Thailand Requires Cannabis Exporters to Pay 30,000 Baht per Kilogram Fine

Thailand now requires anyone caught attempting to export cannabis to pay Thai Customs 30,000 Baht, or about £680, for each kilogram seized before they can depart the country. The rule, introduced on 17 June 2026, carries a penalty of up to two years in jail if the fine is not paid. BBC News reported that 55 smugglers have been caught since the measure began, including 21 British nationals.

The National Crime Agency said the average courier is intercepted with 26 kilograms, which would produce a fine of £17,680. Arrests of air passengers arriving in the UK with cannabis rose from 142 in 2023 to 976 in 2025. In the first six months of 2026, 600 couriers were arrested at UK airports, according to the agency.

Beki Wright, head of the NCA's borders threat team, said the crime group that paid the courier to smuggle the drug will leave the person to face the consequences alone. She added that a conviction can produce life-changing jail sentences and a criminal record that affects employment and travel.

Phanthong Loykulnanta, director general of Thai customs, stated that the illegal export of cannabis is carried out by transnational organised crime networks.

He said the new enforcement measure strengthens efforts to reduce the number of offenders. Border Force officers seized more than 167,000 kilograms of herbal cannabis in 2025, with an estimated street value exceeding £2 billion, up 52 percent from 2024. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has updated its travel advice for Thailand to reflect the new penalties.