Austrian in Thailand: arrest after cannabis theft!

Austrian in Thailand: arrest after cannabis theft!

in Phuket, Thailand, a 26-year-old Austrian was arrested after being accused of stolen a small amount of cannabis from a local shop. According to reports from 5min.at the man traveled to the popular holiday region and entered, for about 1,000 euros, in Cannabis shop to have bought. However, the operator of the shop claimed that the Austrian had also violated the law.

The shop owner published a surveillance video of the alleged act on Facebook, in which the suspect can be seen. He then put on a bounty of 5,000 baht, about 135 euros. The Thai police were able to quickly find the suspect because at the time he was arrested, he was wearing the same clothing as in the video. On Saturday he was taken into custody.

Legal consequences and future developments

Thai laws provide for hard punishments in connection with cannabis offenses. The 26-year-old could calculate up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, which corresponds to around 2,700 euros. In Thailand, even with smaller offenses, rigoros is taken up, which often has unexpected consequences for foreign tourists. It remains unclear how the Austrian will continue because the Austrian authorities have already been informed about the incident.

The situation is particularly explosive because Thailand 2022 has decreased cannabis, which led to an increase in tourism and cannabis production. However, challenges also came with this liberalization. There are growing concerns about the insufficient regulation of the cannabis market, especially when it comes to access for children and the risk of dependencies. AP News reports that the Thai authorities are planning to exacerbate, in particular in consideration of increasing increasing Smuggling attempts by tourists.

smuggling and regulatory measures

A new regulatory approach, announced by Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin, is scheduled to come into force in the coming weeks. According to these regulations, a medical prescription will be required for the sale of cannabis. It is also illegal to bring cannabis from Thailand without the approval of the authorities. Airport officials have already tightened their controls to prevent smuggling, with most perpetrators being foreigners.

The latest arrest of the Austrian throws a light on larger trend in connection with cannabis and tourism in Thailand. In the past few months, numerous foreign citizens, including over 50 British citizens, have been imposed in Thailand that have been imposed in Thailand. These developments show that despite the legalization of cannabis, serious legal challenges remain.