Officials of Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration, with Phuket provincial and public health officers, raided two cannabis shops on 11 July 2026 that were alleged to have kept selling while their licences were suspended, arresting their operators and seizing goods officials valued at more than 500,000 baht.[1][2]
The Deputy Interior Minister, Polapee Suwannachawi, and the deputy director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration led the department’s criminal-case unit in a joint operation with the Phuket provincial administration office, the provincial public health office and the Thalang district offices, after reports that shops were selling during their licence suspension.[1] Teams entered the two targets at the same time: the shop in Thalang was found open and still selling cannabis, and the shop in Mueang Phuket district showed the same alleged offence.[1][2] The suspects and the seized goods were handed to local investigators for prosecution.[1]
The suspects face charges of selling a controlled herb, cannabis, for commerce without a licence under the Thai Traditional Medicine Protection and Promotion Act B.E. 2542, which carries up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 20,000 baht, and food-labelling offences under the Food Act B.E. 2522 with fines up to 30,000 baht.[1][2] The deputy minister said the state would not let tourist areas become bases for illegal activity, and the department pledged nationwide inspections of cannabis shops.[1][2] The ministry of public health had separately introduced tougher penalties restricting cannabis to medical use.[2]