Is Weed Legal in Pattaya? What Travelers Need to Know in 2026

Quick answer

Yes, cannabis is legal in Pattaya, under the same national rules that apply everywhere else in Thailand. Pattaya doesn’t have its own cannabis-specific law, though the city government has been unusually engaged in preparing local operators for the national one. Since 26 June 2025, purchasing cannabis flower legally requires a prescription from a licensed practitioner. You also need to be 20 or older. And since 1 May 2026, a new Ministerial Regulation has narrowed who can even apply for a new dispensary license.

Key facts

Cannabis flower is not a narcotic in Thailand. It was removed from the narcotics list on 9 June 2022 and, as of 18 September 2026, it has not been put back.
A Ministry of Public Health notification effective 26 June 2025 limits sales to medical use. A licensed practitioner issues the prescription, on the form commonly called a PT33, covering a supply of up to 30 days.
A Ministerial Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2569, published in the Royal Gazette on 30 April 2026 and effective 1 May 2026, restricts new dispensary licenses to applicants already holding a qualifying credential: a hospital license, a herbal-product license, a pharmaceutical license, a Category 5 narcotics-extract license, folk healer certification, or a registered cultivation site supplying a licensee.
The minimum age is 20, not 18. Sales to anyone under 20, and to pregnant or breastfeeding women, are prohibited.
The Pattaya Cannabis Operators Club put the number of licensed shops in the city at 480 as of 20 May 2026, alongside an unknown number operating without a license. That figure comes from the industry body, not an official city count.
Nationwide, of the 8,636 shop licenses that came up for renewal in 2025, only 1,339 (15.5 percent) were renewed. That left an estimated 11,136 shops operating out of an original 18,433, as of 28 December 2025.
Since January 2026, dispensaries must have a pharmacist, physician, or certified Thai traditional medicine practitioner physically present throughout operating hours. A license displayed without that person on-site is a common target of current enforcement.
Carrying cannabis out of Thailand is an export offense under the Customs Act B.E. 2560, which allows up to ten years in prison and a fine of either four times the duty-paid value of the goods or up to five hundred thousand baht depending on the section charged, plus a further thirty thousand baht per kilogram seized, calculated by the Customs Department since 17 June 2026.

Is cannabis legal in Pattaya in 2026?

Yes. Thailand removed cannabis from its narcotics schedule in June 2022 and hasn’t reversed that decision. Pattaya follows the same national rules as every other city, with no separate municipal cannabis ordinance that we’ve found. What is distinctly local is how involved Pattaya’s city government has gotten in preparing its own cannabis industry for the national rules, covered below.

Cannabis flower is treated as a controlled herb, not a narcotic. Extracts are the exception: anything above 0.2 percent THC by weight remains a Category 5 narcotic.

Do you need a prescription for cannabis in Pattaya?

Yes, and this is where things have changed most since 2022.

A Ministry of Public Health notification signed on 23 June 2025 took effect on 26 June 2025, limiting sales to medical use. The prescribing categories extend beyond hospital doctors to include Thai traditional practitioners, dentists, pharmacists, and registered herbalists. The form records the practitioner’s license number, diagnosis, product, dose, and storage details, covering a maximum 30-day supply. There’s no official fixed list of conditions a prescription must be for; the practitioner uses their own judgment, though chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, migraine, and appetite loss are commonly cited.

The same notification bans online sales, vending machines, and advertising, and it prohibits smoking on shop premises unless it’s under licensed medical supervision. Since January 2026, the prescribing practitioner also has to be physically present at the dispensary throughout its operating hours, not just on call. If a shop says no paperwork is needed, it is operating outside the rules.

What changed for Pattaya’s cannabis shops in 2026?

On 20 May 2026, Deputy Mayor Krisana Boonsawat chaired a meeting between city officials and the Pattaya Cannabis Operators Club to prepare for Thailand’s upcoming Cannabis and Hemp Act. The Operators Club put the number of licensed shops in the city at 480, with more operating unlicensed. The meeting’s headline idea was a “Star-Rated Shops” certification: official stickers for outlets that meet public-health and legal standards, which the club’s secretary, Pranchai Chaimontrí, said Pattaya is moving forward with by compiling data on all operators ahead of the new law.

That local push follows a much bigger national contraction that was already underway before it. The June 2025 medical-only notification drove a wave of licenses out of the market during 2025: of the 8,636 shop licenses that came up for renewal that year, only 1,339 (15.5 percent) were renewed, leaving an estimated 11,136 shops operating out of an original 18,433, as of 28 December 2025. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said at the time that “patients who use cannabis for treatment will certainly not face shortages,” while acknowledging that “cannabis-related businesses will have to adapt.”

On top of that contraction, the Ministerial Regulation (No. 2) B.E. 2569 published in the Royal Gazette on 30 April 2026 and effective 1 May 2026 restricts new dispensary-license applicants nationwide to those who already hold a qualifying credential, such as a hospital license, a herbal-product or pharmaceutical license, a Category 5 narcotics-extract license, folk healer certification, or a registered cultivation site supplying a licensee. A standalone retail shop with nothing but a controlled-herbs license can no longer be newly licensed. Existing shops keep operating on their current license until it comes up for its own renewal, at which point the new credential requirement applies.

Where can you legally consume cannabis in Pattaya?

Public consumption is enforced as a nuisance offense under the Public Health Act B.E. 2535, so in practice private property is the only safe place to consume. Local officials can order it stopped, and ignoring that order can carry up to three months in prison, a fine of up to twenty-five thousand baht, or both. Beaches, streets, bars, malls, and public transport all count as public, which matters in a city where much of the social life happens outdoors. Hotels decide their own policy, and plenty say no.

Driving after consuming falls under the Land Traffic Act, most commonly Section 43(2), covering driving while impaired by alcohol or other intoxicants. There is no measured THC threshold, so impairment is judged at the officer’s and the court’s discretion.

Can you fly to or from Pattaya carrying cannabis?

Domestically, the general national rule is that carrying a personal-use quantity is permitted with a valid PT33 prescription on hand. We haven’t found airport-specific screening guidance published for U-Tapao, Pattaya’s nearest airport, or for Bangkok, where most travelers still connect, so carry the prescription regardless of which one you fly from and expect the same scrutiny as anywhere else in the country.

Never carry cannabis on an international flight, in either direction. Taking it out of Thailand is an export offense under the Customs Act B.E. 2560, potentially leading to up to ten years in prison, with fines of either four times the duty-paid value of the goods under Section 242 or up to five hundred thousand baht under Section 244 for restricted goods, plus a further thirty thousand baht per kilogram seized, calculated by the Customs Department since 17 June 2026. No medical document changes this, and it makes no difference whether cannabis is legal where you’re flying to.

How does Pattaya compare with the rest of Thailand?

The underlying statute is identical everywhere in the country; what differs city to city is how closely local government has engaged with the industry during the transition, and Pattaya’s has been more publicly engaged than most.

This guide is published by Siam Green Cannabis Co, a licensed dispensary operator with branches in Bangkok and on Koh Samui. Siam Green operates no branch in Pattaya.

Frequently asked questions

Is weed legal in Pattaya for tourists?

Yes, with no nationality restriction: the age and prescription rules above apply to visitors and Thai residents alike.

Can I smoke cannabis on Pattaya Beach or Walking Street?

No. Both are public space, and public consumption is enforced as a nuisance offense (see “Where can you legally consume” above).

How many cannabis shops are actually left in Pattaya?

At least 480 licensed, per the local Operators Club’s own May 2026 count, inside a national total of roughly 11,000 shops still operating as of late December 2025.

What is Pattaya’s “Star-Rated Shops” plan?

An industry-and-city certification, announced as in progress in May 2026, that would award official stickers to cannabis outlets meeting public-health and legal standards. We haven’t found a confirmed launch date.

Can I take cannabis from Pattaya back to my home country?

No, under any circumstances, regardless of prescription or the law at your destination (see “Can you fly” above for the penalties).

Is cannabis about to become illegal again in Thailand?

Not currently. Flower has not been returned to the narcotics list. The May 2026 regulation tightened who can hold a dispensary license, and a broader Cannabis and Hemp Act is still being prepared, but neither makes cannabis itself illegal.

Last updated 18 September 2026. Thai cannabis rules have changed repeatedly since 2022. This is general information about the law as it stood on that date, not legal advice.