Phuket cannabis shops set to shrink as licences expire under tighter medical-use rules
Phuket officials say the island’s 1,089 licensed cannabis shops are likely to decline as expiring permits will not be automatically renewed under stricter medical-use regulations.
Phuket has 1,089 licensed cannabis retail outlets, but provincial officials say that number is expected to fall as licences expire and businesses face stricter requirements to keep operating.
The policy shift was outlined on Tuesday, June 30, during the fifth meeting of the Phuket Provincial Joint Public-Private Sector Committee for Economic Problem Solving at Phuket Provincial Hall, chaired by Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsum.
According to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, 288 cannabis retail licences on the island are due to expire this year, 469 in 2027 and 322 in 2028. Phuket Provincial Health Office Deputy Director Somsuk Samphanprathip told the meeting that existing licences will not be automatically renewed when they expire.
Instead, operators that want to continue selling cannabis will have to comply with new national regulations that require them to operate as medical facilities or obtain the appropriate drug sales licences.
Under the new rules, businesses must also hold the relevant licence to produce Category 5 narcotics extracts from cannabis or hemp under Thailand’s Narcotics Code, or have certification as a practitioner under the Thai Traditional Medicine Act. Each licensed premises must also have at least one staff member present throughout business hours who has completed training by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine.
Provincial officials said the tighter standards are expected to significantly reduce the number of cannabis retailers in Phuket.
The local changes follow a broader national policy shift under Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat, who has said cannabis should return to a strictly medical framework. Officials said future legislation is also expected to regulate cultivation, production and distribution, while strengthening enforcement against unauthorised sales.
Enforcement has already been stepped up in Phuket. Earlier this year, the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, Kathu District health officials and Kamala Police raided a cannabis shop in Kamala that allegedly kept operating after its licence had been revoked.
During that inspection, officers reported finding cannabis products still being sold, cannabis extracts and more than 100 food items without Thai-language labelling. Authorities said the operator was charged with illegally selling cannabis flower buds without permission under the Thai Traditional Medicine Protection and Promotion Act, an offence punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine of up to B20,000, or both.
Provincial officials said inspections of cannabis retailers will continue as authorities enforce the new licensing rules and seek to ensure cannabis sales in Phuket comply with the government’s revised medical-use policy.
