to go for other lower hanging fruit.

        "I’m not sure what you mean by “Good luck and stop trying to apply western logic and practices to the criminals in the police force.” I’ve witnessed and played part in a lot of incidents involving the police in Thailand over the years. The biggest mistake people make is thinking Thailand is cool because it’s like the wild west and you can play the police and system with money. But not all coppers are bent"

        What I mean is you shouldn't let a police officer search you if you can because theres a high risk they can plant something much worse on you like yaba. They've done it before to many people.If you get an honest cop (oxymoron?) I guarantee you his superior will not be, as he paid for the position (10M+ to be cheif) and hes gonna reap the spoils! Thailand is status obsessed and full of corruption. People even pay their way out of murder (1-2Mil +)! Im not advocating any of this but if you find yourself in a bad situation you better act fast because the price will go up the longer you wait. At the station the price starts going up significantly.

        Also most of the "shakedown" cops speak enough english to come to a deal. Speak in very simple english and say I can "help" you if you "help" me.

        Telling people to be cautious is one thing, and I agree dont flaunt your use, as being discreet goes a long way, but even clean and law abiding citizens/travellers regularly are setup/framed or shaken down for fabricated offences. Just lookup "thonglo police scam".

        Thailand is an extremely corrupt country and it starts all the way from the top, so adapt accordingly.

        Think about it, on the books prostitution is illegal LOL, and having a ecig will get you 10 years in prison LOL.

        Goodluck with your blog!
        Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      I'll give you kratom; my bad. The misspelling of "heroin" was actually made by the Thai authorities (they created the table). Nevertheless, since you're such a stickler for perfection, perhaps you'd like to work on your punctuation. Funny that 99.9% of people found this post really useful and appreciated the effort, but you on the other hand chose to nitpick and criticize over a couple of spellings.This site is largely a public service. Since my time is shared between work and family, I don't always have the time to ensure every post lives up to your standard of perfection.Here's a tip. Try this approach for a more rewarding life: "Hey man, thanks for the helpful post. Just wanted to let you know that I spotted a couple of errors you may want to correct. You spelt x and y wrong. Cheers."Have a wonderful day in your world of judgement.
      Reply

  5. Karolina says

    Hey! I am leaving Thailand tomorrov and In the store 7 eleven and family mart I have bought medications: TYLENOL (3 packages, every package has 10 medicine in it..it contains paracetomol 500 mg), and I bought MYPARA (also 3x10). In my bungalow a lady gave me a package of PARACETOMOL package when I had a headache. Is those tablets I have mentioned safe to bring on the airport? Thank you very much.
    Reply

  6. Peter says

    Hi, I am on a blood thinning med for the rest of my life. I need to take it every day to prevent another blood clot occurring and likely death.

    The cost of one months meds here in Thailand is 6,000 baht which is prohibitive. I can buy it in the UK and get it mailed to me for around £10 - £15 each month, which makes it affordable.

    Having checked on the Thai site you mention, It is not a controlled substance so can I assume it is acceptable to have it posted out to me if I ensure the prescription details are included with the package. I also assume that it is best to send by ordinary air mail. I did have one months supply sent to me but if has not yet been received and it is now 4 weeks since posting, hence asking about this. Many thanks - I need the meds to live !
    Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Posting foreign medications to Thailand is illegal, as far as I'm aware. I think it's pot luck; some parcels will get through and others won't. I guess you'll have to get people to bring a supply out when they visit you, and perhaps try your luck at brining 60-days worth when you visit home. I would have assumed that for those on long-term visas the 30-day rule wouldn't apply, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I guess Thailand wants you to buy meds in Thailand and not bring in your own.
      Reply

      • NA says

        I've had medicine posted to me numerous times - some of these being Solpadol and Paramol (containing dihydrocodeine or codeine). The first I had a prescription for in the UK and the second are available from Boots in the UK. Technically you might need a prescription here but believe me when i tell you the police and customs have many more important things to do then intercept a few painkillers in an envelope. When I asked some of my Thai friends whether this would be a problem, (including one who works in the health care profession) they actually laughed at the ludricrousy of my concern.
        Reply

    • TheThailandLife says

      Steroids are illegal to buy over the counter but I'm sure you will be able to get them at an "under the counter pharmacy". I cannot advise that you partake in illegal activities in Thailand. You don't need that crap man. Train natural, eat right. Your body will thank you for it in years to come.
      Reply

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