Nepal's ex-prince jailed overnight in Phuket over marijuana
Thai police arrested Nepal's former crown prince Paras Shah at a Phuket hotel in October 2012 for marijuana possession, holding him overnight before releasing him on 10,000 baht bail. Officers had found the drugs while breaking up a hotel quarrel, and Shah was charged with possessing an illegal drug.
Nepal’s former crown prince Paras Shah was arrested in Thailand and charged with
possession of marijuana.[1]Police said Shah spent a night in jail on a charge
of possessing an illegal drug and was later released on bail of 10,000 baht.[1]A senior Phuket police officer said Shah was arrested with a woman at a
hotel on the resort island but did not identify her.[1]The officer said hotel
staff had called police to break up a quarrel between a man and a woman, and
officers found the drugs while mediating the dispute.[1]
Police placed the incident last month in the tourist resort of Phuket.[1]The
man involved turned out to be the Nepalese former crown prince.[1]The officer
who described the arrest spoke on condition of anonymity.[1]
Nepalese newspaper The Himalayan Times said the Nepalese embassy in Bangkok was
informed about the case on October 27.[1]The Himalayan Times account said the
Nepalese embassy in Bangkok and the Thai embassy in Nepal had remained mum over
the matter.[1]The same account noted Shah had earlier been involved in
similar escapades in Nepal.[1]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
No cannabis weight was published, so no kilograms can be recorded.
The article gives no exact day for the Phuket incident, only that it happened last month and the embassy was informed on October 27, so 28 November 2012 is the publication date used as the incident date.
It is unclear whether the unidentified woman found with Shah was arrested or charged; only Shah is recorded as arrested and charged.
No court outcome beyond release on 10,000 baht bail was reported.
Only one accessible source for this 2012 event was opened after search attempts found no second account.
At least eleven young French nationals have been held in Thailand on cannabis trafficking accusations since June 2026, and two more are detained in Hong Kong after arriving from Thailand with cannabis in their suitcases. French prosecutors opened an investigation into the "plan Thaïlande" recruitment of young people on social media with free holidays in exchange for carrying a suitcase.
Phuket customs arrested two Swiss and two French travellers on 27 July 2026 with more than 33.6 kg of cannabis in their luggage. The Swiss pair said Snapchat recruiters promised a paid holiday and 8,000 francs to bring back a suitcase they believed held iPhones.
Customs officers detained 30-year-old Russian Sergei Chalabari at Phuket airport on 8 July 2026 with 17.6 kg of cannabis flowers and resin in two suitcases bound for Kazakhstan. He admitted the luggage was his, was charged with attempted export without customs clearance and handed to Sakhu police.
Customs officers arrested 21-year-old Belgian tourist Salma E.K. at Phuket airport on 7 July 2026 with about 31.7 kg of cannabis in two suitcases bound for Paris. She admitted the luggage was hers and was handed to Sakhu police charged with attempted unlawful export, facing up to 10 years in prison.
