Thailand is tightening cannabis regulations amid rising concerns about public health and youth drug abuse, while cracking down on illegal drug networks. On June 24, Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin signed new rules requiring a medical prescription for all cannabis purchases, banning unlicensed sales online, in stores, and vending machines. Cannabis smoking in businesses is now restricted to licensed medical supervision, limited to certified traditional practitioners. Sellers and processors must obtain licenses and report product data, with a strict 30-day supply cap per person. Advertising cannabis products is prohibited. Officials cite a doubling in cannabis users since 2022 as justification, though critics fear these laws could stifle Thailand’s growing cannabis industry.
In a major arrest linked to transnational crime, Thai immigration police captured Daniel Reijo Karvonen, a 42-year-old Finnish fugitive wanted by INTERPOL and Norwegian authorities. Karvonen faces charges of a 2024 murder in Norway and leading a narcotics ring smuggling drugs across the Norway-Sweden border. Police arrested him at a condominium gym in Hua Hin after undercover surveillance. He is now in custody awaiting extradition.
Meanwhile, authorities in Chiang Rai raided a café selling kratom tea to minors, detaining the 35-year-old owner, Talan. The café was found hosting 19 teenagers, including school students consuming the stimulant illegally. Though kratom is legal in Thailand, unlicensed sales to minors remain prohibited. Officials have referred the youths to education authorities for disciplinary action.
In a heartwarming story, a black stray kitten survived a 240km ride clinging to a car’s drive shaft in Udon Thani. Railway officer Wipachet Soikliao rescued and adopted the exhausted kitten, naming her Black.
Vietnam’s National Assembly has announced the abolition of the death penalty for eight crimes, including embezzlement and attempted government overthrow, effective July 1. This change spares real estate tycoon Truong My Lan, whose death sentence for a $12-billion fraud case has been commuted to life imprisonment. The reform reflects a significant shift in Vietnam’s legal landscape, though capital punishment remains for crimes like murder and drug trafficking.
