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In the past five years, Thailand has undergone a huge transformation with the attempt to legalize certain narcotics, most notably the recreational use of Marihuana – and it might have backfired badly as the tourism sector is contracting.
When this measure was introduced two administrations ago, lots of players (including political figures) were leaning heavily towards legalization because they had a big stake in the weed business from the get-go.
The issue was from the start that they didn’t ease into it, but all of a sudden, you had Cannabis products everywhere, and if you walk through Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and various cities on the islands like Samui and Phuket, you have literally hundreds of these weed shops.
Ordinarily there wouldn’t be anything wrong with letting people do what they want to as long as it’s discrete without impeding on others comfort but exactly this has become the issue, both for residents of condominium where prohibited marihuana consumption on the premises is a daily complain but most importantly for tourists who feel not just inconveniced but disgusted by the constant smell of cannabis and being surrounded by these shops.
One factor is that Thailand heavily relies on visitors from China, India, Japan, Korea. Cannabis is illegal in all of these countries, and in some cases, the law applies to use overseas as well.
Tourists from these countries are very sensitive when it comes to this matter, and from personal conversations, every person I talked to said they hate the way that Thailand has morphed into a huge weed box where traditional shops for massage, tailors, and trinkets have given way to marijuana dispensaries.
How is this reflected in the tourism numbers? Well, the government is at least worried about dwindling arrivals.
In recent months, many articles have popped up in the Thai media where the contracting tourism industry is an issue.
Here is one article from The Nation:
Foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand are slowing to a critical level, prompting Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong to meet with the private sector to urgently address the issue and mitigate its impact. …
Sorawong acknowledged that the current foreign tourism market in Thailand is reaching a critical point, with concern shared by both the ministry and private sector. However, he noted that the situation is still manageable if swift preventative action is taken.
“Tourism remains the only strong engine driving our economy right now. We must act wherever we can,” he said.
Sorawong added that since the beginning of 2025, arrivals from some major markets—such as China—have declined. However, revenue from tourism has increased compared to the same period in 2024, indicating that tourists are spending more per person.
From January 1 to April 27, Thailand recorded 11,841,911 foreign visitors—a minimal increase of just 0.12% year-over-year—generating approximately 565.6 billion baht in revenue. The top five source countries were China (1.6 million), Malaysia (1.48 million), Russia (865,634), India (729,414), and South Korea (571,409).
Sorawong emphasized that the main factor contributing to the decline is Thailand’s perceived safety image. The ministry has been coordinating closely with the Tourist Police and other relevant agencies to ensure safety for all travelers. Although these efforts have not been widely publicized, he reassured the public that security measures are being implemented thoroughly.
Under safety, the drug matter is definitely included, but of course, the news about kidnappings by scam gangs and situations like the Siam Paragon shooting didn’t help either.
This more recent article cites a double-digit decline in arrivals from the important Asian markets:
Thailand’s tourism industry has seen a decline in the first five months of this year, with international arrivals dropping by 2.7% to 14.3 million. The most concerning factor is the significant contraction in the Asian market, which accounts for nearly 63% of all visitors, shrinking by 11.35%.
While arrivals from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, the Middle East, and Africa have increased, they have not offset the regional downturn.
The sharp decline in Chinese tourists remains the primary issue. Only 1.95 million Chinese visitors traveled to Thailand during this period, marking a 32.7% drop from last year’s 2.91 million.
The trend is worsening, as daily arrivals have fallen from 21,300 in January to just 10,000 in May. If this continues, total Chinese arrivals for 2025 could be between 4–5 million—the lowest in 12 years. …
Better Target: Thailand must focus on attracting Chinese tourists back while also identifying new markets to compensate for lost revenue. Efforts should target free independent travellers (FITs) and group tourists, particularly from neighbouring countries and other short-haul markets, positioning Thailand as a holiday and weekend destination.
Marketing should prioritise high-quality visitors over sheer numbers, aiming for higher-income, high-spending tourists, niche interest groups, and socially responsible travellers. …
Here we’re getting closer to the truth and the core of the problem. Chinese (and other Asian) travelers value safety a lot, but as I highlighted, the boom in drug (cannabis) dispensaries is not an environment they appreciate.
It probably wouldn’t be an issue if there were one shop here and there, but not in the numbers we currently see.
Likewise, if Thailand wants to target “high-quality visitors” and big spenders, then it should clean up the destinations again. Bring back what Thailand once was and eliminate these unscrupulous shops, as they are not contributing to the country’s image as a trustworthy and safe tourism destination.
Conclusion
Thailand has tried an approach to follow a more liberal policy on the use of cannabis, and the results after five years aren’t very positive. Dispensaries in all varieties have literally exploded, and there are thousands of these shops ranging from product to paraphernalia to food that is prepared with marijuana and even weed spas.
The impact on the tourism industry, combined with other events in the country, has been devastating. There is something wrong when tourists who return from Thailand aren’t talking about beautiful temples, spas, hotels, and elephants, but complain about the excessive presence of the cannabis industry.
I wish there would be a proper survey conducted that asks the right questions and where the resulting data helps the government make the right decisions, and to take the necessary steps.
“}]] Has Weed destroyed Thailand as a safe and trustworthy tourism destination? Read More
