Southeast Asia, and Thailand in particular, have very stringent laws regarding drug use, production, and sale. Being convicted of selling certain narcotics can still technically bring about the death penalty in Thailand, although spending decades in prison is a more likely result, as case history shows. Like Western countries, there are different categories of drugs in Thailand. For example, being charged with possessing a small amount of cannabis (1 gram) could result in bail being given and receiving a short prison sentence, but possessing that same amount of crystal methamphetamine (“ya-ice”) could result in bail being rejected and receiving a sentence that lasts for several years. Sometimes, it does not even matter if drugs are found on your person; simply being in the same room or the same vehicle as someone with a large amount of drugs can be enough to charge you with the same crime. If you are with a friend or partner, be sure that you know what kind of person he / she is, because Thai police and Thai judges will assume that you do.

The Case of Drugs “Appearing” in Luggage

After receiving several cases involving the same story, we decided to write about the case of drugs “appearing” in luggage. Drug charges are serious in Thailand, and if the police find drugs in any amount on your person, in your car, or in your luggage or bag, you will be arrested first and asked questions later. As mentioned previously, the drug laws are so tough, that it is possible to be arrested without bail for having a relatively small amount of drugs in your bag. This means that you will be spending the next 84 days in a Thai prison – not a place you want to be. We urge you to be mindful of your personal belongings, bags, and luggage. It is possible for someone to place drugs into your bag without your knowledge, and if that person is working as a police informant, you will be arrested for drug possession and possibly intent to sell, depending on the quantity. This scenario might sounds like a movie script, but we have received a seemingly endless number of cases where the defendants swear that they never possessed any of the drugs supposedly found in their bags.

Bringing Prescription Drugs into Thailand

One of the more specific topics involving drugs in Thailand is that of prescription drugs legally acquired in your home country, brought into Thailand. A little-known fact is that certain prescription drugs, even if they were legally prescribed in your home country and you have the doctor’s prescription, are illegal to bring into Thailand. We wanted to bring this up because there are several websites that report erroneous information about this topic. While it is true that you can bring many prescriptions into Thailand with proper documentation, there are several prescriptions that absolutely cannot be brought into the country. For a complete list of these prescriptions, please contact us for more information.