The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) in Thailand is warning the public that cannabis plants cannot be grown at home without official permission, adding that the law is clear the plants can only be grown for medical use and research purposes.

It’s understood that since use of the drug for medicinal purposes was legalised earlier this year, over 7,500 illegally-grown marijuana plants have been confiscated in 11 provinces across Thailand.

Niyom Termsrisuk from the ONCB is anxious to correct the apparent misunderstanding that the legalisation of cannabis means carte blanche for anyone wishing to grow the plant at home.

He says cannabis remains illegal for all uses other than research and medicinal purposes and that individuals or organisations who wish to grow it must apply for permission to do so.

The Food and Drug Association (FDA) has currently permitted 11 organisations to grow marijuana plants, with 26 hospitals in Thailand authorised to provide it as treatment.

SOURCE: The Pattaya New

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A foreigner, previously covered in the media last week after driving his Ferrari into the rear of a female’s car, and then attacking her, is back in the headlines with another case, again in Khon Kaen, north-east Thailand.

According to Sanook, ‘Wesly’ held a knife to his own throat for over 7 hours, but police officers finally persuaded him to put down the knife after he became tired.

Previously, on September 23, the foreigner drove into the back of a car in Khon Kaen. Police reported that he “seemed drunk or under the influence of something” when he got out of the car. He started beating the woman driver while telling her that he is the richest person in Khon Kaen.

The woman got out of the car out and posted on her personal Facebook page…

“This is to warn others of the dangerous man named Wesly. I parked my car and was chatting to my friend about some problems. This man parked behind my car, at first I didn’t think anything of it as he was playing loud music.”

“Then when I was about to leave he drove straight into my car from behind. He got out of his car and started yelling at us, then he started attacking us. Thankfully employees of a restaurant nearby came running to help us.”

“While waiting almost an hour for the police the man kept on yelling and trying to beat us again. I tried to take a long video, but he threw my phone on the ground. He drives an orange Ferrari registered in Khon Kaen.”

After police intervened, the man’s family ended up paying 18,000 baht to the woman.

In the latest case the Ban Ped Police were notified of a foreign man holding a knife to his own throat in front of Kum Hai Church of Christ in Ban Ped Sub-district, Muang Khon Kaen. When police arrived, the people in the area reported that he had been holding the knife for at least 3 hours.

The police and a local rescue team were on site patiently trying to calm him down. Finally, four hours later, the man started to feel tired. Officers took the opportunity to run in and take the knife away from him. The rescue team escorted him to Sikarin Hospital for further medical care and assessment.

SOURCE: Thai Residents

 

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OPINION: Pruth Kulprasit

Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese, it’s a riveting annual festival. But some locals fear that it has changed too much to cater for the cameras and tourists.

Pruth Kulprasit told The Thaiger that the real meaning of the the festival is being lost amongst the smoke of the parades…

Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese, it’s a riveting annual festival. But some locals fear that it has changed too much to cater for the cameras and tourists.

Pruth Kulprasit told The Thaiger that the real meaning of the the festival is being lost amongst the smoke of the parades…

I wonder how many people, including tourists and locals, actually know the history and meaning of the Vegetarian Festival, because it is nothing like it was in the past.

If people were to judge the festival solely by what they see and hear now, then their reaction will most likely be one of fear, dismay or misunderstanding.

A lot of people avoid viewing the ancient traditions because of the crowds, traffic, excessive and dangerous use of firecrackers, and teenagers riding their motorbikes around like gangsters.

However, just riding from my house in Thalang to Phuket Town during a time of day when there are no processions, I can still experience all of those annoyances.
The younger crowd wear the traditional white outfits, symbolizing that they are following the rules of the Vegetarian Festival. However, though they are eating vegetarian food, they are still smoking, drinking and behaving badly, ripping down the streets at high speed.

Another difference between the traditional festival and what we have now is the way in which firecrackers are used. Traditionally, firecrackers are thrown at the ma song to scare evil spirits away. However, people now throw them at oncoming motorbikes, pedestrians and automobiles with potentially dangerous results.

On top of all of this, most places celebrating will play a Da Bei Zhou (a Buddhist chant) to help people feel at peace, but now we hear the chant remixed and polluted by the annoying cliche of drum and bass.

The main point of the Vegetarian Festival is to slow down, pray to the Chinese Gods at the shrines, and to be kind to yourself and other people. However, the Vegetarian Festival has turned into an intrusive and so-called ‘trendy’ event where people think it’s good enough to wear white and eat vegetarian food for 10 days. They have forgotten that the event is not just about cleansing one’s body; it’s about cleansing your mind and spirit as well.

The Thaiger  https://thethaiger.com/

 

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Police and rescue services were called to the area outside Foodland Supermarket in Central Pattaya on Friday after a collision between two motorcycles left a Canadian man dead and a Thai in a serious condition in hospital.

Lying in a pool of blood next to a Honda CBR 650F with its front smashed in was 25 year old Samart. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries. 

Nearby was a severely damaged smaller bike, a Honda Click. Its rider was a 51 year old Canadian tourist called Michael who was unconscious. 

Despite CPR the tourist was declared dead in hospital. 

Witnesses said that the Thai had been showing off doing a wheelie coming from the intersection and had collided with the tourist who was turning, reported Daily News. 

Police are studying CCTV as part of their investigation.

Source: Daily News

 

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In an effort to ease medicinal cannabis in Thailand, on August 30, 2019 the Ministry of Public Health no longer lists cannabidiol (CBD) extracted from cannabis as a narcotic as long as it has 99% purity or more, and contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) not exceeding 0.01% by weight.

It also liberalizes 99%-pure CBD oil made from hemp (scientific name: Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa), with THC not to exceed the same rate of 0.01% in weight.

What it means in a layman’s term is that 99%-pure CBD oil made from cannabis or hemp with a mix of very little psychoactive THC is no longer a narcotic under the Narcotics Act of 1979.

High Hopes of Things to Come

People should not get carried away by the excitement of this partial liberalization for production, sales, imports, exports and possession of any extracts from cannabis and hemp remain under strict control of the authorities.

Legally, the liberalization can only be interpreted to mean the first step of actual liberalization of medical cannabis, pending further clearly defined regulations.

The August 30 regulation gives you hopes of a better day to come. But you need to wait; wait for favorable legal interpretation by the government and new clarifying regulations.

The most hopeful transaction out of the regulation is the ability for the private sector, local and foreign, to invest in the manufacturing of the 99%-pure CBD oil from cannabis and hemp.

The favorable interpretation by the authorities of the August 30 regulation that enables the private sector to import pure CBD oil extracted from hemp will immediately solve the ongoing problem of shortages of supply of medicinal cannabis in the country.

Foreign Investments in Local Cannabis Production

The 99%-pure CBD oil extracted from cannabis will no longer be considered a narcotic, only if it’s produced in Thailand. Imports are not possible for a period of five years ending in 2024. 

Speaking the other way around, the regulation currently bans imports of 99%-pure CBD oil made from cannabis for a period of five years from the date the regulation came into effect on September 2, 2019. Any imports during the banned five-year period continue to be illegal narcotics.

Without a doubt, the new rule favors Thailand-first manufacturing of CBD oil for medicine, while at the same time permits foreigners to invest in and hold one third or 33% of shares in a Thai manufacturing company that makes CBD oil.

When the dust settles and rules and policy become clearer, this local cannabis-oil production potential can open up an industrial-scale manufacturing in the private sector, driven by advanced technology from overseas.

A cannabis production license continues to be required as there is a line drawn by the authorities between processing narcotic cannabis and its output of liberalized CBD extracts.

A production license is required to process narcotic cannabis in a factory and change it chemically to the liberalized 99%-pure CBD oil, with THC not exceeding 0.01% in weight.

As of this date, there are a few such licensed producers, all governmental organizations or public and private universities.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organization is the leader of this group, with high capability to turn their research production into a large commercial conglomerate; they are interested in the pure CBD oil, but has no imminent plans to manufacture it.

Subject to further regulations, more applicants from the private sector will be welcome.

Do Patients Need Possession Licenses to Treat Themselves?

Let’s suppose you now have a cannabis production license to make the pure CBD oil, a question arises as to whether or not you will also need separate licenses from the Food and Drug Administration to sell, import and export this supposedly free CBD oil? Probably, yes, interpreting from the present cannabis law and rules.

What about the patient’s side, will patients be required to have a possession license to treat themselves with the newly liberalized pure CBD oil?

Maybe not. At least that is what the present cannabis law says. Provided that the medicine is prescribed by a doctor specially trained in cannabis by the Department of Medical Services – there are about 1,200 of them at the moment for the entire country – these specialized doctors are awaiting a sufficient supply of cannabis oil to prescribe to patients.

Are International Travelers Required to Have Possession Licenses? 

This is the realm of the existing regulatory regime which has not been put into test. International patients with cannabis prescriptions from a foreign country will need a possession license from the FDA to bring cannabis medicines into Thailand for consumption.

How does the application process work? What documents are required? How long will it take?

Great uncertainty here! There are no answers to these questions. Neither are there any regulations issued to implement this flexible rule in the cannabis law. You need to explore further with the FDA.

Regulation Does Not Ban Pure CBD Oil Extracted from Hemp

The August 30 regulation clearly differentiates between the 99% CBD oil made from cannabis and the 99% CBD oil extracted from hemp.

While an import of the pure CBD oil from cannabis is banned for five years, there is no 5-year import ban on the pure CBD extracts from hemp!

By the book, everyone is free to import CBD oil with 99% purity made from hemp with THC content not to exceed 0.01% by weight once they receive a cannabis import license from the FDA. This may be a true intention of the drafter of the August 30 regulation, believed to be among officials at very high levels.

At the operating level among the authorities, however, this is an area of great bewilderment. In the minds of most officials, you cannot import the pure CBD oil in any event. They interpret the Aug. 30 regulation as a complete ban on imports of both cannabis-based pure CBD extracts and hemp-based pure CBD oil.

When you pointed out the letters of the law to them, they would be caught by surprise, become tentative, hesitant and unsure of the exact answer. They apparently need time to check and reach conclusion among themselves, and most effectively to consult with the drafter of the rule. 

Again by law, the August 30 regulation does not ban imports of CBD oil extracted from hemp with 99% purity and a THC component not to exceed 0.01% by weight!

To be fair to the officials, they are stepping into uncharted territory and find it hard to keep up with new regulations themselves. They are told at briefings what can and cannot be done. It will take a bit of patience for everyone to move gradually to more clarity, backed up by additional detailed reg

Wirot Poonsuwan is the Senior Counsel and Head of Special Projects at Blumenthal Richter & Sumet in Bangkok and can be reached at wirot@brslawyers.com.ulations.

 

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The Minister for Tourism and Sports says he’s making headway with plans to allow opening until 4am for ‘some’ tourist areas in Thailand. The proposals were mooted several months ago as a tonic for dropping tourist numbers in some of the traditional holiday ‘hot spots’.

Sports and tourism minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says that details were still being discussed but the plan is now to have a pilot scheme in Bangkok’s Khao San Road and parts of Pattaya to allow 4 am opening.

The current closing time is 2am though the times are often ‘flexible’ in places like Pattaya’s Walking Street, Phuket’s Bangla Road and Soi Cowboy in Bangkok. Long term ‘arrangements’ with officials have left many of the larger bars and nightclubs open until well past 4am.

Phiphat says that state and other agencies need to be consulted before the move is confirmed. The Minister has rushed to suggest other changes to current rules, including the waiver of visas for Chinese and Indian tourists – a proposal that was shot down at the following Cabinet meeting.

In the case of the extended closing times, Phiphat claimed, without evidence, that the later closing time would boost tourist spending by 25%. But his proposal to extend the closing times hasn’t been universally supported.

Thai Nation News

 

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