Written by Jorge Silva
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thodsapol Hongtong enjoys smoking with his friends at the “Green Party”, a place where recreational cannabis enthusiasts in the Thai capital Bangkok gather to chat and have a good time. But it's a hobby that may be coming to an end.
The 31-year-old influencer, who runs his own cannabis store, regularly promotes recreational marijuana as good for the country's economy on his online platform 'Channel Weed Thailand'.
The booming cannabis sector could be worth $1.2 billion by next year, according to estimates by the University of Thailand Chamber of Commerce.
“Where else in the world can we lie on the beach and enjoy a drink,” Thodsapol told Reuters, smoking a bong.
But the Thai government is looking to stamp out cannabis culture by imposing a ban on its recreational use by the end of the year. Medical use will still be permitted.
In an interview with Reuters last month, Thai Health Minister Chulan Srikayo described recreational marijuana as a “misuse” of cannabis that has a negative impact on Thai children and could lead to other drug use.
Recreational cannabis has boomed in Thailand after it became the first country in Asia to fully decriminalize the substance in 2022, enabling a new public wave of cannabis appreciation culture.
Neon signs denoting cannabis leaves in multiple languages appear widely on many street corners in Thai towns and cities, indicating tens of thousands of shops, spas, bars and arcades where a variety of cannabis strains are readily available.
Many street-side shops in tourist areas sell smoking paraphernalia, while cannabis-related festivals are becoming more common, such as a joint competition held last year on the resort island of Phuket that attracted cannabis enthusiasts from around the world.
A Thai government bill banning the recreational use of cannabis will be put forward for approval by the Cabinet later this month.
(Reporting by Jorge Silva; Writing by Pano Wongcha Om; Editing by Lucy Marks)
