Phuket MP calls for tighter controls on cannabis businesses and public smoking
A Phuket MP has urged tighter oversight of cannabis businesses, citing cultivation odours, public smoking and shops near schools and communities.
Phuket MP Orathai Kerdsap of the Kla Tham Party called for tighter controls on cannabis businesses in the province during a parliamentary question on 5 November 2026, citing complaints about cultivation odours, public smoking and shops operating near schools and communities.
Kerdsap said Phuket generated more than B500 billion in tourism revenue in 2025 and received more than 14 million visitors. She questioned how the government would oversee licensed operators and prevent shops from exploiting loopholes involving medical certificates required to buy cannabis following the shift from a liberal cannabis policy to a controlled system.
She identified three main areas of concern: cultivation facilities near communities that residents said had caused odour and respiratory problems; cannabis shops in unsuitable locations, including some less than 500 metres from schools; and people smoking in public places, tourist sites, rented homes and near restaurants.
Kerdsap said the effects extended beyond cannabis users and businesses, affecting residents’ rights to live and use public spaces. She called for clear zoning and measures that would allow businesses to operate legally without disturbing communities or damaging Phuket’s image as an international tourism destination.
Deputy Interior Minister Phonphir Suwannachwee, answering on behalf of the prime minister, said the ministry had instructed administrative authorities to inspect cannabis shops suspected of breaking the law, particularly unlicensed shops and those falsely issuing medical certificates. He also said the case of cultivation facilities affecting communities would be investigated and that the ministry would discuss zoning guidelines with the Ministry of Public Health.
