Thai Task Force Raids Phuket Cannabis Shops Over Suspended Licenses

Enforcement Action Targets Suspended License Holders

The July 11 raids in Phuket targeted cannabis retail operators who continued selling after their licenses were administratively suspended by Thai regulators. The joint task force included officers from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Royal Thai Police, and local Phuket Provincial authorities, according to Nation Thailand. Shops in tourist-heavy districts took the brunt of the operation—areas where unlicensed cannabis sales have persisted despite the government's policy shift.

Thai law requires all cannabis retailers to hold valid licenses issued by the FDA. Licenses can be suspended for violations including sales to minors, failure to verify medical use documentation, or operating outside permitted hours. Operators who continue to sell after suspension face criminal penalties: fines up to 500,000 baht and imprisonment up to five years.

Thailand's Cannabis Policy Reversal

Thailand decriminalized cannabis in June 2022 but reversed course in 2025 after widespread recreational sales prompted government concern. The 2022 policy removed cannabis from the country's narcotics list, sparking a retail boom. Thousands of dispensaries opened. By early 2025, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's government moved to re-regulate the sector, imposing strict licensing requirements and restricting sales to medical use only.

The 2025 Cannabis Control Act, which took effect in September of that year, established the current licensing framework. It permits cannabis sales only for medical purposes and requires retailers to verify that purchasers hold valid medical documentation. Recreational use remains prohibited under the statute, though enforcement has been uneven across provinces.

Phuket's Cannabis Retail Landscape

Phuket hosts an estimated 200 to 300 cannabis retail outlets, many of which opened during the 2022-2024 decriminalization window. The island province's tourism economy made it a hotspot for cannabis retail, with shops clustered in Patong, Phuket Town, and Kata Beach. Since the 2025 re-regulation, the FDA has suspended licenses for approximately 40 Phuket retailers, according to provincial health officials cited in Thai media reports.

The task force didn't disclose the exact number of shops raided on July 11 or the quantity of product seized. Nation Thailand reported that officers confiscated cannabis flower, edibles, and vape cartridges from multiple locations. No arrests were announced at the time of the operation, though cases are under review for potential criminal charges.

Licensing Suspension Criteria

The FDA suspends cannabis retail licenses for violations of the Cannabis Control Act's operational requirements, including sales to individuals without medical documentation. Suspension triggers are codified in the act's implementing regulations, published by the Ministry of Public Health in October 2025. Common violations? Failure to maintain sales records, operating outside designated hours (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), and inadequate staff training on medical-use verification protocols.

Suspended operators may apply for reinstatement after a minimum 90-day period, contingent on remediation of the underlying violation and payment of administrative fines. The reinstatement rate has been low. Fewer than 15 percent of suspended licensees have successfully regained authorization, according to FDA data through June 2026.

Multi-Agency Coordination

The Phuket raids involved coordination between the FDA's narcotics control division, the Royal Thai Police's narcotics suppression bureau, and Phuket Provincial Public Health Office. The task force model has been deployed in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Pattaya since March 2026 as part of a national enforcement push. In April, the FDA announced it would prioritize tourist provinces where unlicensed sales to foreign visitors have been most visible.

Provincial health officials conduct initial inspections and refer suspected violations to the FDA's central office in Bangkok. The FDA then coordinates with police to execute search warrants and seize inventory. Criminal cases are prosecuted by provincial prosecutors under the Cannabis Control Act and the Narcotics Act of 1979, which still governs certain cannabis-related offenses.

Industry Compliance Challenges

Thai cannabis retailers report difficulty navigating the 2025 regulatory framework, particularly the medical-use verification requirements that many operators say are unclear. The Cannabis Control Act requires retailers to verify that purchasers hold a valid prescription or medical recommendation from a licensed Thai physician. But here's the problem: the law doesn't specify acceptable forms of documentation, and enforcement interpretations have varied by province.

Industry groups including the Thailand Cannabis Trade Association have petitioned the Ministry of Public Health to issue clearer guidance on compliance standards. The association estimates that up to 60 percent of cannabis shops that opened during the decriminalization period have closed since the 2025 law took effect, unable to meet licensing requirements or sustain operations under the medical-only model.

What Comes Next

The FDA has signaled that enforcement operations will continue through the remainder of 2026, with a focus on tourist provinces and border areas. Minister of Public Health Somsak Thepsutin stated in a June press conference that the government aims to reduce unlicensed cannabis retail by 80 percent by year-end. The ministry has allocated 120 million baht for expanded inspections and task force operations in the current fiscal year.

For background on Thailand's evolving cannabis regulations, see the CannIntel topic hub on Thailand Cannabis Regulation. The next major policy milestone is the FDA's scheduled review of the Cannabis Control Act's first-year implementation, due in September 2026, which may result in amendments to licensing and verification procedures.